The Third Bit

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I’ve been reading Beneath Ceaseless Skies, an online SF&fantasy magazine, for about a year now. Most of the stories are pretty good, but there’s a sameness to their style that’s starting to weary me: they all feel as if they were written on a drizzly Sunday afternoon by someone who would really rather be penning paeans to J.D.Salinger for the New Yorker. Meanwhile, Michael Chabon (a one-time darling of that set) is now writing the kind of kapow! adventure story that was, for many decades, the mainstay of SF&fantasy.

Just sayin’…

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On April 1, 1942, George Orwell wrote:

Connolly wanted yesterday to quote a passage from Homage to Catalonia in his broadcast. I opened the book and came on these sentences:

“One of the most horrible features of war is that all the war-propaganda, all the screaming and lies and hatred, comes invariably from people who are not fighting…It is the same in all wars; the soldiers do the fighting, the journalists do the shouting, and no true patriot ever gets near a front line trench, except on the briefest of propaganda tours. Sometimes it is a comfort to me to think that the aeroplane is altering the conditions of war. Perhaps when the next great war comes we may see that sight unprecedented in all history, a jingo with a bullet-hole in him.”

Here I am…less than 5 years after writing that. I suppose sooner or later we all write our own epitaphs.

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Marcus Lau and Maxwell Elendt, two high school students whose science project I was mentoring, picked up a silver medal at the Toronto Science Fair on the weekend. The project was titled “Headshots: Detecting Concussions with Accelerometers”; in it, they hooked an off-the-shelf accelerometer up to a hockey helmet, put it on a mannequin’s head, and had people of various ages and sizes whack it with a hockey stick and/or their fist in order to see what kinds of impacts they could produce. It was a lot of fun, and I think they learned a lot about how to work with real-world data. Congratulations on the prize—it’s well deserved.

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I don’t like tidying up the house when my wife and daughter are away. I don’t mind cleaning, especially the kitchen and bathroom, but picking up toys and shelving books and generally putting things where they officially belong makes the house feel colder. It erases the evidence that other people live here, that “my” life is part of “our” life now. I haven’t gone so far as to strew some of their clothes around the living room, the way a cat would rub its scent onto the leg of the couch, but it’s only been a few days…

I was thinking about this—about the comfort we get from the evidence of others—as I was walking home last night. One of the buildings near Mozilla’s office is being demolished; as I watched the machines tear at at the old bricks, I wondered how the tenants of the other buildings must feel. Some of them (the tenants, I mean) might have been there thirty years or more—it’s that kind of neighborhood. As they watch the last traces of long-gone friends and rivals erased to make room for new stories with new characters, do they feel the same way I do when I look around the kitchen and see no evidence that anyone ever sat at the table drawing a dinosaur for daddy? Or knit on the couch while Jamie Oliver made something with far too much mustard in it?

And then I wondered, why do only the young spraypaint slogans on walls? Why is it always guys in their teens and twenties tagging some variation on, “I was here”? Why don’t the old do it too, not to say, “I was here first,” but to say, “My friend was here,” or, “My first love was here,”, or even just, “Once upon a time, I sat here in the sun with two strangers, eating sandwiches and enjoying the first warmth of spring.” Why aren’t guerrilla armies of pensioners sneaking around at night parking Studebakers on street corners and replacing the khakis in the window of the Gap with the gingham dresses or tie-dye of their youth?

This post was supposed to be a summary of what I did this week, but mostly what I did was bang my head against other people’s software. I don’t think I’ll bother to remember that (or if I do, I won’t be able to distinguish it from the hundreds of other weeks I’ve spent doing the same thing). What I hope I’ll remember is that picture of ninja seniors putting a few random things back the way they were to remind themselves and the world that once upon a time, others were here.

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The Internet has given everyone [1] who wants to say something a way to say it. It, and digital media more generally, have also revolutionized music, and now video: “sample, splice, and remix” are redefining them as profoundly as the phonograph did a century ago.

So why do I—the creator of an open, online course—feel a sense of dread whenever someone says that, “Customized self-publishing is the future of textbooks“? Part of the answer is encapsulated in this quote (from this essay by Alan Reid, found via this post by Mark Guzdial):

Read more…

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Step 1: install the Collusion plugin for Firefox.

Step 2: let it run for a while.

Step 3: look at all the red circles, which show sites that are known to be trackers. Betcha didn’t know all those sites were being sent information about you…

Step 4: turn on “Do Not Track“.

