Second Entry in Blog Phylosophy

How do overly restrictive controls cripple creativity?

The operative word in the former sentence is ‘overly’ restrictive. Can’t we just call some of them guidelines? ‘Them’ being the things that protect the creator and his original work. But then the argument could be, when the creation was original to begin with? Some say that everything has been re-done, re-told, re-formatted, and derived from the Greeks. Though the Internet is no by-product of anything, except maybe some great science fiction writers of the day. But they again probably commandeered it from some by-products of the Greeks.

Some governing is good. If it is done honestly, fairly, justly and for the good of the people it would be a good system. Then we argue what is good for some people is not good for another. Yet I’m not so sure we have done well so far. There will always been a ‘Human Factor’. As a species are we ready for self-governing. If it didn’t work well with a ‘human-factor’ at the helm what makes us think with no one at the helm but the ‘collective’ and the money makers that we’ll be fine now? And picture millions of ships at sea all sailing around without rules. It could get quite dangerous out there. All corrupt, greedful captains operating out there saying “My way or the highway.” The question still remains: “Are we ready to self govern? Can we handle the responsibility?”
Wise-up people! To read more about a Free Culture
to read more: by Lawrence Lessig: 'Free' Quotes

Blog sites and other interesting places to visit

The following sites are borrowed from the 'net. Browse and benefit: ...weird, outrageous, collaborative, curious, intriguing ... and other sites of interest:
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* Travis visited my blog in '06. I visited back and now share with you. BlankSlate

* Dln-D'Tours from the writers previous blog: DLN blog created 2006

* What is 43 Things?
43 Things is a place where you can write down your goals, get inspired by others, and share your own progress.

* ...and what's this about "Tiny Mice"? About TinyMCE Version: 2.0.9
TinyMCE is a platform independent web based Javascript HTML WYSIWYG editor control released as Open Source under LGPL by Moxiecode Systems AB.

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Posted 9/2

There is a battle forming out on the cyber horizon. We quietly surf the virtual ‘net unaware of the relentless conflict beneath the surface, those who need to own and control,
and, everybody else.
We, part of the ‘everybody’, who play and create, communicate and learn, and share, are at odds in our thinking with the owners of systems and monies that run a lot of it, and it probably won’t be a fair fight. So, about what will succeed? The many of us that practice and benefit by putting into action the boundlessness of the technological world just by clicking a mouse…artists, writers, poets, photographers, storytellers, NEED TO HEED! We all sail freely through this ocean of information. For the moment this is at no cost.
All internet users will be affected one way or another by how the ‘net is run and modeled in the near future. We could continue to enjoy our limitless resources found in the global web of mega-data, and pay no attention to the ‘Privet vs. Public Internet’ issue. We could also soon wake to a decision that has been made for us on how we are allowed to use and interact with the World Wide Web and all its occupants. The mere fact that this networking entity is global and approximately 1.4 billion people are ‘at once’ on line at any given time, this is not just a Washington argument.
In my class (EMP) Emerging Media Practices, we have been given a ‘heads-up’ on this crucial issue and the weight of these conflicting of philosophies is evident. The campaign for control is closer that we think. It’s here.
The task at hand for the next class was to find interesting ‘Weblogs’ on preferred topics of choice. Of course where my interests usually wonder is always: the rebel related issues, rooting for the underdog, defending the endangered species, backing-up all things free-thinking. I didn’t like it when they took away my public access to the beach. I’m mad that cable gives so little to Public Access Television compared to their profits in their pockets. And does anybody care that clever untold chunks are being bitten out of our treasured freedom everyday and it’s being blindly overlooked.

~ Proprietary vs. Open Source ~
There are places to visit on the net that give an education on this issue. Follow them. Click the links to get information, and, if you would pass one or two on to me, I’d be grateful.

VHS / Beta
Red or White
Lite / Regular
Dogs or cats
. . .

