software art thread notes:

definition of software art:
In a convoluted discussion on Rhizome, Antoine Schmitt argues for the separation of 'programmed art' from 'software art', referring to work that is programmed in a more general way and then software as the cultural form this sometimes takes. Interestingly, he wishes to emphasise action as in a programme of action and characterises himself as an artist-programmer consistent with this view. Antoine Schmitt calls the program 'prepared' in this sense.      Programmed art in this sense holds a close (conceptual) connection with conceptual art and work that is conceived in advance of its execution. 

(Antoine Schmitt (2003) 'software art vs. programmed art', Rhizome_Raw, Oct 4).

Software show:
Andreas Broegger (2003) takes a more historical approach by situated the term in the context of Radical Software magazine and Jack Burnham's exhibition Software held at the Jewish Museum, in 1970. Both he and Davidson Gigliotti describe the term software used as a metaphor for arts practice, mostly describing the transmission of information using video tapes and early computing arts as opposed to the hardware of object-based art - what Lippard elsewhere describes as dematerialised art. 
 
(Andreas Broegger (2003), 'gigliotti on '(radical) software,' posting via Andreas Broeckmann, Oct 10)