Why Do You Think They Call It Programming, part 3

[The Good Reverend Roger]

Also, while I really enjoyed both Fracture's and Semaj's rants, they were sort of caged up, not by their own doing.  Let me try to think how to explain this.

No, I'd like to hear what you have to say. Hell, I'm interested in anyone's thoughts, good, bad, or indifferent. Ranting isn't my usual style of writing, so I'm always looking for feedback.

See deliberately assholish new thread in Apple Talk.

[The Good Reverend Roger]

Also, while I really enjoyed both Fracture's and Semaj's rants, they were sort of caged up, not by their own doing.  Let me try to think how to explain this.

No, I'd like to hear what you have to say. Hell, I'm interested in anyone's thoughts, good, bad, or indifferent. Ranting isn't my usual style of writing, so I'm always looking for feedback.

Same here.

It wasn't your thoughts or your presentation, it was your VENUE.

[Sister Fracture]

Also, while I really enjoyed both Fracture's and Semaj's rants, they were sort of caged up, not by their own doing.  Let me try to think how to explain this.

No, I'd like to hear what you have to say. Hell, I'm interested in anyone's thoughts, good, bad, or indifferent. Ranting isn't my usual style of writing, so I'm always looking for feedback.

Same here.

It wasn't your thoughts or your presentation, it was your VENUE.

OOOOHHHHH.

Fracture,
Gets it now.
(Maybe.)

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

CHRIST, WHAT A BUNCH OF SELF-INDULGENT FUCKING WHINING.

[LMNO]

Cram, I look at it this way:  When I want to see what's going on in world politics, I would rather check Aneristic Illusions to see what Cain, Charley, et al have posted, rather than looking at what the majority of the country considers important.  Because the majority of the country are either idiots, or they aren't concerned about the same things I am.

Similarly, if I want to find some new and interesting music, I'm not going to look at Grammy winners, or the Billboard Top 100.  I'm going to look in the "links to a great song" thread, or ask someone who knows what I like in a song.

I'm not saying I'm better or smarter than the majority, or that I'm cooler and edgier than the masses.  I'm saying that the Crowd is too homogeneous to suit any one individual's tastes.  Trending smooths out the rough edges and sharp corners, and the rough edges and sharp corners are what makes things interesting.

So, I'd much prefer to have information filtered by a known and somewhat trusted source than be overloaded by hivemind.

[The Good Reverend Roger]

CHRIST, WHAT A BUNCH OF SELF-INDULGENT FUCKING WHINING.

Yep.  It happens, I got over it.

But thank you for your support.

[Captain Utopia]

So, I'd much prefer to have information filtered by a known and somewhat trusted source than be overloaded by hivemind.

Does it have to be either/or?

I think they are different classes of information.  If I want an expert opinion - like you I"ll head to a trusted source.  If I want to have an idea of how to craft something to appeal to the masses - I'm going to try manipulating current trends.  I don't see a conflict there?

[Richter]

"Trending".

That's what it says at the top of my yahoo screen, when I go there to bulk erase my hate mail. 

"Trending".

And underneath that innocuous word, there are a number of pictures, usually of hip hop stars or TV actors.  I am told they are trending, and Yahoo is kind enough to give me links to find out this most important information...Why they are trending, or even just what's "cool" about them.

Apparently, it is now socially necessary to know this drivel.  Without it, I am hopelessly stunted, and I will be left standing by the corner at parties.  Without it, I am not in the know, and will be shunned like the village leper.

This offends me.  Not the corner bit, I typically haunt the corners of parties I attend, because I usually hate everyone there, and I glower at anyone who shows any interest in talking to me.  I don't like people in my town, and I want them to hate me. 

No, I am offended by the insistence that my life is valueless unless I know precisely who's beating "Rhianna" up these days, and I must have intimate knowledge of some East coast midget who is famous for, of all things, being a midget.  A drunken midget.  Alphonse Carr, thou art redeemed.

It's all Pink chow.  It's all a means to ensure that you're paying attention to what you're supposed to be paying attention to, instead of what the hell is REALLY going on around you, each and every day.  While Sally Rottencrotch is busy obsessing about what Beyonce is up to, they're cutting her future out from underneath her, at the education department upstate.  While Suzie Homemaker is learning who's with it, her health care is being cut. 

It's all garbage, a stinking pile of reinforced mediocrity, jammed down our throats so we'll forget how strange the world really is...And it's working, because they wouldn't leave the links up if there was no traffic...Advertisers don't pay if nobody's clicking.  Ergo, people really pay attention to that, and this is just ONE MORE REASON that if this was a JUST UNIVERSE, then a BIG FUCKING SPACE ROCK WOULD HIT THE PLANET AND PUT YOU ALL OUT OF MY MISERY.  YOU FUCKERS KILLED JOHNNY CASH WITH THIS BULLSHIT!

Lord, how I hate you all.

Or Kill Me.

Not only did they kill Johnny Cash, they made him cover NiN before he went.  Someone must've told him it was "trending"

[Adios]

So, I'd much prefer to have information filtered by a known and somewhat trusted source than be overloaded by hivemind.

Does it have to be either/or?

I think they are different classes of information.  If I want an expert opinion - like you I"ll head to a trusted source.  If I want to have an idea of how to craft something to appeal to the masses - I'm going to try manipulating current trends.  I don't see a conflict there?

