Comments on: Friend to Information, Enemy to Thought? http://hepburnmusings.wordpress.com/2006/06/13/friend-to-information-enemy-to-thought/ Wed, 23 Jul 2008 08:14:58 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=MU By: Paul Johnston http://hepburnmusings.wordpress.com/2006/06/13/friend-to-information-enemy-to-thought/#comment-713 Paul Johnston Wed, 14 Jun 2006 12:22:20 +0000 http://hepburnmusings.wordpress.com/2006/06/13/friend-to-information-enemy-to-thought/#comment-713 Re: "Solid critique or intellectual elitism?"... clearly both sir!!!<br/><br/>Actually, defining Mr. Jacobs description of most bloggers as "intellectual elitism", is putting it mildly. <br/><br/>Should I ever meet the man I will have no choice but to drink his beer, steal his woman and kick his ass!!<br/><br/>Paul "arrogant, ignorant, bullheaded" Johnston. Re: “Solid critique or intellectual elitism?”… clearly both sir!!!

Actually, defining Mr. Jacobs description of most bloggers as “intellectual elitism”, is putting it mildly.

Should I ever meet the man I will have no choice but to drink his beer, steal his woman and kick his ass!!

Paul “arrogant, ignorant, bullheaded” Johnston.

]]> By: Clayton http://hepburnmusings.wordpress.com/2006/06/13/friend-to-information-enemy-to-thought/#comment-712 Clayton Wed, 14 Jun 2006 01:28:32 +0000 http://hepburnmusings.wordpress.com/2006/06/13/friend-to-information-enemy-to-thought/#comment-712 Ironically, I'd say that this post has actually made me think. Maybe not new thoughts but thoughts none the less. As a person who enjoys taking the time to think on something for days or weeks, I am sometimes frustrated by the fast-paced world of blogging. However, at the same time I have begun to expect and desire to see new things up to read every day or two. Once again I find myself a giant pile of contradiction.<br/><br/>Thankfully it's not all about me. It's not always important that I should be able to share my side or prove my point. What I think is important is that when I read a more academically minded blog (such as this one), I am made to think and consider the topic of the day. Though I might not have enough time to formulate an informed response, if I am made to think just a little it has accomplished something in my life. Perhaps provocation of thought should be the mandate of blogs like this, not exclusively expression of the same.<br/><br/>And we all have our own blogs anyway, so if we want to blab about something we still have our own place to do it. Ironically, I’d say that this post has actually made me think. Maybe not new thoughts but thoughts none the less. As a person who enjoys taking the time to think on something for days or weeks, I am sometimes frustrated by the fast-paced world of blogging. However, at the same time I have begun to expect and desire to see new things up to read every day or two. Once again I find myself a giant pile of contradiction.

Thankfully it’s not all about me. It’s not always important that I should be able to share my side or prove my point. What I think is important is that when I read a more academically minded blog (such as this one), I am made to think and consider the topic of the day. Though I might not have enough time to formulate an informed response, if I am made to think just a little it has accomplished something in my life. Perhaps provocation of thought should be the mandate of blogs like this, not exclusively expression of the same.

And we all have our own blogs anyway, so if we want to blab about something we still have our own place to do it.

]]> By: Patrik http://hepburnmusings.wordpress.com/2006/06/13/friend-to-information-enemy-to-thought/#comment-711 Patrik Tue, 13 Jun 2006 19:24:40 +0000 http://hepburnmusings.wordpress.com/2006/06/13/friend-to-information-enemy-to-thought/#comment-711 I agree that blogging tends to create short lived discussions which may be a bit frustrating at times. <br/><br/>I myself crashed into the bloggin world without any experience of it, and started with a pretty ambitious project, and my experience is mostly positive, but not so much for hte discussions as for what it has done to my thinking. The oportunity to get instant feedback on a text is very valuable. A problem I see is that it is difficult to so larger things, as I at least have trouble maintaining interest in a project streching over several days on someones blog. This means that short, clever sounding thoughts win over the deep and thouroughly worked out ones. I agree that blogging tends to create short lived discussions which may be a bit frustrating at times.

I myself crashed into the bloggin world without any experience of it, and started with a pretty ambitious project, and my experience is mostly positive, but not so much for hte discussions as for what it has done to my thinking. The oportunity to get instant feedback on a text is very valuable. A problem I see is that it is difficult to so larger things, as I at least have trouble maintaining interest in a project streching over several days on someones blog. This means that short, clever sounding thoughts win over the deep and thouroughly worked out ones.

