blogosphere vs. humansphere
Doc Searls (May 1, 2006), in Thoughs in (or on) passing:
"Lately I've been suspecting that the blogosphere is a home
improvement job on the humansphere."
The blogosphere is a community of blog sites that link to and quote
each other. We see new text appear, depending upon the update
frequency of a given blog. We do not know for sure that a human is
behind the text that appears in the blog.
The humansphere is a community of people who interact with each other.
We see new people appear, depending upon the population dynamics and
immigration influx of a given locale. We do not know for sure that a
computer can render the lives of these people in a personal blog with
diarist posts.
We hope that blogging is therapeutic for those who express themselves.
However, blogging can also make some already sensitive narcissists go
over the edge into total myopic delusions of popular grandeur and
hysterical self-disclosure maelstroms.
EDIT UPDATE: I don't think I sufficiently conveyed the fact that I
really do hope Doc is right.
I quote his "blogs are emails to the world" all the time, everywhere,
so now I'll probably be quoting this new statement "the blogosphere is
a home improvement project on the humansphere" all the time,
everywhere.
Posted by steven edward streight at 5/02/2006 11:56:00 PM 5 comments
Links to this post
blogs and the technological imperative
EDIT UPDATE: After publishing this post, I later realized that it
marks my completion of 2 years, and my entry into my 3rd year, of
blogging. I began this blog in May 2004.
Do you feel uncomfortable when an analyst harshly critiques a blog,
web site, or software product?
Do you think whatever occurs is necessary, inevitable, fated,
destined, and there is no resistance or reform possible?
Do you feel we should accept whatever happens, as the progress of
science and human invention?
Do you think there should be no rules, no mentors, no sour, cynical
examination of motives and methods?
Then I know what you are.
You're a believer in what's called ...
The Technological Imperative
"Those who work on the computing capacity of the machines are
seldom interested in the full range of possible applications....In
effect, we are committed to following a drift--accumulated
consequences--given the name progress....
To this day, any suggestion that the forward flow of technological
innovation be in any way limited by an idea or rational or humane
planning is certain to evoke a harsh response....
The writers of a National Academy of Sciences technology assessment
report repeatedly insist that 'our purpose is not to conceive ways
to curb or restrain or otherwise fix technology'... Expresssions of
this sort have become a kind of ritual oath, which anyone the least
bit critical of technological affairs must administer to oneself
before going any further....
Here we encounter one of the most persistent problems that appears
in reports of autonomous technology: the technological imperative.
The basic conception can be stated as follows: technologies are
structures whose conditions of operation demand the restructuring
of their environments....a chain of reciprocal dependency is
established in which the various aspects of a given technical
operation overlap and require each other."
Langdon Winner
Autonomous Technology: Technics-Out-of-Control as a Theme in
Political Thought (The MIT Press, Massachusetts and London, 1977,
p. 99-100)
But is man a tool-making creature? Is technology the ultimate in
tool-making?
No. Homo Sapien is a thought-making creature. Thought comes before
Tool as Crutch and Clutch.
Billions of things have existed in Mind, and were never fabricated by
Tool. Yet the Tool always had to exist in Mind first. Tool is thus, an
artificial limb of Mind. Since Mind is superior over Tool, Mind has
the authority to critique Tool, whether personal blog or nuclear bomb.
Should we just go ahead and move forward with stem cell research,
dream recording and playback units, assisted suicide, abortion,
obesity flesh removal surgery, genetically engineered vegetables,
breast implants, teenage cosmetic vanity surgery, erectile dysfunction
medicine, botox injections...
...just because we can?
Is technology a Pandora's Box, that, once opened, we have no power or
authority to close?
Man is not primarily a tool-making creature. Plenty of other creatures
use tools, and lots of other creatures are artistic and creative. Many
other creatures engage in ritual and transmissible myth.
Humanity differs from other animals in only one aspect.
Transformation.
Only the human can be transformed into a Monster of Pure Evil (serial
killers, cannibals, child molestors, war-mongers, weapons
manufacturers, pimps, internet sex predators, politicians) or an Angel
of Pure Light (think of the sweet, kind, caring people who've helped
you in your life).
Blogs are a part of technology, and are even mentioned in television
and radio commercials. ("I like to talk and chat. I also like to blog,
too much, probably. Thank heaven, I have Verizon Freinds and Enemies
Calling Plan...").
Shall we tolerate and praise any blog...by anyone?
Shall we not voice any concerns about the blogosphere, just let it
drift off in any direction any rich or influential forces may wish to
force it to go?
Shall we ignore the malicious, child-endangering, identity
theft-prone, or deceptive commercial practices by some in the blog
community?
Just hold hands and feel the love vibes pulsating moronically?
Or should some of us be like the snarly, super-opinionated,
loud-mouthed pioneer bloggers of the dim past, all the way back to:
Tim Berners-Lee (What's New, 1992), Marc Andreessen, Justin Hall,
Carolyn Burke, Michael Sippey, Dave Winer, Rob Malda (SlashDot, 1997),
Doc Searls, Jorn Barger (Robot Wisdom), Cameron Barrett (CamWorld),
Peter Merholz, Andrew Zeepo (Pitar automatic HTML blogging templates,
1999), Brad Fitzpatrick (LiveJournal, 1999), Joel Spolsky, Evan
Williams, Matt Mullenweg, Chris Sells, Frank McPherson, Christopher
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