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My contribution to the #OpenInbox meme summarizing one day’s worth of email—in my case, February 28, 2012. There were 103 inbound (⇒), and 80 outbound (⇐).

⇒	00:17	Follow-up to meeting about data-mining Bugzilla.
⇒	03:26	Grad student sending me her schedule.
⇒	03:28	Request for sample PowerPoint files from someone with software to concatenate them.
⇒	03:52	Note from the Toronto Public Library about a book ready for pickup.
⇒	03:59	University of Chicago boot camp planning.
⇒	04:06	Reassurance from a friend in the UK that she hasn’t disappeared .
⇒	04:35	Group registration for the Newcastle University boot camp.
⇒	04:50	Ditto.
⇒	04:54	WordPress wants a comment moderated.
⇒	05:23	Registration for the London boot camp.
⇒	05:45	Inquiry about ditto.
⇐	06:12	Invitation to join the weekly Mozilla learning call.
⇐	06:12	Reply to grad student about her schedule.
⇒	06:18	Confirm signup for Udacity mailing list.
⇐	06:25	Note about last week’s Toronto boot camp.
⇐	06:25	Ditto.
⇒	06:26	High school student following up on Mozilla Hack Jam.
⇐	06:27	Telling a parent that my daughter can’t attend a birthday party.
⇐	06:28	Inquiry about accommodation in California for MBARI boot camp.
⇐	06:29	Inquiry about Ruffus (Python dataflow software).
⇐	06:32	Hacking for journalists.
⇐	06:36	Answering question about ImageChops from STScI boot camp participant.
⇐	06:36	Reply to feedback about Toronto boot camp.
⇐	06:37	Note to high school students about their progress.
⇐	06:37	Thanks to boot camp organizer for forwarding feedback.
⇐	06:40	Continuing conversation with potential boot camp instructor.
⇐	06:42	Invitation to join the weekly Mozilla learning call.
⇐	06:43	Household chore reminder.
⇐	06:44	Newcastle boot camp registration.
⇐	06:49	Following up intro to Toronto scientist about boot camps.
⇐	06:49	Ditto.
⇒	06:58	Newcastle boot camp registration.
⇒	06:58	Newcastle boot camp registration.
⇒	07:00	Follow-up to discussion about collaboration on Software Carpentry.
⇒	07:02	MOOC daily newsletter.
⇒	07:03	More discussion with high school students (and their teacher).
⇒	07:12	Newcastle boot camp registration.
⇒	07:27	Newcastle boot camp.
⇒	07:30	Newcastle boot camp.
⇐	08:13	Mozilla weekly webmaker call.
⇐	08:26	Redheads are less susceptible to anaesthetic than normal people
⇐	08:46	More discussion with high school students (and their teacher).
⇐	08:47	Social chit-chat.
⇐	08:47	More about redheads.
⇐	08:52	Note about Software Carpentry screencasts.
⇐	08:55	Household chores.
⇒	08:56	Household chores.
⇒	09:00	Green Party rally.
⇐	09:01	Submitting travel expenses.
⇐	09:03	Ditto.
⇐	09:04	Note to potential boot camp instructors.
⇐	09:05	Flyer for Chicago boot camp.
⇐	09:06	Bugzilla data-mining follow-up.
⇒	09:07	Inquiry about sales figures for “Making Software”.
⇐	09:12	PowerPoint files for concatenating.
⇐	09:12	Chicago boot camp.
⇐	09:15	Reply to reassurance from UK friend.
⇐	09:15	Household chores.
⇐	09:15	Forwarded inquiry about “Making Software” sales.
⇐	09:16	Household chores.
⇐	09:17	Reply to student following up on Hack Jam.
⇐	09:19	London/Newcastle boot camp registration.
⇐	09:20	Follow-up to inquiry about London boot camp.
⇐	09:22	Follow-up to babysitting offer.
⇒	09:32	Sales figures for “Making Software”.
⇒	09:39	Discussing medical school with former student.
⇒	09:44	CS department business.
⇒	09:48	“Making Software” sales figures discussion.
⇒	09:49	Arranging coffee with former student.
⇐	09:52	Discussing music with brother.
⇐	09:52	“Making Software” sales figures discussion.
⇐	09:52	Discussing medical school with former student.
⇒	10:24	CS department business.
⇐	10:29	Follow-up to errors in Mozilla open badging infrastructure.
⇒	10:36	Discussion of boot camp in Mississippi.
⇒	10:44	Follow-up to babysitting offer.
⇒	10:45	Discussion with potential boot camp instructors.
⇒	10:49	Follow-up to errors in Mozilla open badging infrastructure.
⇒	10:54	Discussion of Trieste boot camp.
⇒	10:55	Family travel plans.
⇐	10:56	Family travel plans.
⇐	11:00	Follow-up to errors in Mozilla open badging infrastructure (long).
⇒	11:06	Discussion of Utah State boot camp.
