Live Journal is Clearly dying.
What's sadder is that it's facebook and twitter that's killing it. What makes it sad is that this is about attention spans.
People's attention spans are shrinking and one cannot help but think it's a function of operant conditioning. One editor says that book chapters are getting shorter and that publishers are putting the pressure on authors to shorten their books. That's frightening. If I thought we were becoming more lucid as a society, I might be less concerned, but instead, it seems that people simply are unwilling to delve into very intricate and complicated ideas. They're unwilling to deal with cases where there is a tremendous amount of nuance and detail. People want it simple.
The world, however, is not simple. People believe that because one set of British Scientists tried to present ecological change in a particular light, all the research must, per se, be biased. Such a belief is utter rot. There is no smoking gun for establishing that industrial production is the single largest factor in climate change, but a methodical and careful study of all the available evidence by a person well versed in basic scientific technique and some ecological training shows a high amalgam of evidence, which when weighed in its preponderance will lead a reasoning person to conclude that we're the biggest factor causing our own environmental problems.
How many of you already glazed over the last few sentences? It's the very fact that people want it easy, fast, and cheap (when really, at best, you can choose two) that drives us to think that simpler is always better.
Climate Change, medicine, international relations, managing baseball, and architecture all require the ability to simultaneously see a great deal of detail and be able to spot in those details the patterns that determine what the big picture sees.
We are indeed dumbing ourselves down, and at our own peril. Peril you say? Look at the lingering financial crisis. People still don't understand it and think all the procedures involved are incredibly complicated. In fact, their very complexity has become, in many people's understanding, equivalent to their evil. It's as though people have figured out that complex systems let experts hide details within them so all complex systems must be bad.
This of course is syllogistically false: 'Some X are Y', 'Some Y are Z' cannot yield 'All X are Z'. Still, from English departments to rap producers, from sports teams to military exercises, evil's twin is called 'complexity'
Hence, the solutions being offered to people are binary decisions that require poor choices all the way round, in the case of the financial crisis have been staved off by the people who count of those short attention spans. The further we get from the crisis, the less concerned the average person is with preventing the same mistakes and so they begin anew.
And so we come back to Live Journal, Twitter, and Facebook. Twitter puts a premium on brevity in ways even Hemmingway would find revolting. You get 140 characters to explain all of life's mysteries. Facebook, while not as blatant is also laid out to transmit short messages and discourage long discussions.
Yet their ease of use; their ability to quickly translate 'facts' or 'updates' has rendered the longer discourse one would find in LiveJournal posts passe. In fact, the number of posts on Live Journal shrank from 1.4 million per day in 2005 to roughly 900,000 three years later. The users have migrated. Perhaps a few have gone to other blogging tools such as wordpress, but a majority seem to have moved on to twitter and facebook.
Along with this trend seem to be other aspects as well. Newspaper readership is dying. People are willing to read fewer words on the web than they are on paper. The number of people, who despite their easy availability, read primary sources is declining and it's hurt our economic and academic competitiveness.
It saddens and scares me. The trend is further compounded for me by the irony that the very person who so desperately wanted me to write on LiveJournal, has for all intents, abandoned it.
What's sadder is that it's facebook and twitter that's killing it. What makes it sad is that this is about attention spans.
People's attention spans are shrinking and one cannot help but think it's a function of operant conditioning. One editor says that book chapters are getting shorter and that publishers are putting the pressure on authors to shorten their books. That's frightening. If I thought we were becoming more lucid as a society, I might be less concerned, but instead, it seems that people simply are unwilling to delve into very intricate and complicated ideas. They're unwilling to deal with cases where there is a tremendous amount of nuance and detail. People want it simple.
The world, however, is not simple. People believe that because one set of British Scientists tried to present ecological change in a particular light, all the research must, per se, be biased. Such a belief is utter rot. There is no smoking gun for establishing that industrial production is the single largest factor in climate change, but a methodical and careful study of all the available evidence by a person well versed in basic scientific technique and some ecological training shows a high amalgam of evidence, which when weighed in its preponderance will lead a reasoning person to conclude that we're the biggest factor causing our own environmental problems.
How many of you already glazed over the last few sentences? It's the very fact that people want it easy, fast, and cheap (when really, at best, you can choose two) that drives us to think that simpler is always better.
Climate Change, medicine, international relations, managing baseball, and architecture all require the ability to simultaneously see a great deal of detail and be able to spot in those details the patterns that determine what the big picture sees.
We are indeed dumbing ourselves down, and at our own peril. Peril you say? Look at the lingering financial crisis. People still don't understand it and think all the procedures involved are incredibly complicated. In fact, their very complexity has become, in many people's understanding, equivalent to their evil. It's as though people have figured out that complex systems let experts hide details within them so all complex systems must be bad.
