Comments on: The Ugly Question http://confusedofcalcutta.com/2007/08/22/the-ugly-question/ a blog about information Mon, 06 Feb 2012 01:37:12 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Steve http://confusedofcalcutta.com/2007/08/22/the-ugly-question/comment-page-1/#comment-180272 Steve Wed, 29 Aug 2007 13:23:30 +0000 http://confusedofcalcutta.com/2007/08/22/the-ugly-question/#comment-180272 Edlecrantz was an innovator (or one of them) of the optical telegraph http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semaphore I came across him whilst reading the "myths of innovation" which led to "what is history" and the "history of 3M" a fascinating look at innovation in a company that effectively made sandpaper and probably the company that invented 15% time (google just gave employees an extra 5% :) Theres a free pdf on the 3m website if you get some time to read it btw: am just back from hols and checked my facebook inbox - will have a look this week. Edlecrantz was an innovator (or one of them) of the optical telegraph http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semaphore
I came across him whilst reading the “myths of innovation” which led to “what is history” and the “history of 3M” a fascinating look at innovation in a company that effectively made sandpaper and probably the company that invented 15% time (google just gave employees an extra 5% :) Theres a free pdf on the 3m website if you get some time to read it
btw: am just back from hols and checked my facebook inbox – will have a look this week.

]]> By: JP http://confusedofcalcutta.com/2007/08/22/the-ugly-question/comment-page-1/#comment-179770 JP Tue, 28 Aug 2007 13:46:36 +0000 http://confusedofcalcutta.com/2007/08/22/the-ugly-question/#comment-179770 Love the quote, Steve. Now I have a new problem. I need to figure out who Abraham Niclas Clewberg-Edlecrantz was. I had never heard of him before your reference. What I can find out about him seems sparse. Love the quote, Steve. Now I have a new problem. I need to figure out who Abraham Niclas Clewberg-Edlecrantz was. I had never heard of him before your reference. What I can find out about him seems sparse.

]]> By: Steve http://confusedofcalcutta.com/2007/08/22/the-ugly-question/comment-page-1/#comment-179754 Steve Tue, 28 Aug 2007 13:12:13 +0000 http://confusedofcalcutta.com/2007/08/22/the-ugly-question/#comment-179754 “It often happens, with regard to new inventions, that one part of the general public finds them useless and another part considers them to be impossible. When it becomes clear that the possibility and the usefulness can no longer be denied, most agree that the whole thing was fairly easy to discover and that they knew [it] was significant.” - Abraham Niclas Clewberg-Edelcrantz “It often happens, with regard to new inventions, that one part of the general public finds them useless and another part considers them to be impossible.

When it becomes clear that the possibility and the usefulness can no longer be denied, most agree that the whole thing was fairly easy to discover and that they knew [it] was significant.”

- Abraham Niclas Clewberg-Edelcrantz

]]> By: Stephen Smoliar http://confusedofcalcutta.com/2007/08/22/the-ugly-question/comment-page-1/#comment-177650 Stephen Smoliar Thu, 23 Aug 2007 19:19:34 +0000 http://confusedofcalcutta.com/2007/08/22/the-ugly-question/#comment-177650 I bailed on LinkedIn a little over a year ago. I got a bizarre error message while trying to do a search, and kept running into the same problem over the course of a week or two. This led to my eventually figuring out how to report the problem (which, as I recall, was no easy matter.) I reported the problem on May 19 and heard nothing until June 2! The reply I received was basically content-free. That was when I requested to be removed from the system! I think there is a lesson here: Any damned fool can set up a network with software for bringing in new members. This is a pretty straightforward product offering (and we have a good idea of how many products are currently offered). However, MAINTAINING the network and FACILITATING how people use it is more of a service offering; and that service is not offered by the current product providers. When I find a site that has a better understanding of this difference, I shall probably be more inclined to experiment with it! Finally, you probably found the same Smoliars I found through Google. Most of them are relatives. One of these days I shall pursue my curiosity over the one's who aren't! I bailed on LinkedIn a little over a year ago. I got a bizarre error message while trying to do a search, and kept running into the same problem over the course of a week or two. This led to my eventually figuring out how to report the problem (which, as I recall, was no easy matter.) I reported the problem on May 19 and heard nothing until June 2! The reply I received was basically content-free. That was when I requested to be removed from the system!

I think there is a lesson here: Any damned fool can set up a network with software for bringing in new members. This is a pretty straightforward product offering (and we have a good idea of how many products are currently offered). However, MAINTAINING the network and FACILITATING how people use it is more of a service offering; and that service is not offered by the current product providers. When I find a site that has a better understanding of this difference, I shall probably be more inclined to experiment with it!

Finally, you probably found the same Smoliars I found through Google. Most of them are relatives. One of these days I shall pursue my curiosity over the one’s who aren’t!

]]> By: thes http://confusedofcalcutta.com/2007/08/22/the-ugly-question/comment-page-1/#comment-177648 thes Thu, 23 Aug 2007 19:08:45 +0000 http://confusedofcalcutta.com/2007/08/22/the-ugly-question/#comment-177648 Plame put you on face book, so go figure what it is. As far as “dialectics” those were on Dr.WHO. Plame put you on face book, so go figure what it is. As far as “dialectics” those were on Dr.WHO.