First entry on Blog Philosophy

We (being me, who often talks in the 2nd or 3rd person) are in research for new and interesting blogs filling the web today. Let's see what all the hoopla is about. It is being said that the public platform of ‘blogging’ is the (not necessarily new anymore, but) a gaining popular approach of communication. It’s an open forum, truth in communication, free thinking, creative and honest opinions, and, there’s no stopping it!
That is if legislation can keep their greasy capitalist paws out of it. As soon as I heard that this platform and the free internet as a whole is being discussed in Washington. "Ahhhhhhhhh"...and has proprietary enemies that want to suppress open speech and thinking, I saw the battle lines being drawn. We must stay on the side of free expression, right and honorable communication; argue for harmony and for the earth. We do that, we’ll grow well. The idealist in me has always given the people of the planet more credit than they may be worth. In my defense, that cannot be helped, there is more ‘better’ than ‘bad’ in the world ~ there has to be. All mothers want peace and happiness for their children. They want them to have the opportunity to play on green grass, climb tree-houses, and swim in pure waters of rivers, ponds or oceans. The world is full of tests and lessons, hardship and hurdles, obstacle and setbacks. Challenges, great discoveries are also tricky.
So does the saying go: "With great freedom comes great responsibilities." "Can we handle it?"
Richard Bach said it in a little book called “Illusions” … “There is no such thing as a problem without a gift for you in its hands. You seek problems because you need their gifts.”
Other quotes from this book and Jonathan...
Seagull,
Illusions...

New article in “The Beacon News” somewhere out of the Mid-west.

Candidates today have to be careful with what they say during their soap-box performances. With the elections rounding the corner and soon headed for the barn, anything can and will be misconstrued and taken out of context by the opposition. What you say in the morning can be overtly splashed across the wires instantaneously. A reputation can be destroyed by lunch. With just a few clicks of a mouse, in no time at all really, a fair and rational politician can get bulldozed right out of the race. The conservative Paparazzi of U-Tubers are dogging the liberals and vice-versa. Reporters are the ‘in-touch’ people today, and they’re just waiting for the chance to be the one that caught the big fish in a blunder-net on their cell phones. Up-loaded to the web and ‘that’s all she wrote folks.’ Web-loggers on the other hand have their opinions. Tracking the speeches, word-for-word, the ‘people press’ are in relentless pursuit of even one verbal mishap, while blogger’s write about what they heard in the speech or how they interpreted a particular statement. Depending on the popularity of the writer, influences can be made. What is said can easily be taken out of context and rewrapped or spun in a negative way that can harm the original message.The up-shot: It gives choice of information to the people. We are no longer fed what the NEWS wants us to eat... This is the New Media.
So, be careful kiddies, the ‘New Media’ is out there in force and ready to pounce on your every word. With instant broadcast of any live event, not only speech conferences or political figures are fair game. No matter the topic, everyone has a different opinion, perception, and agenda. What you say or do will mean something to someone. Depending on whose side you’re on, the personal ‘slant’ can be for or against the original or sincere pitch. (William Goldman) The Princess Bride, (1987) Westley: “Life is pain, Highness. Anyone who says differently is selling something.”

For the story: go to the article from the Beacon.

Mod’ularity

Speaks

Mod Squad

Thoughts on modularity and the future.

These are some thoughts on the New Media, and, Frances Cairncross's predictions about its impact on society, the future and our role in it all.
Some highlights of the 30 manifestoes are: ‘Death of Distance’, ‘More Customized Content’, 'Proliferation of Ideas', 'Loss of Privacy', 'Redistribution of Wages', and,

'Communities of Culture'.

Coming from someone of Time-Distance by shear perspective (age) alone, I personally find much of new technology awfully frightening to say the least. I had said for many years that we are re-wiring the brains our youth. …and actually I've been saying it long enough that it is not an 'are' anymore but a 'have'. That previous statement has successfully and officially been placed in the past. We've done it! The new technology has been assimilated. Resistance was futile!