This of course is syllogistically false: 'Some X are Y', 'Some Y are Z' cannot yield 'All X are Z'. Still, from English departments to rap producers, from sports teams to military exercises, evil's twin is called 'complexity'
Hence, the solutions being offered to people are binary decisions that require poor choices all the way round, in the case of the financial crisis have been staved off by the people who count of those short attention spans. The further we get from the crisis, the less concerned the average person is with preventing the same mistakes and so they begin anew.
And so we come back to Live Journal, Twitter, and Facebook. Twitter puts a premium on brevity in ways even Hemmingway would find revolting. You get 140 characters to explain all of life's mysteries. Facebook, while not as blatant is also laid out to transmit short messages and discourage long discussions.
Yet their ease of use; their ability to quickly translate 'facts' or 'updates' has rendered the longer discourse one would find in LiveJournal posts passe. In fact, the number of posts on Live Journal shrank from 1.4 million per day in 2005 to roughly 900,000 three years later. The users have migrated. Perhaps a few have gone to other blogging tools such as wordpress, but a majority seem to have moved on to twitter and facebook.
Along with this trend seem to be other aspects as well. Newspaper readership is dying. People are willing to read fewer words on the web than they are on paper. The number of people, who despite their easy availability, read primary sources is declining and it's hurt our economic and academic competitiveness.
It saddens and scares me. The trend is further compounded for me by the irony that the very person who so desperately wanted me to write on LiveJournal, has for all intents, abandoned it.
first, thanks Tanner! for donating to my Livestrong page( http://philly2010.livestrong.org/je
inhouse tournament at Guga's at noon (I won't be rolling)
massage next door at Balance at 2:30
dropping my car off at the mechanic sometime between 4 & 6pm
making muffins while stranded at home tonight sans car -I think I'll go in for the gingerbread ones to start... so far I have requests for the following muffins: gingerbread, iced banana (I wonder if I can cheat on the icing and get the store bought?), chocolate cheesecake, & pineapple upside down... I have 3 more staff members so I need to bring the book back on Monday along with the first batch (or 2?) of muffins... I think I'm going to do the muffins in cupcake wrappers... need to verify I even still have a muffin tin- do you suppose I can get away with the rigid foil cupcake wrappers (on a cookie sheet) instead of a tin?
inhouse tournament at Guga's at noon (I won't be rolling)
massage next door at Balance at 2:30
dropping my car off at the mechanic sometime between 4 & 6pm
making muffins while stranded at home tonight sans car -I think I'll go in for the gingerbread ones to start... so far I have requests for the following muffins: gingerbread, iced banana (I wonder if I can cheat on the icing and get the store bought?), chocolate cheesecake, & pineapple upside down... I have 3 more staff members so I need to bring the book back on Monday along with the first batch (or 2?) of muffins... I think I'm going to do the muffins in cupcake wrappers... need to verify I even still have a muffin tin- do you suppose I can get away with the rigid foil cupcake wrappers (on a cookie sheet) instead of a tin?
Remember that hidden camera footage that claimed to show that ACORN employees offered legal advice on prostitution and other illegal activities?
Doctored.
This is disgusting. I want to know who at Fox News knew that they were feeding lies to the public, and I want those people fired. I want public apologies and firings next time this happens, too.
From Digby. Full report.
Doctored.
The videos that have been released appear to have been edited, in some cases substantially, including the insertion of a substitute voiceover for significant portions of Mr. O'Keefe's and Ms. Giles's comments, which makes it difficult to determine the questions to which ACORN employees are responding. A comparison of the publicly available transcripts to the released videos confirms that large portions of the original video have been omitted from the released versions.
This is disgusting. I want to know who at Fox News knew that they were feeding lies to the public, and I want those people fired. I want public apologies and firings next time this happens, too.
From Digby. Full report.
- Mood:
angry
I am not supposed to be directing the Academy Holiday show. In fact, I have had to spend more time on it than I'd planned and it's taking longer to put it together than I'd hoped.
Part of this is because I've and others have had trouble getting in touch with the Director I hired. Now, he's a pretty enthusiastic guy. He believes and he throws himself into his work. He's disappearance has therefore made a lot of folks upset.
The problem is that they were angry first and worried second. That's a bad move. Generally, if someone is pretty reliable and they deviate from pattern, better to find out what happened.
Our director has been on the festival circuit and apparently has a hernia. My first instinct was concern, and in this case, I was right. I am not sending him to unemployment, I'm sending him to the Doctor, after which, he'll come back and pick up the show. Hopefully everyone will be better off.
The next time you think to yourself "That good-for-noting-so-and-so! They'd better be in the hospital or after me they will be!", you're going to feel terrible when you get the phone call from Grady.