⇒	11:23	Discussion of chapter for Vol 2 of “The Architecture of Open Source Applications”
⇐	11:31	Discussion of chapter for Vol 2 of “AOSA”
⇐	11:32	Open data discussion.
⇐	11:35	Zombies.
⇒	11:37	Chicago boot camp.
⇒	11:46	Discussion of chapter for Vol 2 of “AOSA”
⇒	11:50	Open badging mailing list.
⇒	11:54	Discussion of formatting for Vol 2 of “AOSA”
⇒	11:59	Discussion with potential boot camp instructors.
⇒	12:03	Discussion of chapter for Vol 2 of “AOSA”
⇒	12:10	Discussion of chapter for Vol 2 of “AOSA”
⇒	12:12	Discussion of chapter for Vol 2 of “AOSA”
⇐	12:14	Open data discussion.
⇒	12:15	Follow-up to errors in Mozilla open badging infrastructure.
⇒	12:16	Follow-up to errors in Mozilla open badging infrastructure.
⇒	12:18	WordPress user registration.
⇒	12:18	Chicago boot camp.
⇐	12:19	Chicago boot camp.
⇐	12:19	Discussion of chapter for Vol 2 of “AOSA”
⇐	12:20	Follow-up to errors in Mozilla open badging infrastructure.
⇐	12:20	Chicago boot camp.
⇒	12:21	Following up intro to Toronto scientist about boot camps.
⇒	12:22	Discussing medical school with former student.
⇒	12:22	Discussion of chapter for Vol 2 of “AOSA”
⇒	12:27	Discussion of chapter for Vol 2 of “AOSA”
⇐	12:28	Discussing medical school with former student.
⇒	12:31	Registration for Indiana boot camp.
⇒	12:34	Open data discussion.
⇒	12:40	Follow-up to errors in Mozilla open badging infrastructure.
⇐	12:41	Open data discussion.
⇒	12:47	Chicago boot camp.
⇒	12:59	Follow-up to errors in Mozilla open badging infrastructure.
⇐	13:09	Follow-up to errors in Mozilla open badging infrastructure.
⇒	13:27	Follow-up to errors in Mozilla open badging infrastructure.
⇒	13:37	Wedding planning. (Not mine.)
⇐	13:39	Follow-up to errors in Mozilla open badging infrastructure.
⇐	13:39	Wedding planning. (Still not mine.)
⇒	13:43	WordPress spam.
⇐	13:44	Registration for Indiana boot camp.
⇒	14:05	Arranging Skype call about MBARI boot camp.
⇐	14:11	Arranging Skype call about MBARI boot camp.
⇒	14:11	Zombies.
⇒	14:13	CS department business.
⇒	14:21	Recording Indiana boot camp.
⇒	14:24	CS department business.
⇐	14:30	Discussion of chapter for Vol 2 of “AOSA”
⇐	14:31	Household chores.
⇒	14:39	CS department business.
⇒	14:41	Registration for Indiana boot camp.
⇐	14:42	Trieste boot camp.
⇐	14:43	Arranging Skype call about MBARI boot camp.
⇒	14:45	Twitter notice.
⇒	14:45	Follow-up to errors in Mozilla open badging infrastructure.
⇒	14:50	Discussion of chapter for Vol 2 of “AOSA”
⇐	14:56	Dreamhost support query.
⇒	14:57	Dreamhost query bounce.
⇒	14:58	Arranging Skype call about MBARI boot camp.
⇒	15:02	Household chores.
⇒	15:11	Registration for Michigan State boot camp.
⇐	15:14	Registration for MBARI boot camp.
⇐	15:19	MBARI boot camp schedule.
⇐	15:20	To-do note to self.
⇐	15:20	Household chores.
⇒	15:21	Continuing conversation with potential boot camp instructor.
⇒	15:22	Wedding planning. (Nope, still not mine.)
⇒	15:23	To-do note to self.
⇒	15:25	To-do note to self.
⇒	15:35	Household chores.
⇐	15:38	Follow-up to errors in Mozilla open badging infrastructure.
⇐	15:38	Household chores.
⇒	16:00	Household chores.
⇒	16:01	Daughter’s dance class schedule.
⇒	16:19	Follow-up to errors in Mozilla open badging infrastructure.
⇒	16:29	MBARI boot camp.
⇐	16:54	Household chores.
⇒	17:06	Discussion with potential high school instructor.
⇒	17:09	Feedback on Toronto boot camp.
⇒	17:10	Open data discussion.
⇒	17:18	Family finances.
⇒	17:46	Feedback on Toronto boot camp.
⇒	17:56	Mozilla inquiry.
⇒	17:56	Registration for Indiana boot camp.
⇒	18:06	Family chores.
⇒	18:27	Open badging discussion.
⇒	18:35	Discussion with high school student.
⇐	19:09	Discussion with potential high school instructor.
⇐	19:10	Open data discussion.
⇐	19:11	Follow-up to errors in Mozilla open badging infrastructure.
⇒	19:17	Twitter notice.
⇒	19:58	Zombies.
⇐	21:13	Discussion of boot camp in Mississippi.
⇐	21:14	Following up intro to Toronto scientist about boot camps.
⇒	21:17	Ladies Learning Code notice.
⇐	21:42	Discussion with high school student.
⇒	20:04	Sloan Foundation discussion.
⇒	22:40	Chicago boot camp.
⇒	23:19	Following up intro to Toronto scientist about boot camps.
⇒	23:33	Invitation to weekly drinking session.
⇒	23:36	Chicago boot camp.

