Comments on: The Epoch of Incredulity http://digitaldiner.org/2008/06/02/the-epoch-of-incredulity/ Gavin Clabaugh's irregular blog on irregular things. Wed, 21 Jul 2010 12:00:55 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: kristine http://digitaldiner.org/2008/06/02/the-epoch-of-incredulity/comment-page-1/#comment-173 kristine Mon, 30 Jun 2008 15:32:01 +0000 http://www.digitaldiner.org/2008/06/02/the-epoch-of-incredulity/#comment-173 this time in between...well, i'm a bit more optimistic than you, gavin. i have been calling it the possibility gap. and why haven't we ever discussed this social networking being all about the social? i think its all about the network as artifice standing in for true, boots-on-the-ground-community. not much social about it, my friend. this time in between…well, i’m a bit more optimistic than you, gavin. i have been calling it the possibility gap. and why haven’t we ever discussed this social networking being all about the social? i think its all about the network as artifice standing in for true, boots-on-the-ground-community. not much social about it, my friend.

]]> By: Mitch http://digitaldiner.org/2008/06/02/the-epoch-of-incredulity/comment-page-1/#comment-172 Mitch Wed, 11 Jun 2008 14:00:26 +0000 http://www.digitaldiner.org/2008/06/02/the-epoch-of-incredulity/#comment-172 Now I know where all my beer went. My computer's been drinking it! Now I know where all my beer went. My computer’s been drinking it!

]]> By: P2P Foundation » Blog Archive » Social networking, constant monitoring, and the death of time http://digitaldiner.org/2008/06/02/the-epoch-of-incredulity/comment-page-1/#comment-168 P2P Foundation » Blog Archive » Social networking, constant monitoring, and the death of time Wed, 11 Jun 2008 01:38:36 +0000 http://www.digitaldiner.org/2008/06/02/the-epoch-of-incredulity/#comment-168 [...] from a stimulating thoughtpiece by Gavin [...] [...] from a stimulating thoughtpiece by Gavin [...]

]]> By: janelle http://digitaldiner.org/2008/06/02/the-epoch-of-incredulity/comment-page-1/#comment-169 janelle Wed, 11 Jun 2008 01:20:16 +0000 http://www.digitaldiner.org/2008/06/02/the-epoch-of-incredulity/#comment-169 I, too, see the networks everywhere and am watching as time and space collapse. We are definitely in a time of great transition that could potentially lead to Heaven or Hell (though I don't really believe in the extremes, they make for good analogies). I feel often like the new era is on the tip of my tongue, staring me in the face, screaming to be seen, but I lack the neural pathways to recognize it. The generation of children being raised on these technologies will certainly catch it on their radar, but will the pendulum sway too far in that direction? Will nature and physical reality become a growing blind spot as we become more and more connected and reliant upon our gadgets? If we are always basing decisions on the results of computer monitoring, will we lose our own individual capacities to initiate independent action? How easy will it become to control everyone (e.g. maybe the traffic isn't really bad, but the person feeding information into your Blackberry wants you to think so, so that you work late)? I see the newtork and it's power both for good and bad. I want to see more and help lead it in the direction of common good. Two other ideas pile on top of the network in my head: convergence and synchronicity. What are your thoughts beyond the network? I, too, see the networks everywhere and am watching as time and space collapse. We are definitely in a time of great transition that could potentially lead to Heaven or Hell (though I don’t really believe in the extremes, they make for good analogies).

I feel often like the new era is on the tip of my tongue, staring me in the face, screaming to be seen, but I lack the neural pathways to recognize it. The generation of children being raised on these technologies will certainly catch it on their radar, but will the pendulum sway too far in that direction? Will nature and physical reality become a growing blind spot as we become more and more connected and reliant upon our gadgets? If we are always basing decisions on the results of computer monitoring, will we lose our own individual capacities to initiate independent action? How easy will it become to control everyone (e.g. maybe the traffic isn’t really bad, but the person feeding information into your Blackberry wants you to think so, so that you work late)?

I see the newtork and it’s power both for good and bad. I want to see more and help lead it in the direction of common good.

Two other ideas pile on top of the network in my head: convergence and synchronicity. What are your thoughts beyond the network?

