I was overly optimistic and enthusiastic as I perused a post about a novel third party throwing down the gauntlet for the next US presidential election. The party would be driven by internet based delegates and candidates. The entire structure at first appeared as the ideal flat organization removing any barriers or biases from the electoral process. (more…)
Tag: social change
Anonymity isn’t allowed on Google+
Early this morning I browsed across an update from Marshall Kirkpatrick sharing that Google doesn’t allow anonymous identities on it’s social service Google+.
Does wealth exist in a vacuum?
The most elaborate game
Society is an elaborate game we all partake in rewriting*. The more social and interdependent our lives become, the more essential gameplay becomes to each citizen. Tit for tat, greedy algorithms and generosity are situationally dependent strategies. Framing social and fiscal success in the form a game doesn’t discount the value of hard work. I’ll begin by reviewing the forces that lead to higher social connectivity.
How Complex Systems Adapt
Societies’ Hackers
Many take pride in finding and exploiting loopholes in rules systems. Whether lawyers, cyber security experts, or hobbyists, it’s a challenge to discover and expose systematic errors. I like to think of these folks as Hackers, many of which have benign purpose. The larger and more complex the system, the more difficult it is to make sweeping changes that affect all of its members. (more…)
Celebrity or Pro Chops, Pick One
While tracing the perimeter of the mall I failed to filter out an American Idol segment repeating ad naseum. The hosts were shouting to an ecstatic crowd about the prospect of becoming instantly famous. One young woman states, “this is the most important day of my life”. A mother screams about the perceived success of her child, “my baby made it!” Did they really?
Revisiting Self Hacks through a Network Lens
Networks don’t require the whole person, only a narrow piece. If, on the other hand, you function in a network, it asks you to suppress all the parts of yourself except the network-interest part — a highly unnatural act although one you can get used to… If you enter into too many of these bargains, you will split yourself into many specialized pieces, none of them completely human. (p. 48)
Reeling from the Recession Social Security is Down but not Out
My brother Ron and wife Michelle joined me for a delightful soup and sandwich at Panera bread. Social security was the topic my brother and I briefly debated over dinner. The social security system was devised to tax the active work force and provide minimal income to retired and disabled Americans. Ron mentioned that the funds are expected to last at least 35 years. I was under the impression that benefits would be strained much sooner, and decided to go directly to the source when we got home. A quick web search revealed the official 2010 trustee report to the public on the status of social security funds. The following is an excerpt which captures the immediacy of social security reform (stress mine) while painting a long duration outlook. (more…)
Tired of Ads and Shitty Content? Click Everything
I’m tired of the ad supported model for crappy web content. I don’t feel it’s working to support high quality information, or informed decision making. I’d like to suggest a simple change in activity that can correct the failure of the current ad supported content system, and it’s not ad block. Click every ad on worthless pages. Seriously click every ad on a page that frustrates you. Drown the page in clicks but don’t sign up or buy anything. Devalue each click into non existence for that web property. They won’t get repeat advertisers if your click spam turns into nothing, and either they’ll get better content or die off.