Part of this is because I've and others have had trouble getting in touch with the Director I hired. Now, he's a pretty enthusiastic guy. He believes and he throws himself into his work. He's disappearance has therefore made a lot of folks upset.
The problem is that they were angry first and worried second. That's a bad move. Generally, if someone is pretty reliable and they deviate from pattern, better to find out what happened.
Our director has been on the festival circuit and apparently has a hernia. My first instinct was concern, and in this case, I was right. I am not sending him to unemployment, I'm sending him to the Doctor, after which, he'll come back and pick up the show. Hopefully everyone will be better off.
The next time you think to yourself "That good-for-noting-so-and-so! They'd better be in the hospital or after me they will be!", you're going to feel terrible when you get the phone call from Grady.
- Location:theatre
- Mood:
contemplative - Music:DJ Spookie's Antarctica Symphony!
In some of my travels, I find myself in schools and am often saddened about the lack of music education.
People, essentially, have no taste in music, and what is even worse, they know nothing about it.
At one event last holiday season, I had 'What's Going On' playing and was asked 'Don't You somethin' betta than that?' The answer was no. There is very little that is better than Marvin Gaye. Music such as 'What's Going On' is among the very best of it's genre.
Something similar happened yesterday when students at one school decried the Bob Marley music I was playing as, "that stupid country music". One would think that in a school primarily made up of African Americans 'Redemption Song' might be meaningful. I guess not.
Today was the capstone on it all. Our set up time was early and as is my wont, I kept the funk alive by playing Bootsy Collins. One teacher was not pleased. She asked if I did not have 'Some Tupac or something good like that'. First, the language often used in many of Tupac Shakur's rap records are not appropriate for a middle school. Second, Shakur in his later solo years was a member of death row records, which was musically planned by Dr. Dre. He used Parliament Funkadelic Samples religiously, including those of Bootsy Collins. Many of these were used in Tupac tracks.
When other teachers heard she wanted to stop the funk, they intervened and asked me to keep the funk alive. This woman had never heard of Bootsy Collins and I think did not have a clear understanding of how influential the landing of the mothership actually was in west coast hip hop.
That's what makes me sad. This woman was not young, just ignorant, as so many are. We all have guilty pleasures. We all have music to which we've attached memories, but which we would not argue is high art. 'Good' & 'Like' are not the same thing. 'Soulja Boy Tell "em' may be popular, but it's not as high quality as say Brother Ali. No matter how much you make like Rihanna, she is not Michel N'dege Ocello.
Nietzsche illustrates the whole bit well in 'The Case of Wagner'. People can like Wagner. That's fine, but when playing Beethoven, I don't want to hear, "Don't you have anything better? Like Wagner?"
People, essentially, have no taste in music, and what is even worse, they know nothing about it.
At one event last holiday season, I had 'What's Going On' playing and was asked 'Don't You somethin' betta than that?' The answer was no. There is very little that is better than Marvin Gaye. Music such as 'What's Going On' is among the very best of it's genre.
Something similar happened yesterday when students at one school decried the Bob Marley music I was playing as, "that stupid country music". One would think that in a school primarily made up of African Americans 'Redemption Song' might be meaningful. I guess not.
Today was the capstone on it all. Our set up time was early and as is my wont, I kept the funk alive by playing Bootsy Collins. One teacher was not pleased. She asked if I did not have 'Some Tupac or something good like that'. First, the language often used in many of Tupac Shakur's rap records are not appropriate for a middle school. Second, Shakur in his later solo years was a member of death row records, which was musically planned by Dr. Dre. He used Parliament Funkadelic Samples religiously, including those of Bootsy Collins. Many of these were used in Tupac tracks.
When other teachers heard she wanted to stop the funk, they intervened and asked me to keep the funk alive. This woman had never heard of Bootsy Collins and I think did not have a clear understanding of how influential the landing of the mothership actually was in west coast hip hop.
That's what makes me sad. This woman was not young, just ignorant, as so many are. We all have guilty pleasures. We all have music to which we've attached memories, but which we would not argue is high art. 'Good' & 'Like' are not the same thing. 'Soulja Boy Tell "em' may be popular, but it's not as high quality as say Brother Ali. No matter how much you make like Rihanna, she is not Michel N'dege Ocello.
Nietzsche illustrates the whole bit well in 'The Case of Wagner'. People can like Wagner. That's fine, but when playing Beethoven, I don't want to hear, "Don't you have anything better? Like Wagner?"
- Location:home
- Mood:
annoyed - Music:Bix
Hi all!
I just registered for the Livestrong Philly Challenge. I registered to run 5K and ride 45miles. Now I just need to raise $250.00 for the Livestrong Foundation. & here is the default text:
"The money I raise will go to support LIVESTRONG’s programs and services, which inspire and empower people affected by cancer. If you or someone you know is diagnosed, these resources will help face the challenges of cancer, head on, and live life on your own terms.