Now, on with the (Task Question): What makes the New Media Revolutionary?

The invention of Fiber-Optics in the ‘80’s, to me, was the pivot point. Once we learned how to compress a signal, the proverbial Genie was out of the bottle so to speak. Affordability then, became the new challenge.

Soon after that it was about compressing computer power. Enter next phase in the NMR (New Media Revolution) Silicon came into great demand. Apparently, again, size does matter! Make it compact and affordable and everybody will want one.

When the first satellite went up through the atmosphere, the world instantly became smaller. Heck if you hold a mirror just right you can see around a corner. When satellites, Telstar and PanAmSat went into orbit in the early 60's, we could see around the globe! The more information the more ideas; the more ideas the more concepts; “Hey, what if we could connect all the computers in the world so they would talk to each other?” someone said. “They could share information altogether!” said the collaborating voice in the room. Tah-dah! The Internet was born!

Of course this 60 years I speak of is all in this nut-shell report. In the perspective of the overall ‘big-picture’, and the duration humans have been milling around on the planet, we’d all have to agree that was pretty flippin’ fast.

So, to capsulate: Fiber-optics, signal compression, Silicon, smaller & more powerful, Mirrors in the sky and digitizing transmissions, these main factors shaped the computer-world we know today and will continue to form and reshape our thinking hereafter.

Other contributors to the ‘Techno-Age’ where we would not be without: ‘the all mighty mouse’, and of course demand, affordability, and mobility. And, the fact that we already had preceding wondrous inventions, called the Telephone and the Television. Both were contribution marvels by themselves. Yet, their inventors have not been noted and I apologies. With out question their credit is necessary. Thank you ‘Alex G. Bell’, and, ‘John Logie Baird’ if Google is indeed correct and you really did invent Television.

However, that brings up the Q: radio and T.V is about frequency (which is magic in itself) so, is it really the Television that helped bring this new age about, or, was it simply “Programming”?

Part II

The up-side and the down-side of all this electronic digital hocus-pocus has not yet been discussed here which will now be done in brief. These are all simply the writer’s opinion so no boo’s and hiss’s please. 6 of 30 predictions from Frances Cairncross (The Trendspotter's Guide to New Communications) From the book: The Death of Distance

• The Good: #17, 22, 27. Distance learning and on-line classes will be of definite benefit to remote locations. And it does stick the knife in the back of Distance, leaving it to a sad demise. (I’m a believer in time and perspective.) Though, when you are trying to tell someone about how other people and cultures live and then are able show them, or better yet talk with them, it can reveal to us that we are different and what we experience is not all the same. #22 is a toughie. Moving money, and occupations around the globe, some might say this will even-out the economic playing field. I think the Right would not like that, and, the Left would be all for it. Since I don’t get the lion’s share of corporate dollars anyway, I’m for good days pay for good days work. There should be plenty to go around. And if not than there’s a glut somewhere and a little cage-rattling might be just the thing for humanity. #27 Giving indigenous peoples a voice and sharing that voice with the world might give us the perspective that we are losing with Distance dying. Community must endure. Survival of culture is distinctly necessary. As long as truth is priority we should be okay. There, the little ideaist monster just peeked over my shoulder again.

· The Bad: #5 What in the world will Nielsen do for work? Though I jest…unless we get better programs, the personal programming will still be bad; it will just cost to watch it. What might the down side be? Instant-gratification has long been a thorn in the side of patience. And much of human nature is far too comfortable with the word “Want” anyway. Now, you know my cynical side.

• The Ugly: #21 Loss of Privacy. How much more needs to be said? The monitoring of people’s movement cannot be okay for some and not for others. I do think if one does business outside the law, they’re an outlaw, and therefore the law should not apply? ‘Judge not let ye be judged.’ But, that’s a different argument. There has been heaps of futuristic lore in writings and film that warn against the monitoring of people and I fear there is no stopping it. “Be careful the freedoms you give up in the name of security.”

I think I said that.

~ End report ~