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October 31, 2005
Trick or Treat
(Three girls at the door.)
"What are you?"
"A Minnie Mouse."
"And you?"
"A cat, but I lost my ears."
"And you are......?"
"A business woman."
Posted by Xiao at 09:39 PM | Comments (0)
Leader-Follower
A while ago, Dee Hock wrote:
Leader presumes follower. Follower presumes choice. One who is coerced to the purposes, objectives, or preferences of another is not a follower in any true sense of the word, but an object of manipulation. Nor is the relationship materially altered if both parties accept dominance and coercion. True leading and following presume perpetual liberty of both leader and follower to sever the relationship and pursue another path. A true leader cannot be bound to lead. A true follower cannot be bound to follow. The moment they are bound, they are no longer leader or follower. The terms leader and follower imply the freedom and independent judgment of both.
Induced behavior is the essence of leader-follower. Compelled behavior is the essence of all the others. Where behavior is compelled, there lies tyranny, however benign. Mere behavior is induced, there lies leadership, however powerful. Leadership does not imply constructive, ethical, open conduct. It is entirely possible to induce destructive, malign, devious behavior and to do so by corrupt means. Therefore, a clear, meaningful purpose and compelling ethical principles evoked from all participants should be the essence of every relationship, and every institution.
A compelling question is how to ensure that those who lead are constructive, ethical, open, and honest. The answer is to follow those who will behave in that manner. It comes down to both the individual and collective sense of where and how people choose to be led.
Posted by Xiao at 09:33 PM | Comments (0)
October 29, 2005
The Best of California
From its inviting climate and agricultural bounty to its geographic and cultural diversity, California is many things to many people. What is California to you?
The sunshine.
Posted by Xiao at 08:33 PM | Comments (0)
October 28, 2005
Tag & Catalog
......Catalog何以未能像Tag那样发挥社会化的效果，引发如此震动的社会现象，两者都有其固有的、内在的原因。
Tag从内容上看，是众所周知的经验和常识，从形式上看，是细化的碎片，这些和Catalog迥然不同的特点，正是Tag之所以发挥了社会化效应的内在合理性，也是Tag成为网络化软件外延必要组成部分之一的根本原因。
Posted by Xiao at 12:01 AM | Comments (0)
October 27, 2005
Participatory Media in the Wired News
Xeni wrote this article on the Wired News:
Spam, scams and scatterbrains -- the same problems that plagued the old internet are cropping up again in a new wave of technologies known collectively as Web 2.0.
But this time around, proponents say Web 2.0 has been better engineered to withstand the troubles that wrecked Usenet, BBSes and free e-mail.
The cycle is so predictable, it's almost a natural law: Every new internet movement popular enough to generate buzz also generates a backlash.
This time, the debate revolves around the cracks that are starting to appear in Web 2.0, a term coined by O'Reilly Media Vice President Dale Dougherty to describe a post-dot-com generation of sites and services that use the web as a platform -- things like Flickr, BitTorrent, tagging and RSS syndication.
......Speaking to Wired News, Carr lamented the long, slow decline of professionally produced media, like good old-fashioned newspapers.
"Online, free media is one of the contributing factors to the shrinking circulation of good newspapers," he said. "Now, traditional media is shifting away from large investments in bureaus and hard reporting, and towards cheaper content and opinion-making. It's hard for me to imagine participatory media devoting investments to hard, investigative or overseas reporting. The healthiest scenario would be one in which both kinds of media thrive."
Omar said : "hadn't really seen the term "partcipatory media" much in the general media before i saw this wired article."
Thanks, Omar!
Posted by Xiao at 06:50 PM | Comments (0)
October 18, 2005
Reason and Democracy
How does reason justify itself? ......If we believe in the importance of the universal human impulse to communicate, we have to believe in reason.
Habermas presupposes reason, although it is merely the product of imperfect human Auseinandersetzung, critical and discussion debate, and believes that reasoned communication can weaken prejudices, increase the scope and power of the public sphere and strengthen democracy.
Central in Habermas’ thinking is the notion that the quality of society depends on our capacity to communicate, to debate and discuss: Reason is crucial to communication, sich auseinandersetzen.
Habermas believes we can reason out solutions to our problems, that just institutions can lead to a fairer society based on cooperation rather than competition. At stake is a crucial intellectual issue: Are there certain basic standards underlying our behaviours, standards like reason and justice? Or is the world a swampy, relativistic place, where we play our games or seek some power in the muck?
Posted by Xiao at 12:15 PM | Comments (0)
October 17, 2005
Yahoo in action
Some 750,000 blogs and other user-generated content will soon show up on Yahoo! (nasdaq: YHOO - news - people ) News search pages, presented right alongside news from mainstream media. But is Yahoo! taking another big step in the blurring of lines between professional media and grassroots journalism?
The company is testing a new search tool that includes results from thousands of mainstream media outlets, and a separate results column for blogs, its new My Web social search and pictures posted to the company's Flickr photo service.
Posted by Xiao at 12:20 PM | Comments (0)
October 14, 2005
L'Homme dépaysé
“我的内心独白不可能一直进行下去。我不相信四处漂泊会有诸多益处，也不认为对其他文化的借鉴积累可以无限止地进行。要适应一种文化，必须经过多年的学习；人类的生命有限，我们只能拥有两或三次这样的经验。” “......保加利亚是我生长的地方；今天，除了个人回忆外，剩下的还有个体面对极权制度的基本经验。法国是我生活的国家，我关注它的命运，时刻体会到公民的责任感。我因为职业需要而去美国，在那里，我遇到的是同事，而不是同胞。在我看来，这三个国家仅拥有一个共同点，即我在那里结识了一些朋友，今天无论他们在还是不在，我都会跟他们一起继续生活。”（Dépaser (及物动词)：1，使其离开祖国，改变环境和空间。 2，改变其生活而使其不自在，困惑或迷惘。）
Posted by Xiao at 08:26 AM
October 12, 2005
BBC and participatory media
Richard Sambrook explains how participatory media strengthens the BBC's core values; the BBC's role shifting from broadcaster and mediator to facilitator, enabler and teacher; and forthcoming projects such as the Creative Archive, the Global Conversation and the BBC College of Journalism.
"2005 could be the year that the BBC emerges as the world leader in participatory media and citizen journalism. "
(Thanks Lucy!)
Posted by Xiao at 11:06 AM | Comments (0)
October 07, 2005
Peace in Notting Hill
A poster
And a pack of cigarets
(No WiFi)
Friday afternoon
Caffé Nero
At the foot of
Notting Hill
Posted by Xiao at 05:00 PM | Comments (0)
October 04, 2005
Heathrow Airport
烟草与咖啡的气味混杂弥漫
偶尔一现的笑嫣
少年们生下来就老了
簇新的是
手机
优雅的语音
时远时近
划破
记忆的膜
Posted by Xiao at 12:57 PM | Comments (0)
October 01, 2005
Happenings in time
What is "history?"
you
asked.
"Happenings In Time"
she
answered
Looking out
from
the balcony
Rowing crews
ready
to race
In this sunny
Saturday
morning
Posted by Xiao at 10:32 AM | Comments (0)