" ..Our system has become a Frankenstein monster which acts upon its own institutional behalf.
It encourages the least desirable of human traits -- greed, short-term thinking, lack of accountability, hierarchy, propaganda and self-obsession -- while simultaneously dismissing and discouraging the best of human traits -- long-term planning, reason, mutual aid, empathy, and resource allocation.
If we don't construct society in a manner which embraces the latter, we damn our children to a miserable existence, and we won't survive as a species"
(taken from a comment by Jason Boissonneault in a trnn comment thread)
13 December 2011
09 October 2011
Steve Jobs died a few days ago and I wrote the following in a facebook comment thread
In response to all the idolatrous mourning in here, and surely bouncing around in mainstream media right now, (i havent yet poked my head around to see)
Nice design and innovation, but I could have done without most of his contribution toward making closed technical ecosystems and hardware more desired and desirable, and here's why. I fear that it might be us, the consumers of new technologies, that willingly hand over the gains made possible by these technologies, back to monopolies and empire, simply because we are driven by desire for the shinier toy, and the easier playground.
(written on a mac)
In response to all the idolatrous mourning in here, and surely bouncing around in mainstream media right now, (i havent yet poked my head around to see)
Nice design and innovation, but I could have done without most of his contribution toward making closed technical ecosystems and hardware more desired and desirable, and here's why. I fear that it might be us, the consumers of new technologies, that willingly hand over the gains made possible by these technologies, back to monopolies and empire, simply because we are driven by desire for the shinier toy, and the easier playground.
(written on a mac)
28 July 2011
google+ public circles
It would be nice if google+ extended the circle metaphor to include public circles, that people can discover and join, giving us a way to easily make and follow channels with a narrow subject on Google+
What this would solve is the following basic problem:
I don't want to hear mumbles on random topics, from people I follow for one subject in particular. For example, if I follow you for your technology knowledge and opinion, I dont want to hear about the food you're eating on your latest visit to china.
I should be able to join your technology circle, provided you've made it public, and by so doing I should be able to see only the posts you send to your technology circle.
What this would solve is the following basic problem:
I don't want to hear mumbles on random topics, from people I follow for one subject in particular. For example, if I follow you for your technology knowledge and opinion, I dont want to hear about the food you're eating on your latest visit to china.
I should be able to join your technology circle, provided you've made it public, and by so doing I should be able to see only the posts you send to your technology circle.
22 April 2011
skepticism
Questioning our own motives, and our own process, is critical to a skeptical and scientific outlook. We must realize that the default mode of human psychology is to grab onto comforting beliefs for purely emotional reasons, and then justify those beliefs to ourselves with post-hoc rationalizations. It takes effort to rise above this tendency, to step back from our beliefs and our emotional connection to conclusions and focus on the process. The process (i.e science, logic, and intellectual rigor) has to be more important than the belief. —Steven Novella
16 March 2011
procreative racial deconstruction..
RT @AmandlaMedia
Perhaps South Africa needs a voluntary, free spirited, open-ended program of procreative racial deconstruction...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bulworth
Perhaps South Africa needs a voluntary, free spirited, open-ended program of procreative racial deconstruction...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bulworth
22 February 2011
old interview on NaomiKleinThe Shock Doctrine
@JohnCusack interviews @NaomiKlein on her book "The Shock Doctrine"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rcyb0cDf4aQ& -part1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1u_OTa18Ts& -part2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rcyb0cDf4aQ& -part1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1u_OTa18Ts& -part2
21 February 2011
18 February 2011
Tim Wu, on the monopolization of the Internet, and other things
Recently caught a conversation with Tim Wu, originator of the phrase 'net neutrality', and author of The Master Switch, on the monopolization of the Internet, and other things : interview with TimWu on SearchEnginePodcast
Listen here : http://podcasts.tvo.org/searchengine/audio/800868_48k.mp3
The book sounds important - theres a good review here: http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/reviews/2010/12/ars-book-review-the-master-switch-by-tim-wu.ars
Some nice bits on how older technologies had open phases too, before they were closed - as we, the consumers, brought about monopolists and consumptive systems, in tandem with emerging parasitic business ecosystems.
And whether things could be different this time around ..
Whether, if we were aware of the systems and information we 'choose' for ourselves; we could keep it open, and therefore, game-changing
Definitely, some things for us cyber-optimists to think about .
wiki notes are accumulating here: http://jaysen.wikispaces.com/TimWuOnSearchEngine
Listen here : http://podcasts.tvo.org/searchengine/audio/800868_48k.mp3
The book sounds important - theres a good review here: http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/reviews/2010/12/ars-book-review-the-master-switch-by-tim-wu.ars
Some nice bits on how older technologies had open phases too, before they were closed - as we, the consumers, brought about monopolists and consumptive systems, in tandem with emerging parasitic business ecosystems.
And whether things could be different this time around ..
Whether, if we were aware of the systems and information we 'choose' for ourselves; we could keep it open, and therefore, game-changing
Definitely, some things for us cyber-optimists to think about .
wiki notes are accumulating here: http://jaysen.wikispaces.com/TimWuOnSearchEngine
05 February 2011
Julian Assange speech at WikiLeaks Public Meeting in Melbourne
30 January 2011
rms on google
http://stallman.org/archives/2010-nov-feb.html#29 January 2011 (Investigating Google)
As for Google, it does some very good things but also some bad things. (For instance, many of its services distribute proprietary software to users.) I would not put Google at the head of the list of large companies that need to be broken up; however, if we start breaking up large companies (as we should), and get that far down the list, I would not say "stop here"
..
i agree
As for Google, it does some very good things but also some bad things. (For instance, many of its services distribute proprietary software to users.) I would not put Google at the head of the list of large companies that need to be broken up; however, if we start breaking up large companies (as we should), and get that far down the list, I would not say "stop here"
..
i agree
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