Jan. 01 2012

Frictionless sharing isn’t better sharing; it’s the absence of sharing.

The end of social - O’Reilly Radar (via deplorableword)

mike loukides goes on, quoting…wait for it…microsoft:

The other day, I read a perceptive article, “In Defense of Friction,” arguing that “automated trust systems undermine trust by incentivizing cooperation because of the fear of punishment rather than actual trust.” That’s a profound point. If we rely on computational systems for a trust framework, we actually lose our instincts and capacity for personal trust; even more, we cease to care about it. And there’s a big difference between trusting someone and relying on a system that says they’re trustworthy.

it’s a new year so i’m cool with saying that microsoft “gets it” on this one.

Dec. 15 2011

vicemag:

Who do you think is the culprit behind the lack of creativity?

In part, teachers are to blame. In school, there is the sense that one must complete a succinctly explainable “project” that explores a subject with rational boundaries, art-historical context, and theoretical backing—if we’re talking about graduate school. These projects are intended to be original, but not so original that they cannot be validated by the similar creations of previously successful artists. 

So, what’s missing?
Simply put, art school should be more fun for all involved. I want the spirit to be less one of attempting to please authority figures, and more one of trying to surprise oneself. I like the rebellious students. I find the combination of rebelliousness and hard work seems to make for the best artists (and students).

The flip side of exposure to a system designed to rationalize and quantify creative success is that it reminds me that the rational intellect pushes my unconscious to be more interesting, but the unconscious should still drive my work.

Continue: Gregory Halpern’s Stories From The Rust Belt

related:  “Learners are doers, not recipients.”—Walter J. Ong, “McLuhan as Teacher: The Future Is a Thing of the Past”

Oct. 16 2010

Organizations which design systems are constrained to produce designs which are copies of the communication structures of these organizations.
Conway’s Law (via kevintwohy)

Apr. 25 2010

Take Down

mikehudack:

heyitsnoah:

I do like it when people intelligently pick apart an argument that gets passed around the echo chamber. Over at his blog Whimsley, Tom Slee was kind enough to do just that to Clay Shirkey’s “Collapse of Complex Business Models” essay. The money quote comes towards the end, “Complexity is not going away. It’s just moving to a different spot in the production chain, and as it moves so does the balance of power.”

Also, interestingly, the essay kills an argument I’ve made myself: Pointing out that the “Charlie bit me” video no longer tops the YouTube all-time most watched list. That spot is now held by none other than Lady Gaga. “The most watched video made in the last five years shows Lady Gaga and a group of hired models dancing on an elaborate set in a video that embodies complex production methods, that is part of the Vevo channel (a joint venture between Google and major record labels) and that features product placements by Nemiroff Vodka, Parrot by Starck, Carerra sunglasses, and HP Envy.” So there’s that.

Via: Take Down // NoahBrier.com

The Lady Gaga example isn’t meaningful unless it’s part of a larger trend. The larger trend at the moment is towards simplicity, as Shirky points out. But nothing is ever as clear cut as pundits would have us believe. Articles that acknowledge the complexity of the real world are uninteresting, droll and unconvincing. So Shirky’s article on simplicity must make it all seem so simple. Which it is not. But overall I think he’s generally correct.

trying to figure out where i fall on this.

Sep. 16 2009

jakelodwick:

I read this a little over a week ago. It rings so true I can hardly stand it. To what area of human endeavor does the principle, “Set your own limits or the environment will set them for you” not apply? Yet who lives by it consistently?

From Thinking in Systems: A Primer by Donella Meadows.

humans assume that environmental systems will help them succeed when, often, self-imposed limitations allow us to maximize our performance in relation to circumstance.