Re: Cultural v. Technical Solutions [was Re: [ba-unrev-talk] Re: Just the facts.]
While I have fits of intellectual insite, I don't include myself in the
company of C S Peirce. Even so, Pierce was my stepfather's name. Actually,
my name is LeMay. Hardly knew my father and DID NOT want to be associated
with my uncle who was somewhat well known. So Pierce I am although Peirce
would be high praise. (01)
About ideas. Good or bad, when an idea catches the fancy of the public at
large, it is near impossible to stop. If it does not catch the fancy, it is
impossible to kindle. I think that we have a wonderful tool chest of very
usable tools in Doug's work. My request is that we shift focus to the
issue of getting them aflame in John Q. Public's heart. (02)
"Nothing is more powerful than an idea who's time . . ." (03)
That is the key, our task is make up some very tempting locks out of Doug's
work, into which that key will fit. (04)
GER qeds (05)
Jack Park wrote:
> At 03:49 PM 10/6/2002 -0700, Gerald Pierce wrote:
>
>> Just notice, Jack, that you are speaking about technical solutions to a
>> cultural problem. Good ones, perhaps the best, but I fear that they will
>> make very little difference. I wish I had an answer. All that I can say
>> from my obervations is we seem to be looking for the solution in the
>> problem box.
>
>
> First, I confess I have trained fingers, quite used to talking about
> C.S. Peirce, so I have a problem (cultural, I suppose) with Pierce.
>
> Anyway, let me say that the "technical solutions to cultural problems"
> argument comes up often. I'd be greatly pleased to see more discourse
> on that theme. Unrev II, this list included, was (is) about cultural
> problems and technical solutions, so it's no wonder that, on occasion,
> someone notices that some discussions (this one, for instance) speaks
> about technical solutions to cultural problems. I have this hammer (my
> computer) and I see lots of nails out there. I suppose the devil makes
> me do that ;o)
>
> I suppose the discourse that provoked the statement above was about
> OpenOffice, WYSIWYG editors, and so forth. It's clear to me that
> OpenOffice is a completely inappropriate solution to problems associated
> with remote communities in developing nations. Indeed, the Hole In The
> Wall experiment [1] makes it clear that nothing more sophisticated than
> a simple touch pad with culturally relevant symbols is appropriate.
> However, recalling the earlier context of this thread, I think that
> Douglas Engelbart centered the theme, and his lack of success in
> securing a future for his vision was the topic; remote villages were not
> at stake.
>
> In the context of securing a future for the Engelbart vision, I think
> that the discussion has always been about his desire to mix technology
> with people. So, in that context, I'd like to understand more about why
> you (Gerald) think little difference will be made by applying technical
> solutions to cultural problems.
>
> Thanks
> Jack
>
> [1]http://www.crcs.niit.com/projects/children.htm
>
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> (06)