Editing Demoscene (section)

==Culture==
The demoscene is mainly a European phenomenon.<ref name="reunanen2009">{{cite conference |last1=Reunanen |first1=Markku |first2=Antti |last2=Silvast |title=Demoscene Platforms: A Case Study on the Adoption of Home Computers |conference=History of Nordic Computing |year=2009 |pages=289–301 |doi=10.1007/978-3-642-03757-3_30|doi-access=free }}</ref> It is a competition-oriented subculture, with groups and individual artists competing against each other in technical and artistic excellence. Those who achieve excellence are dubbed "elite", while those who do not follow the demoscene's implicit rules are called "lamers"; such rules emphasize creativity over "ripping" (or else using with permission) the works of others, having good contacts within the scene, and showing effort rather than asking for help.<ref name="reunanen2009" /> Both this competitiveness and the sense of cooperation among demosceners have led to comparisons with the earlier [[hacker culture]] in academic computing.<ref name="reunanen2009" /><ref>{{cite encyclopedia |first=Gregory |last=Turner-Rahman |title=the demoscene |encyclopedia=Media Authorship |publisher=Routledge |year=2013 |editor-first1=Cynthia |editor-last1=Chris |editor-first2=David A. |editor-last2=Gerstner}}</ref>{{rp|159}} The demoscene is a closed subculture, which seeks and receives little mainstream public interest.<ref name="reunanen2010">{{cite thesis |author=Markku Reunanen |year=2010 |title=Computer Demos—What Makes Them Tick? |type=[[Licentiate (degree)|Lic.]] |publisher=[[Aalto University]]}}</ref>{{rp|4}} {{As of|2010}}, the size of the scene was estimated at some 10,000.<ref name="hartmann">{{cite conference |last=Hartmann |first=Doreen |title=Computer Demos and the Demoscene: Artistic Subcultural Innovation in Real-Time. |conference=16th International Symposium of Electronic Art |year=2010 |url=http://www.isea2010ruhr.org/files/redaktion/pdf/isea2010_proceedings_p11_hartmann.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160805160342/http://www.isea2010ruhr.org/files/redaktion/pdf/isea2010_proceedings_p11_hartmann.pdf |archive-date=2016-08-05 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

In the early days, competition came in the form of setting records, like the number of "bobs" ([[blitter object]]s) on the screen per frame, or the number of [[Commodore 64 demos|DYCP]] (Different Y Character Position) scrollers on a C64.{{Citation needed|date=October 2015}} These days, there are organized competitions, or compos, held at [[Demoparty|demoparties]], although there have been some online competitions. It has also been common for [[Disk magazine|diskmags]] to have voting-based charts which provide ranking lists for the best coders, graphicians, musicians, demos and other things.

In 2020, Finland added its demoscene to its national [[UNESCO]] list of [[intangible cultural heritage]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://demoscene-the-art-of-coding.net/2020/04/15/breakthrough-finland-accepts-demoscene-on-their-national-list-of-intangible-cultural-heritage-of-humanity/|title=Breakthrough of Digital Culture: Finland accepts the Demoscene on its national UNESCO list of intangible cultural heritage of humanity|date=2020-04-15|website=Demoscene - The Art of Coding|language=en-US|access-date=2020-04-15|archive-date=15 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200415151507/http://demoscene-the-art-of-coding.net/2020/04/15/breakthrough-finland-accepts-demoscene-on-their-national-list-of-intangible-cultural-heritage-of-humanity/|url-status=live}}</ref> It is the first digital subculture to be put on an intangible cultural heritage list.
In 2021, Germany and Poland also added its demoscene to its national UNESCO list of intangible cultural heritage,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://demoscene-the-art-of-coding.net/2021/03/20/demoscene-accepted-as-unesco-cultural-heritage-in-germany/|title=Demoscene accepted as UNESCO cultural heritage in Germany|date=20 March 2021|access-date=20 March 2021|archive-date=7 June 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230607081746/http://demoscene-the-art-of-coding.net/2021/03/20/demoscene-accepted-as-unesco-cultural-heritage-in-germany/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://demoscene-the-art-of-coding.net/2021/12/17/demoscene-in-poland-gets-accepted-as-national-immaterial-cultural-heritage/|title=Demoscene in Poland gets accepted as national immaterial cultural heritage|date=17 December 2021|access-date=1 January 2022|archive-date=1 January 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220101125027/http://demoscene-the-art-of-coding.net/2021/12/17/demoscene-in-poland-gets-accepted-as-national-immaterial-cultural-heritage/|url-status=live}}</ref> followed by Netherlands in 2023<ref>{{Cite web |title=215th addition to Inventory of Intangible Heritage Netherlands |url=http://www.immaterieelerfgoed.nl/en/215e-bijschrijving-in-inventaris |access-date=2023-07-17 |website=Immaterieel Erfgoed |language=en |archive-date=17 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230717213017/https://www.immaterieelerfgoed.nl/en/215e-bijschrijving-in-inventaris |url-status=live }}</ref> with Sweden and France in 2025.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Carlsson |first1=Anders |title=The demoscene as a UNESCO heritage in Sweden |url=https://www.goto80.com/the-demoscene-as-a-unesco-heritage-in-sweden |website=GOTO8O |access-date=31 March 2025 |date=31 March 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |website=De Association MO5.COM |title=La demoscene enfin reconnue comme patrimoine culturel en France  |url=https://mag.mo5.com/268476/la-demoscene-enfin-reconnue-comme-patrimoine-culturel-en-france/ |access-date=10 April 2025 |date=10 April 2025}}</ref>

===Groups===
[[File:Demo PC BlackMaiden Interceptor.jpg|thumb|Interceptor by Black Maiden]]
{{Main|Demogroup}}
Demosceners typically organize in small groups, centered around a coder ([[computer programmer|programmer]]), a musician, a graphician (graphics designer) and a swapper (who spreads their own and others' creations by mail).

Groups always have names, and similarly the individual members pick a handle by which they will be addressed in the large community. While the practice of using handles rather than real names is a borrowing from the cracker/warez culture, where it serves to hide the identity of the cracker from law enforcement, in the demoscene (oriented toward legal activities) it mostly serves as a manner of self-expression. Group members tend to self-identify with the group, often extending their handle with their group's name, following the patterns "''Handle'' of ''Group''" or "''Handle''/''Group''".<ref name="reunanen2010" />{{rp|31–32}}