# Small Machines Making Words

> creative work by Nick Montfort

**Wikidata**: [Q132198861](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q132198861)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/small-machines-making-words

## Summary
*Small Machines Making Words* is a creative work and software application authored by Nick Montfort. Published in 2009, it is recognized as a piece of generative literature written in the English language. The work functions as both a digital performance and an application designed for end-users.

## Key Facts
- **Author:** Nick Montfort
- **Publication Date:** 2009
- **Genre:** Generative literature
- **Instance of:** Creative work, performance, application (software program)
- **Language:** English
- **Programming Language:** Q42478
- **ELMCIP ID:** 4121
- **Classification:** Software program or group of programs designed for end-users

## FAQs
### Q: Who created Small Machines Making Words?
A: The work was created by Nick Montfort, a figure known for digital creative works.

### Q: When was Small Machines Making Words published?
A: It was published in 2009.

### Q: What type of software is Small Machines Making Words?
A: It is classified as a software application and a work of generative literature, meaning it likely uses algorithms to generate textual output.

### Q: What language is the work written in?
A: The work operates in English, and its underlying code utilizes the programming language identified as Q42478.

## Why It Matters
*Small Machines Making Words* represents a specific intersection of computer science and literary arts, serving as a practical example of generative literature. By existing simultaneously as a "creative work," "performance," and "application," it highlights how software can function as a medium for artistic expression rather than merely a utility. The work contributes to the field of electronic literature by demonstrating how code (specifically referenced here by the identifier Q42478) can be used to manipulate language and generate text for end-users. Its inclusion in the ELMCIP knowledge base (ID 4121) underscores its relevance as a documented piece of digital literary history. It stands as a representation of the late 2000s era of digital creative experimentation.

## Notable For
- Being a multifaceted digital object classified as both a performance and a software application.
- Serving as a concrete example of generative literature authored by Nick Montfort.
- Functioning as an application designed specifically for end-users within an artistic context.
- Utilizing specific programming structures (referenced as Q42478) to generate English text.

## Body

### Authorship and Classification
*Small Machines Making Words* is a creative work attributed to the author Nick Montfort. It is distinct in its classification as it spans multiple categories: it is defined as a "creative work," a "performance," and an "application." In the context of software, the entry specifies that it is a program or group of programs designed for end-users.

### Genre and Language
The work belongs to the genre of generative literature. This classification implies the use of a system (in this case, software) to produce text. The language of the work or name is English. The technical implementation involves the programming language identified by the ID Q42478.

### Publication and Identifiers
The work was published in 2009. It is indexed in the ELMCIP (Electronic Literature as a Model of Creativity and Innovation in Practice) knowledge base under the ID 4121. This record serves as a primary reference for the work's metadata and classification within academic and digital humanities circles.