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	Welcome to Platypus!      And welcome to the wonderful world of glitches, bugs and errors! If you're here you probably already know something about glitches, but for those who don't: a glitch is a fault in a system that can prevent said system from functioning the way it was meant to function. Glitches arise from contradictions in the syntax that governs the system or the absence of rules for things that can happen in the system, but were not intended to happen. Glitches can exist in any system and the more complex a system is the more likely that it will have glitches.      While this definition gives you a general understanding of what glitches are, a definition for glitches that fully encompasses the concept does not exist and would be very hard to come up with. The main problem lies in the uncertainty of weather something is a glitch or an intended part of a system. The only surefire way to know is ask the creator of the system, but systems don't always have a creator and some have multiple creators which only leads to more confusion. Still more creators aren't available for questioning. The only other way of determining what is a glitch and what isn't is looking at patterns in systems and assuming that anything that deviates from the pattern is not an intended part of the system. Without a creator to question none of these glitches could conclusively be identified as such, but it's all we have.      When it comes to computer or computer related glitches the matter is a bit simpler because there are some telltale aspects of digital glitches that give them away. You may not know for sure if something is a glitch or not, but as a consumer you know what to expect from software and hardware. If a wild mess of random pixels appear in the middle of a slick and anti-aliased program you don't expect this to be a normal part of it. If, say, you're using a software package and it fails to do what it advertised you expect something to be wrong with the code. If in a game you suddenly have access to areas of the game that do not actually exist you expect it to be a glitch. And maybe the most obvious red flag of all- an error message. Of course you are still relying on patterns, but with digital glitches you can almost always be sure.      Now ask yourself this question: If the more complicated a system is the more likely it is to have a glitch and if something as simple as a computer game can have glitches, don't you think that nature itself may have them? I think the Universe is more complicated then a video game don't you?      Human systems can certainly have glitches, I don't know of a single one that doesn't, and if you apply the same method of looking at patterns and labeling deviations as glitches to nature you're sure to find many. Are birth defects glitches? Is cancer a glitch? Are mutations glitches? Are platypi glitches? Could life itself be a huge glitch? We'll probably never know, but everything is a system and a subsystem of a larger, more complicated system. It's definitely possible, but then can a glitch glitch?      Now that you know what glitches are let me tell you about the site itself. There are a number of glitch related sites on the net, many of which can be found in the link section, but they all focus on one or two aspects of glitches. There are quite a number of video game glitch websites, a few with glitch art or music, and a lot that talk about Y2K, but there is not a single site that brings all the different types of glitches together in one place. Until now that is. Whatever interest you may have in glitches it is covered here: from video game glitches to glitch art to glitches in nature. It's all here. And as long as you're here you may want to check out a few of the glitches you're not used to thinking of as glitches: they may be more interested then you think.      Of course this site, having so many sections and so much that needs writing is impossible to fill alone- so any interested readers that want to contribute an article or a picture or song can do so by reading the rules and regulations in the "submit article section and emailing me with your finished and polished work at tymoguin@gmail.com. If it fits the site's standards and if it doesn't violate any of the submission rules it will be put up on the site. You will be credited and any of your sites you may want to advertise will be put on your profile page. More on that in the "submit article" section.      That's pretty much all I have to say. Enjoy. In all of these gifts, there's a glitch. -Alice Hoffman All content belongs to its respective owners. Platypus (c) Taras Tymoshenko 2007.