The point many of you are probably missing here is that this is not a proof of concept but a work of net/digital art, exhibited many times in the past (even at transmediale 2008) but fixed in a defined moment in time (~2006).
I've been a student of one of the authors (Alessandro Ludovico) in 2008, at the Academy of Fine Arts of Carrara (Italy).
For all of those who speak German, there's an old episode of CRE [1] in which Tim talks to Hans Bernhard and lizvlx from Austria. They were involved with the project and elaborate a bit about its motivations.
I've been a student of one of the authors (Alessandro Ludovico) in 2008, at the Academy of Fine Arts of Carrara (Italy).