]]> By: Gil http://hepburnmusings.wordpress.com/2006/06/13/friend-to-information-enemy-to-thought/#comment-710 Gil Tue, 13 Jun 2006 19:18:50 +0000 http://hepburnmusings.wordpress.com/2006/06/13/friend-to-information-enemy-to-thought/#comment-710 Hey Dale,<br/>I'm not sure that technology is the culprit here. I wasn't meaning to open that can of worms. Technology gives, technology takes away... learn to balance the two. <br/><br/>I think Jacobs was talking about blogging as a way of talking about things of significance. Obviously many blogs do not have that as a goal but many do. <br/><br/>Bottom line question: is what happens on blogs a legitimate dialogue (if dialogue is understood as a group of people trying to understand something more fully or truthfully)? Hey Dale,
I’m not sure that technology is the culprit here. I wasn’t meaning to open that can of worms. Technology gives, technology takes away… learn to balance the two.

I think Jacobs was talking about blogging as a way of talking about things of significance. Obviously many blogs do not have that as a goal but many do.

Bottom line question: is what happens on blogs a legitimate dialogue (if dialogue is understood as a group of people trying to understand something more fully or truthfully)?

]]> By: Incoming... http://hepburnmusings.wordpress.com/2006/06/13/friend-to-information-enemy-to-thought/#comment-709 Incoming... Tue, 13 Jun 2006 17:02:36 +0000 http://hepburnmusings.wordpress.com/2006/06/13/friend-to-information-enemy-to-thought/#comment-709 I think suspicion of technology is healthy as long as it does not blind us to the recognizing the opportunity that these things bring.<br/>According to recent research we are sleeping an average of 500 hours less than we were in the early 1900’s as a result of the advent of electrical light. We are quite okay with that now even though some sociologists would say we are poorer for it as a society. We would with good reason scoff at those who would refuse electrical light (AMISH) especially if their main reason was that they were losing sleep over it. We recognize untold benefit to electrical light so most of us put up with a lack of sleep. Most of us don’t even know what we are missing…<br/>We always lose something in change…<br/>The rapid pace of technological advancement bothers us because we innately sense the loss. And whenever someone points to a piece of what is being lost we “fat-kid-on-a-smarty” all over that waving our woe about us. We also don’t trust that those who are at the helm of the technological steam ship have our best interests in mind. This too is somewhat of a fallacy. For as we all know technological advancement is only as virulent as the market it serves. If we shut off cell phones, turn off TV’s, shut-down our computers we regain control.<br/>Is immediacy actually such a problem? I understand why waiting and thinking things through is beneficial. And I can see that we are in danger of losing some of that through this new medium. However, I would suggest that waiting can often be a very selfish and power hungry move as well. A reluctance to engage with competing immediate thoughts and voices in my mind signals a sort of arrogance or reclusion that is also unhealthy. <br/>I can also see how people sound off half cocked at whatever fancies their stupid little fingers (this post included). <br/>And I while I have fallen victim to the perils of thoughtless immediacy – I have very often been deeply enriched, challenged, even admonished through this little phenom.<br/>I kinda like Mark O’s ideas http://www.ysmarko.com/?cat=8 about it being a discipline. I’m trying to make it more of that for me… I think suspicion of technology is healthy as long as it does not blind us to the recognizing the opportunity that these things bring.
According to recent research we are sleeping an average of 500 hours less than we were in the early 1900’s as a result of the advent of electrical light. We are quite okay with that now even though some sociologists would say we are poorer for it as a society. We would with good reason scoff at those who would refuse electrical light (AMISH) especially if their main reason was that they were losing sleep over it. We recognize untold benefit to electrical light so most of us put up with a lack of sleep. Most of us don’t even know what we are missing…
We always lose something in change…
The rapid pace of technological advancement bothers us because we innately sense the loss. And whenever someone points to a piece of what is being lost we “fat-kid-on-a-smarty” all over that waving our woe about us. We also don’t trust that those who are at the helm of the technological steam ship have our best interests in mind. This too is somewhat of a fallacy. For as we all know technological advancement is only as virulent as the market it serves. If we shut off cell phones, turn off TV’s, shut-down our computers we regain control.
Is immediacy actually such a problem? I understand why waiting and thinking things through is beneficial. And I can see that we are in danger of losing some of that through this new medium. However, I would suggest that waiting can often be a very selfish and power hungry move as well. A reluctance to engage with competing immediate thoughts and voices in my mind signals a sort of arrogance or reclusion that is also unhealthy.
I can also see how people sound off half cocked at whatever fancies their stupid little fingers (this post included).
And I while I have fallen victim to the perils of thoughtless immediacy – I have very often been deeply enriched, challenged, even admonished through this little phenom.
I kinda like Mark O’s ideas http://www.ysmarko.com/?cat=8 about it being a discipline. I’m trying to make it more of that for me…

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