Please support me as I make a difference in the cancer fight through my participation in Team LIVESTRONG. Thank you!"
I think this is a good url for the donation page:
http://philly2010.livestrong.org/je
if not this definitely is
Please donate a few dollars in lieu of sending me an xmas card this year. :)
Thanks!
p.s. Would anyone be more interested in donating if every $5 donated entered you in a raffle for a small batch of brownies or chocolate chip cookies? I could totally do that... though no promises baked goods wouldnt be smooshed in the mail. every $1?
p.p.s. Please share this link with your friends!
I just registered for the Livestrong Philly Challenge. I registered to run 5K and ride 45miles. Now I just need to raise $250.00 for the Livestrong Foundation. & here is the default text:
"The money I raise will go to support LIVESTRONG’s programs and services, which inspire and empower people affected by cancer. If you or someone you know is diagnosed, these resources will help face the challenges of cancer, head on, and live life on your own terms.
Please support me as I make a difference in the cancer fight through my participation in Team LIVESTRONG. Thank you!"
I think this is a good url for the donation page:
http://philly2010.livestrong.org/je
if not this definitely is
Please donate a few dollars in lieu of sending me an xmas card this year. :)
Thanks!
p.s. Would anyone be more interested in donating if every $5 donated entered you in a raffle for a small batch of brownies or chocolate chip cookies? I could totally do that... though no promises baked goods wouldnt be smooshed in the mail. every $1?
p.p.s. Please share this link with your friends!
Kitten came into my room @ 7am and asked if I was getting up to run- I said no- he asked why not- I said 'cause I stayed up too late last night to finish watching the first season of Californication- he asked if I liked it- I said it was great- and then I went to sleep for another hour and a half... or else I dreamt the whole conversation ...not absolutely certain
tonight I will either 1. have my wireless printer connected, 2. go to yoga, or 3. watch season 2 of Californication... also, tomorrow morning I will run before work
& I'm thinking of getting a lottery ticket tonight and winning 69million $ ...'cause that's just such a nice number & then I could get a house with a yard and rescue a dog from the spca ...if I had a dog to run with, I could totally run in the evening- in fact, if I had a puppy I might *have* to run after work (as it is, running alone after work is a li'l dodgy in the dark)
having decided on 45miles on the bike I have started wondering if I don't really want to do the 10K rather than the 5K... are there more bragging rights with 10K? having done a half already are there any bragging rights with less than 10miles anyway? is it worth $3 for chip timing on a hilly course I plan to jog rather than race so my legs are fresher the next day? does any of it matter at all?
and in totally unrelated news: HAppy Birthday, Squirrel! :) [assuming you didn't lie to LJ about your d.o.b.]
tonight I will either 1. have my wireless printer connected, 2. go to yoga, or 3. watch season 2 of Californication... also, tomorrow morning I will run before work
& I'm thinking of getting a lottery ticket tonight and winning 69million $ ...'cause that's just such a nice number & then I could get a house with a yard and rescue a dog from the spca ...if I had a dog to run with, I could totally run in the evening- in fact, if I had a puppy I might *have* to run after work (as it is, running alone after work is a li'l dodgy in the dark)
having decided on 45miles on the bike I have started wondering if I don't really want to do the 10K rather than the 5K... are there more bragging rights with 10K? having done a half already are there any bragging rights with less than 10miles anyway? is it worth $3 for chip timing on a hilly course I plan to jog rather than race so my legs are fresher the next day? does any of it matter at all?
and in totally unrelated news: HAppy Birthday, Squirrel! :) [assuming you didn't lie to LJ about your d.o.b.]
I'm leaning towards just trying to do the 5K run on Saturday and then the 20mile ride on Sunday... if I can ride 20 miles now without hills I can ride 20miles with hills by August right? even if I don't train with much in the way of hills given the lack of hills at the beach?
Or should I sign up for the 45mile ride? Is that too ambitious? Especially if I'm set to run 5K the day before? On hills?
Or should I sign up for the 45mile ride? Is that too ambitious? Especially if I'm set to run 5K the day before? On hills?
Page Summary
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rwdrake : LJ and US- Killed by 140 Characters [+2] - tygerz : today [+0]
- cnoocy : ACORN sting videos edited before release [+1]
- rwdrake : Because Sometimes They Really Are In Trouble [+0]
- rwdrake : The Case of Tupac [+0]
- tygerz : Livestrong Challenge Philly! [+8]
- tygerz : stuff [+6]
- tygerz : Livestrong Challenge Philly- how much of a challenge should I take on? [+0]
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