As a cultural form, the database represents the world as a list of items, and it refuses to order this list. In contrast, a narrative creates a cause-and-effect trajectory of seemingly unordered items (events). Therefore, database and narrative are natural enemies. Competing for the same territory of human culture, each claims the exclusive right to make mening out of the world.

Lev Manovich the language of new media

 

är databasen en ny konstform är fysisk navigering i ett komplext material en intressant utgångspunkt fortsatta experiment.