]]> By: Global Voices Online » India: On Facebook http://confusedofcalcutta.com/2007/08/22/the-ugly-question/comment-page-1/#comment-177627 Global Voices Online » India: On Facebook Thu, 23 Aug 2007 17:30:25 +0000 http://confusedofcalcutta.com/2007/08/22/the-ugly-question/#comment-177627 [...] confused of calcutta on the kneejerk reactions to Facebook. Share This [...] [...] confused of calcutta on the kneejerk reactions to Facebook. Share This [...]

]]> By: JP http://confusedofcalcutta.com/2007/08/22/the-ugly-question/comment-page-1/#comment-177612 JP Thu, 23 Aug 2007 16:16:23 +0000 http://confusedofcalcutta.com/2007/08/22/the-ugly-question/#comment-177612 Stephen, I believe it was Mario Ruiz who contacted me via the blog; I had a problem identifying him in Facebook (because there were many Mario Ruizes) and so I "spoke" to him via the blog in order to identify him uniquely. That has since been done, and we are connected in Facebook. BTW there are 5 Smoliars in Facebook, the same number as in LinkedIn. Stephen,

I believe it was Mario Ruiz who contacted me via the blog; I had a problem identifying him in Facebook (because there were many Mario Ruizes) and so I “spoke” to him via the blog in order to identify him uniquely. That has since been done, and we are connected in Facebook.

BTW there are 5 Smoliars in Facebook, the same number as in LinkedIn.

]]> By: Stephen Smoliar http://confusedofcalcutta.com/2007/08/22/the-ugly-question/comment-page-1/#comment-177611 Stephen Smoliar Thu, 23 Aug 2007 16:09:14 +0000 http://confusedofcalcutta.com/2007/08/22/the-ugly-question/#comment-177611 JP, I tried to recover the exchange but without success. I find it frustrating that a lot of these blog search engines don't bother to index the comment content! On the other hand I find I prefer having my electronic mail address concealed. It is not that hard to find, but it requires a bit of conscious effort. That seems to be just enough screening to keep me happy! JP, I tried to recover the exchange but without success. I find it frustrating that a lot of these blog search engines don’t bother to index the comment content! On the other hand I find I prefer having my electronic mail address concealed. It is not that hard to find, but it requires a bit of conscious effort. That seems to be just enough screening to keep me happy!

]]> By: Don Marti http://confusedofcalcutta.com/2007/08/22/the-ugly-question/comment-page-1/#comment-177593 Don Marti Thu, 23 Aug 2007 14:59:53 +0000 http://confusedofcalcutta.com/2007/08/22/the-ugly-question/#comment-177593 Here's another one... YAFA: Tried the whole social network thing, with accounts on Friendster, Orkut, and LinkedIn. Doesn't use them much and doesn't want to throw more account-maintaining time down the rat hole. Here’s another one…

YAFA: Tried the whole social network thing, with accounts on Friendster, Orkut, and LinkedIn. Doesn’t use them much and doesn’t want to throw more account-maintaining time down the rat hole.

]]> By: Peter Smith http://confusedofcalcutta.com/2007/08/22/the-ugly-question/comment-page-1/#comment-177487 Peter Smith Thu, 23 Aug 2007 09:46:25 +0000 http://confusedofcalcutta.com/2007/08/22/the-ugly-question/#comment-177487 I know it is late to say this but I thought your suggestion of using it for induction was a really, really good insight. One of those aha moments that genuinely surprised me. As a professional developer I am always struggling with the concepts of labels and paths. Choosing the right labels (and categories) I have found to be crucial for acceptance and understanding. Even small variations can make a big difference. (And anyone who reads philosophy will know the central role that semantics plays) My point is that for some people the labels used in Facebook may be the problem. Considering its origins and core audience they are highly appropriate. I think people outside that core audience have difficulty with the semantics and this explains the varied reaction. Having mentioned philosophy I am going right off topic. A marvellous source for philosophic enquiry is the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy http://plato.stanford.edu/about.html I mention them here because I think they have found a very good model for academic publishing on the Web, marrying freedom and open access with the rigorous discipline of peer review. Academic publishing is a field where the Web is not just a disruptive technology, it is probably life threatening if, as I think, the Stanford model takes hold. I know it is late to say this but I thought your suggestion of using it for induction was a really, really good insight. One of those aha moments that genuinely surprised me.

As a professional developer I am always struggling with the concepts of labels and paths. Choosing the right labels (and categories) I have found to be crucial for acceptance and understanding. Even small variations can make a big difference. (And anyone who reads philosophy will know the central role that semantics plays)

My point is that for some people the labels used in Facebook may be the problem. Considering its origins and core audience they are highly appropriate. I think people outside that core audience have difficulty with the semantics and this explains the varied reaction.

Having mentioned philosophy I am going right off topic. A marvellous source for philosophic enquiry is the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy

http://plato.stanford.edu/about.html

I mention them here because I think they have found a very good model for academic publishing on the Web, marrying freedom and open access with the rigorous discipline of peer review.

Academic publishing is a field where the Web is not just a disruptive technology, it is probably life threatening if, as I think, the Stanford model takes hold.

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