Fabio Fiss

by Alison Gopnik

Terms and Conditions

After taking a class in Law Policy and Ethics in Media & Design, I have been fascinated by discussions surrounding these matters online. In this post I’ll share some of my on going thoughts.

I have been thinking a lot about the way the internet works now, primarily with social networks and advertising.

There is a tremendous amount of articles, videos and discussions on these topics, so this post will first start with a (constantly updated) list of resources I recommend reading and watching. Eventually I’ll expand on each of these topics into separate posts (and I’ll update this post with more links). Continue reading “Terms and Conditions”

Alan Watts

Random thoughts by Alan Watts

“We are living in a culture entirely hypnotized by the illusion of time, in which the so-called present moment is felt as nothing but an infintesimal hairline between an all-powerfully causative past and an absorbingly important future. We have no present. Our consciousness is almost completely preoccupied with memory and expectation. We do not realize that there never was, is, nor will be any other experience than present experience. We are therefore out of touch with reality. We confuse the world as talked about, described, and measured with the world which actually is. We are sick with a fascination for the useful tools of names and numbers, of symbols, signs, conceptions and ideas.”

Continue reading “Alan Watts”

Notes on Scarcity, Curation and Information

“In an information-rich world, the wealth of information means a dearth of something else: a scarcity of whatever it is that information consumes. What information consumes is rather obvious: it consumes the attention of its recipients. Hence a wealth of information creates a poverty of attention and a need to allocate that attention efficiently among the overabundance of information sources that might consume it.”

— Simon, H. A. (1971) “Designing Organizations for an Information-Rich World” in: Martin Greenberger, Computers, Communication, and the Public Interest, Baltimore. MD: The Johns Hopkins Press. pp. 40–41. Continue reading “Notes on Scarcity, Curation and Information”

The Internet’s Own Boy: The Story of Aaron Swartz

I’ve been thinking about Aaron Swartz a lot lately. I believe everyone that works with the Internet and the web should watch the documentary “The Internet’s Own Boy: The Story of Aaron Swartz”.

It’s one of those movies to watch and then go back and watch again. Afterwards, reflect on all the different aspects of his life, and the details involved in such a short, but impactful existence.

I also encourage everyone to read his weblog (yes, he still called it that). I think it’s important to stop and reflect on his “Raw Thought”(s).

Ausência

Eu deixarei que morra em mim o desejo de amar os teus olhos que são doces
Porque nada te poderei dar senão a mágoa de me veres eternamente exausto.
No entanto a tua presença é qualquer coisa como a luz e a vida
E eu sinto que em meu gesto existe o teu gesto e em minha voz a tua voz.
Não te quero ter porque em meu ser tudo estaria terminado
Quero só que surjas em mim como a fé nos desesperados
Para que eu possa levar uma gota de orvalho nesta terra amaldiçoada
Que ficou sobre a minha carne como uma nódoa do passado.
Eu deixarei… tu irás e encostarás a tua face em outra face
Teus dedos enlaçarão outros dedos e tu desabrocharás para a madrugada
Mas tu não saberás que quem te colheu fui eu,
porque eu fui o grande íntimo da noite
Porque eu encostei minha face na face da noite e ouvi a tua fala amorosa
Porque meus dedos enlaçaram os dedos da névoa suspensos no espaço
E eu trouxe até mim a misteriosa essência do teu abandono desordenado.
Eu ficarei só como os veleiros nos portos silenciosos
Mas eu te possuirei mais que ninguém porque poderei partir
E todas as lamentações do mar, do vento, do céu, das aves, das estrelas
Serão a tua voz presente, a tua voz ausente, a tua voz serenizada.