Be very careful about relying on things that can be removed or manipulated.

However, Wednesday brought reports that Facebook was being blocked inside Egypt.

Police were taken aback by the anger of Tuesday's crowd and let protesters make their way to Tahrir Square near the parliament building, says the BBC's Jon Leyne, in Cairo.

Microblogging site Twitter also played a key part, with supporters inside and outside Egypt using the search term #jan25 to post news of the day.

However, Twitter confirmed later on Tuesday that it had been blocked inside Egypt from 1600 GMT, meaning many were unable to post updates from the scene.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-12283849

[LMNO]

So, I'd much prefer to have information filtered by a known and somewhat trusted source than be overloaded by hivemind.

Does it have to be either/or?

I think they are different classes of information.  If I want an expert opinion - like you I"ll head to a trusted source.  If I want to have an idea of how to craft something to appeal to the masses - I'm going to try manipulating current trends.  I don't see a conflict there?

I noticed a fundamental difference in your statement vs the broad use of trending... do you want me to tell you, or do you want to figure it out on your own?

[Captain Utopia]

So, I'd much prefer to have information filtered by a known and somewhat trusted source than be overloaded by hivemind.

Does it have to be either/or?

I think they are different classes of information.  If I want an expert opinion - like you I"ll head to a trusted source.  If I want to have an idea of how to craft something to appeal to the masses - I'm going to try manipulating current trends.  I don't see a conflict there?

I noticed a fundamental difference in your statement vs the broad use of trending... do you want me to tell you, or do you want to figure it out on your own?

Do you mean in terms of what actually is important and what can/should be safely ignored?

Be very careful about relying on things that can be removed or manipulated.

However, Wednesday brought reports that Facebook was being blocked inside Egypt.

Police were taken aback by the anger of Tuesday's crowd and let protesters make their way to Tahrir Square near the parliament building, says the BBC's Jon Leyne, in Cairo.

Microblogging site Twitter also played a key part, with supporters inside and outside Egypt using the search term #jan25 to post news of the day.

However, Twitter confirmed later on Tuesday that it had been blocked inside Egypt from 1600 GMT, meaning many were unable to post updates from the scene.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-12283849

I agree.  I think that "turn off the switch" tactic is dangerous, but can only be safely employed now because of the relative newness of the technology involved.  Moving forward however - especially as these networking technologies become increasingly entrenched within societies - I think disabling internet services and access to popular web destinations will be as inflammatory as shutting down the electricity or water supply.  Or at least it will become an obvious red flag when most people are actively using them.

I really hope so, anyway.

[Adios]

So, I'd much prefer to have information filtered by a known and somewhat trusted source than be overloaded by hivemind.

Does it have to be either/or?

I think they are different classes of information.  If I want an expert opinion - like you I"ll head to a trusted source.  If I want to have an idea of how to craft something to appeal to the masses - I'm going to try manipulating current trends.  I don't see a conflict there?

I noticed a fundamental difference in your statement vs the broad use of trending... do you want me to tell you, or do you want to figure it out on your own?

Do you mean in terms of what actually is important and what can/should be safely ignored?

Be very careful about relying on things that can be removed or manipulated.

However, Wednesday brought reports that Facebook was being blocked inside Egypt.

Police were taken aback by the anger of Tuesday's crowd and let protesters make their way to Tahrir Square near the parliament building, says the BBC's Jon Leyne, in Cairo.

Microblogging site Twitter also played a key part, with supporters inside and outside Egypt using the search term #jan25 to post news of the day.

However, Twitter confirmed later on Tuesday that it had been blocked inside Egypt from 1600 GMT, meaning many were unable to post updates from the scene.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-12283849

I agree.  I think that "turn off the switch" tactic is dangerous, but can only be safely employed now because of the relative newness of the technology involved.  Moving forward however - especially as these networking technologies become increasingly entrenched within societies - I think disabling internet services and access to popular web destinations will be as inflammatory as shutting down the electricity or water supply.  Or at least it will become an obvious red flag when most people are actively using them.

I really hope so, anyway.

You are a hopeless optimist.

[Captain Utopia]

Thanks 

[LMNO]

So, I'd much prefer to have information filtered by a known and somewhat trusted source than be overloaded by hivemind.

Does it have to be either/or?

I think they are different classes of information.  If I want an expert opinion - like you I"ll head to a trusted source.  If I want to have an idea of how to craft something to appeal to the masses - I'm going to try manipulating current trends.  I don't see a conflict there?

I noticed a fundamental difference in your statement vs the broad use of trending... do you want me to tell you, or do you want to figure it out on your own?

Do you mean in terms of what actually is important and what can/should be safely ignored?

No, I meant that the fundamental use of the Trending function is for people to passively click and absorb what passes as Trending "information" about Beiber, Snookie, Kim and Chloe, and the Desperate Housewives, and be quietly Entertained by proxy.  People use Trending to become involved and connected to what they perceive as a larger cultural norm, a huge collective that they want to be part of, due to some conformist herd mentality.

You want to use it as research into developing Ideas.  Trending was not developed to engender ideas.  So, while it's well and good for you to use it that way, don't confuse your use of it as a universal; remember why it was developed, and how most people use it.

[Adios]

Thanks 

It wasn't a compliment.