]]> By: links for 2008-06-10 « Eyes Open http://digitaldiner.org/2008/06/02/the-epoch-of-incredulity/comment-page-1/#comment-170 links for 2008-06-10 « Eyes Open Tue, 10 Jun 2008 06:34:06 +0000 http://www.digitaldiner.org/2008/06/02/the-epoch-of-incredulity/#comment-170 [...] The Epoch of Incredulity » Gavin’s Digital Diner » Blog Archive Fascinating article on social networking and the rising ability to monitor -not just sample- the data of our lives. Quote: “Day by day, step-by-step, we are closer and closer to having our grubby little metaphorical fingers on the pulse of the world, a (tags: internet information data social_network) [...] [...] The Epoch of Incredulity » Gavin’s Digital Diner » Blog Archive Fascinating article on social networking and the rising ability to monitor -not just sample- the data of our lives. Quote: “Day by day, step-by-step, we are closer and closer to having our grubby little metaphorical fingers on the pulse of the world, a (tags: internet information data social_network) [...]

]]> By: George Darroch http://digitaldiner.org/2008/06/02/the-epoch-of-incredulity/comment-page-1/#comment-171 George Darroch Tue, 10 Jun 2008 04:05:54 +0000 http://www.digitaldiner.org/2008/06/02/the-epoch-of-incredulity/#comment-171 An interesting argument. I like that you frame this without asserting that it heralds either a spring of hope or winter of despair. Technology is only as good as those who use it. Which brings me to my main point. I think this works both ways. While I agree with the direction of this argument, I think caution is in order. Monitoring is only as valuable as your ability to work out what to monitor in the first place, and your ability to interpret that data. There definitely are low hanging fruit, where the value of monitoring is obvious, and the results are easily understood. You devote (as far as I can tell) only one line to "turning data into information", yet this is surely the hardest part of all. Too much data, from too many sources, without a way to systematise and understand it, can swamp meaningful information that might have been more easily obvious while monitoring obviously important indicators (again, it doesn't help if these indicators don't tell us what we think they do). Overall though, a thought provoking piece. An interesting argument. I like that you frame this without asserting that it heralds either a spring of hope or winter of despair. Technology is only as good as those who use it. Which brings me to my main point.

I think this works both ways. While I agree with the direction of this argument, I think caution is in order. Monitoring is only as valuable as your ability to work out what to monitor in the first place, and your ability to interpret that data. There definitely are low hanging fruit, where the value of monitoring is obvious, and the results are easily understood. You devote (as far as I can tell) only one line to “turning data into information”, yet this is surely the hardest part of all. Too much data, from too many sources, without a way to systematise and understand it, can swamp meaningful information that might have been more easily obvious while monitoring obviously important indicators (again, it doesn’t help if these indicators don’t tell us what we think they do).

Overall though, a thought provoking piece.

]]> By: Jonah http://digitaldiner.org/2008/06/02/the-epoch-of-incredulity/comment-page-1/#comment-166 Jonah Tue, 03 Jun 2008 19:00:02 +0000 http://www.digitaldiner.org/2008/06/02/the-epoch-of-incredulity/#comment-166 Hi Gavin, Very interesting analysis. I have been thinking about these dynamics too, and terming the era we are embarking on "The End of Forgetting". I suppose in my imagining I don't focus as much on the network effects, though they are implied. I'm also trying to think about the social and cultural impacts of these shifts - they are surely profound. Anyway, here is some preliminary writing on the subject: Unforgettable in Every Way: Personal and Social Implications of Pervasive Omniscient Surveillance http://pocketknowledge.tc.columbia.edu/home.php/viewfile/18367 best. /jsb Hi Gavin,

Very interesting analysis.

I have been thinking about these dynamics too, and terming the era we are embarking on “The End of Forgetting”. I suppose in my imagining I don’t focus as much on the network effects, though they are implied. I’m also trying to think about the social and cultural impacts of these shifts – they are surely profound.

Anyway, here is some preliminary writing on the subject:

Unforgettable in Every Way: Personal and Social Implications of Pervasive Omniscient Surveillance

http://pocketknowledge.tc.columbia.edu/home.php/viewfile/18367

best.
/jsb

]]> By: Jon Stahl’s Journal » Blog Archive » From Sampling to Measuring http://digitaldiner.org/2008/06/02/the-epoch-of-incredulity/comment-page-1/#comment-167 Jon Stahl’s Journal » Blog Archive » From Sampling to Measuring Mon, 02 Jun 2008 21:22:21 +0000 http://www.digitaldiner.org/2008/06/02/the-epoch-of-incredulity/#comment-167 [...] Clabaugh’s got a fun (and wise) new riff on the larger forces shaping our world: I see this third force everywhere. I see it hiding inside the inaccurately named thing called [...] [...] Clabaugh’s got a fun (and wise) new riff on the larger forces shaping our world: I see this third force everywhere. I see it hiding inside the inaccurately named thing called [...]

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