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A few weeks ago, a former student who’s now a friend asked me to teach him how to bullshit. At first I couldn’t decide whether I was flattered or offended, but then I decided I was more curious than anything. What did he mean by that? And why did he think I’d be a good teacher?

After a bit of back and forth, we agreed that he didn’t mean outright lying, or the indifference to truth that Frankfurter talks about in his book on the subject. What he wanted to learn was how to present things in a way that made the speaker’s preferred outcome seem like the only sensible or desirable choice—how to (in the words of one of my teachers) sacrifice truth for clarity, or (in the words of an ex-girlfriend) how to clarify things for people.

I’m still not sure why he thought I’d be able to teach this, but his request sent me wandering down memory lane. Back in 1989, when I was doing some work for a sociologist in Edinburgh, I occasionally sat in on his group’s seminars. At one, an American researcher talked about her studies of the impact of networked computers on workplace dynamics. (Remember, this was before the Internet: most PCs were still only connected to a printer, not to each other, and even on Unix systems, NFS needed a lot of love and care.) She claimed that networking was democratizing the workplace by allowing people to share information more freely.

She made a plausible case, but then one of the grad students challenged her with a thought experiment. Suppose we’d invented networked computers first, and that mainframes had only come later. Wouldn’t she be arguing that they were a democratizing force—that giving everyone access to the totality of the group’s computing resources was more empowering than allowing everyone a small, fixed fraction of those resources? In fact (he went on, warming to his theme), wouldn’t she be reading meaning into the term “time sharing” in the same way that she had actually emphasized “networking”?

This was where I first heard the term “appropriation” applied to explanations. Today, I see it happening a lot in and around education. Almost everyone claims that new technology will fundamentally disrupt the way we teach. As Audrey Watters pointed out in a recent podcast, though, the big education companies have an incentive to make sure that “disruption” isn’t, and the budgets and connections to neuter any change that might threaten their business models. Simlarly, as much as we might want kids to grow up to be better citizens, teaching them to program won’t automatically make this happen, any more than teaching them addition will automatically make them better at balancing budgets.

In his 2008 essay, “The Winning Ways of a Losing Strategy: Educationalizing Social Problems in the United States“, David Labaree showed how people have increasingly turned to schools to solve social problems, even though schools have repeatedly proven that they are ineffective at doing so. I think it’s equally true that reformers all too often ask technology to solve educational problems, even though it has shown time and time again that it can’t. (I speak as someone who lived through the VCR-in-the-classroom revolution, the PC-in-the-classroom revolution, and the first-generation-Internet revolution. Meet the new class, same as the old class…) Yes, new technologies might enable change, but they will not make that change happen. Only we can do that.

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