Elle Ford's concept takes the form of a large roll of paper, unwound, suspended and covered on both sides with binary code. It relates to the idea that computers remove the need for paper, but leave significant paper trails behind, stored in emails and social media data bases or clouds. More than ever it seems that the introduction of technology has increased the ability and the need to keep a good paper trail of the records left by a person.

 

On a computer a binary code represents text or computer processor instructions using the binary number system's two binary digits, 0 and 1. People now connect with each other and maintain online relationships through the use of this Binary language. Leibniz was the first to introduce the binary notation, in his theology he believed that binary numbers were symbolic of the idea of creation out of nothing.

 

Like a cloud appears seemingly from nowhere and is created out of nothing. The cloud form emphasizes the size of the technological challenge through the use of the medium of a very long paper roll. The roll would be suspended and take the form of a cloud to represent "The Cloud" data storage. The binary notation is made with a pencil on paper, reflecting the origins of the written word and communication.