2010.03.15
Increasingly, nowadays, the context for writing is a very short form utterance, with constant interaction. I worry that people will lose the ability to state a thesis in unambiguous terms and a clear logical progression. But because they'll be in instantaneous contact with their audience, they can restate their ideas as needed until ambiguities are cleared up and their reasoning is unveiled. And they'll be learning from others along with way. Making an elegant and persuasive initial statement won't be so important because that statement will be only the first step of many.The other week at my UU Science and Spirituality reading group, one of the members asked "could I make a request? Could you finish a sentence before starting another one?" And I know I'm a tangential thinker, but I also think it is a different form of communication based less on the monologue and more on the classic dialog. Still, I tried to mold my sentences to be a little more complete before I uttered them, and preweed the tangents.
Let's admit that dialog is emerging as our generation's way to develop and share knowledge. [...]
If the Romantic ideal of the solitary genius is fading, what model for information exchange do we have? Check Plato's Symposium. Thinkers were expected to engage with each other (and to have fun while doing so). Socrates denigrated reading, because one could not interrogate the author. To him, dialog was more fertile and more conducive to truth.
Feed a fever, starve a cold. Lightly sup with rickets."
new blender of love!
AT&T: drop it like it's hot, drop it like it's hot
Nature is cruel, but we don't have to be. We owe them some respect!from excellent HBO film - one of the best things I've seen this year
REQUEST ACCESS TO CLU PROGRAM CODE 6 PASSWORD TO MEMORY 0222 'Oh, man, this isn't happening, it only thinks its happening.'