Well, I first thought this is discussed enough already. But I see this topic/question come up in several threads, and interesting things being said. So:
Is IF art?
And if it is, should it be kept secret? Because some IF authors might stop writing IF because they think they can’t create art? (Like office workers who would think they can’t program but wrote Emacs macros or Excel formulas. They just didn’t know they were programming and wouldn’t have dared if they knew.)
I think it’s an artform but not every IF piece is art (nor should it be).
Unless I am mistaken, IF as a genre has not been really kept a secret (nor are people trying to keep it a secret usually…). It just carved out its little corner and playing ball with whoever wants to join in the fun.
I meant: Is the fact(??) that IF is an art best be kept secret (because else many people would shy away from writing IF)?
And I think every IF is an art. Beuys said “Everyone is an artist.” And think of paintings with just a monnochrome surface. They are considered art. Then why not a badly written, simple piece of IF?
I’m in the more expansive, “nearly all human expression is art” group. Now, whether an individual considers it “good” art or not is entirely subjective.
Absolutely. Anything creative is art. Writing is an art form. Interactive Fiction is no different. That’s why I believe IF is a very difficult medium to do well. You have to be a storyteller, write provocative prose, have mastery of a programmable language, understand what makes good story and puzzle implementation, and have the perseverance for constant beta-testing.
In many ways, it’s an art form that encompasses all sides of one’s brain. IF is fairly easy to generate, but damn difficult to bring all the aspects of it together. Not to mention that most sacrifice hundreds if not thousands of hours for small recognition and no monetary game.
There are some truly talented artists that have and are a part of this community. Hats off.
If IF is an art, obviously is under the literature category.
Best regards from Italy,
dott. Piergiorgio.
No?? Plenty a people shy away from writing period. There are a lot of reason for why someone won’t write IF, and most are usually because of coding, not writing.
There are plenty of those out there. Check the low rated itch.io interactive games (or the lowest rated IF pieces on the IFDB).
We’ve all written some.
Yes.
I think the answer to this question is not that easy. There is a broad range of IF, especially when including anachronistic IF from the early days, like the Scott Adams games for example. Are these art? Some will now say no, while other may say yes. If you look from a more creative perspective on it, it’s clearly art.
Literature for example is considered a form of art because the author communicates ideas and experiences to the reader. And if you go over that bridge, not only a linear piece of literature such as a book is considered art but also the interactive equivalent to it.
Some write songs, some write poems, some create interactive stories. Whether good or bad doesn’t make a difference. Creativity creates art.
Let’s try and turn this around:
If IF is NOT art, what is it?
I’m firmly in the yes camp. You would be hard pressed to find a game (computer or otherwise) that I wouldn’t classify as art. A lot of it is bad, but that’s not unique to IF or games in general.
I am in the yes camp as well notably. Being a musician, I see it much like writing a song. A song can be good or it can be bad, which is in the eye of the beholder anyway, but it’s still art 
EA and Lucas Arts would like a word. 
This sounds like the beginning of a non-stop Usenet rec.arts.int-fiction discussion.
Of course it does! This kind of overlaps in the Venn-Diagram of “What is IF?” There is valid discussion to be had, but remember arguing for targeted exclusion will brush up against the CoC and be subject to moderation.
Constructive discussion is always welcome!
My comment was in jest. One of the reasons we have intfiction.org was because there was zero moderation on Usenet. Threads could get out of hand quickly, not to mention the trolls. What was that one guy’s name?
Don’t go trying to summon Beetlejuice.
Who? Beetlejuice? (2x)
Hi! This is not Max obviously, but Beetlejuice. If Beetlejuice can hack, then he has obviously hacked me. No, not me, Max. Or if the logic is too astounding for you, you can join me in the forever queue of bureaucracy.
[Meh heh heh…]
I was trying to think of a really clever follow-up for Pinkunz’s post, but that was way better than anything I was considering. Well done, Max Beetlejuice being-whose-name-being-mentioned-a-fourth-time-might-carry-unexpected-consequences.