Saturday, December 06, 2003
:: Yet more fun with Google ::
I'm thinking of writing a paper on the ways in which individuals and groups use corporate-provided tools like Google to be subversive and do culture jamming.
Another example:
Go to Google and type in "Weapons of mass destruction" and hit the "I'm Feeling Lucky" button.
Pay close attention to the result. Do not adjust your monitor.
I'm thinking of writing a paper on the ways in which individuals and groups use corporate-provided tools like Google to be subversive and do culture jamming.
Another example:
Go to Google and type in "Weapons of mass destruction" and hit the "I'm Feeling Lucky" button.
Pay close attention to the result. Do not adjust your monitor.
[Again, found via the AIR list]
Friday, December 05, 2003
:: More fun with Google ::
Quick! Before "they" get wise and make Google change it....
Go to Google. As your search words, type in the words "miserable failure".
Take a look at the first hit to come up in the list.
[ Hint: lives in a big white house in the middle of a swamp ]
Google gets it; I've always said so.
I found this via the Assocation of Internet Researchers (AIR) mailing list, but this whole thing started at the very cool blog, Blah3.org
Quick! Before "they" get wise and make Google change it....
Go to Google. As your search words, type in the words "miserable failure".
Take a look at the first hit to come up in the list.
[ Hint: lives in a big white house in the middle of a swamp ]
Google gets it; I've always said so.
I found this via the Assocation of Internet Researchers (AIR) mailing list, but this whole thing started at the very cool blog, Blah3.org
Thursday, December 04, 2003
:: IM research ::
An interesting piece of research has been done by Ellen Isaacs et al.. They examined IM use at AT&T labs and discovered that all our notions about IM use for business purposes are wrong.
An excerpt:
Although people consistent with our "light user" profile have until now been generally regarded as typical of all IM users, our research suggests that the majority of IM traffic actually involves heavy users working collaboratively to address complex, work-specific problems.
An interesting piece of research has been done by Ellen Isaacs et al.. They examined IM use at AT&T labs and discovered that all our notions about IM use for business purposes are wrong.
An excerpt:
Although people consistent with our "light user" profile have until now been generally regarded as typical of all IM users, our research suggests that the majority of IM traffic actually involves heavy users working collaboratively to address complex, work-specific problems.
[ Found via Stowe Boyd at Corante ]
:: Strongly left ::
According to The Political Compass, I am strongly leftist, ranking down in that southwest left corner with the likes of Mandela and the Dalai Lama, oh, and Stowe Boyd (from whom I found the Compass).
My exact scores:
- Economic Left/Right: -5.62
- Libertarian/Authoritarian: -6.00
Can't tell I'm a liberal, urban, academic, sociology-studying, digitally-focused Canadian Gen-Xer, hmmm?
According to The Political Compass, I am strongly leftist, ranking down in that southwest left corner with the likes of Mandela and the Dalai Lama, oh, and Stowe Boyd (from whom I found the Compass).
My exact scores:
- Economic Left/Right: -5.62
- Libertarian/Authoritarian: -6.00
Can't tell I'm a liberal, urban, academic, sociology-studying, digitally-focused Canadian Gen-Xer, hmmm?
:: Googling memories of Merlin ::
While playing around with Google recently and typing in the names of various people I used to know and/or call friends, I came up with some hits for a fave former mentor of mine, Mark Windrim. In particular, I found his blog!
Of course, unless he's changed considerably since we were last in regular touch, it probably shouldn't surprise me that he blogs.
Anyways, while browsing his blogspace, I found this article about the transition days of Magic Online from a free BBS to a paid service and it got me waxing reminiscient about my own former salad days as a Magic admin under "Magic Merlin"'.
Ah...I remember when...
Thanks for the memories, Mark.
Gotta love Googling!
While playing around with Google recently and typing in the names of various people I used to know and/or call friends, I came up with some hits for a fave former mentor of mine, Mark Windrim. In particular, I found his blog!
Of course, unless he's changed considerably since we were last in regular touch, it probably shouldn't surprise me that he blogs.
Anyways, while browsing his blogspace, I found this article about the transition days of Magic Online from a free BBS to a paid service and it got me waxing reminiscient about my own former salad days as a Magic admin under "Magic Merlin"'.
Ah...I remember when...
Thanks for the memories, Mark.
Gotta love Googling!
Tuesday, December 02, 2003
:: Making amends ::
I mentioned a friend of mine in a post I made recently about the black market economy surrounding gaming.
My friend took me to task for how I made her sound in that post and pointed out I misunderstood her. Based on the persuasive argument she presented, it would seem that I did.
Apparently, I let the power of my own word-making ability seduce my brain and run away with my foolish fingers.
She has apparently prepared part of a written rebuttal that she wants to send to me. Once I get it, I'll post it here.
In the meantime, I am now saying to her here, simply:
"I'm sorry".
I mentioned a friend of mine in a post I made recently about the black market economy surrounding gaming.
My friend took me to task for how I made her sound in that post and pointed out I misunderstood her. Based on the persuasive argument she presented, it would seem that I did.
Apparently, I let the power of my own word-making ability seduce my brain and run away with my foolish fingers.
She has apparently prepared part of a written rebuttal that she wants to send to me. Once I get it, I'll post it here.
In the meantime, I am now saying to her here, simply:
"I'm sorry".
:: Foucauldian terminology ::
I'm blogging this link here so that I don't lose track of this page.
I like Highberg's concise explanation of Foucault's conception of power.
I'm blogging this link here so that I don't lose track of this page.
I like Highberg's concise explanation of Foucault's conception of power.
:: Online voice, literally ::
Blogger, the nice people who give me the software to maintain I-Space so that I don't have to fiddle with too much code, have come up with a way to allow me and all the other bloggers out there using their service to blog by voice?!?
They say that it is as easy as leaving a voicemail.
Apparently they're using software from a company called AudBlog.
While I like the theoretical idea of this, I'm not sure how I feel about the actual practice of sharing my literal voice with any of the people who happen to stumble across this little piece of Internet space.
Knowing that my wriitten words are possibly getting out there on other people's screens is spooky enough - the idea of people actually hearing me say them?
Not me.
Not yet.
Blogger, the nice people who give me the software to maintain I-Space so that I don't have to fiddle with too much code, have come up with a way to allow me and all the other bloggers out there using their service to blog by voice?!?
They say that it is as easy as leaving a voicemail.
Apparently they're using software from a company called AudBlog.
While I like the theoretical idea of this, I'm not sure how I feel about the actual practice of sharing my literal voice with any of the people who happen to stumble across this little piece of Internet space.
Knowing that my wriitten words are possibly getting out there on other people's screens is spooky enough - the idea of people actually hearing me say them?
Not me.
Not yet.
:: Getting a clue ::
Why have I never read this before now?
Makes me anxious to find time to read my copy of Small Pieces Loosely Joined.
Why have I never read this before now?
Makes me anxious to find time to read my copy of Small Pieces Loosely Joined.
