January 31, 2005 – 7:55 pm
Earlier today, my current “Online Vermin” series got mentioned in one of the most popular blogs on the web, “Metafilter.” So far, members of the “Metafilter” community have posted 26 comments — representing an interesting diversity of views. What did that do to my site traffic? See for yourself…
January 31, 2005 – 1:37 pm
Here are a few items on the theme of media, journalism, and news that have caught my attention lately. TOP OF THIS LIST: “Out of the Rubble, A Public Housing Drama Rises,” a three-part video feature from the Washington Post, Dec. 22, 2004. First-rate storytelling that works well on a very small screen. Now that we’re entering the age of TV programming delivered to mobile phones, I hope more news organizations start producing and deliver more of this kind of content. (Read the rest of this list…)
January 31, 2005 – 9:31 am
Online trolls are distinguished by baiting behavior: Routinely making statements which are intended to push people’s buttons and start a flame war. Trolls are the most dangerous type of online vermin because they feed on, and thrive in, discord. They directly benefit from a hostile environment. Trolls are generally averse to constructive discussion — they find it boring. Any environment which lacks a venomous heirarchical struggle, or which challenges the chosen basis for a fragile self-image, triggers insecurities regarding the troll’s own importance or superiority. TIME is the key to recognizing a true troll… (NOTE: This is an installment in my “Handling Online Verminâ€? series about addressing people with poor online communication habits….)
January 30, 2005 – 9:00 pm
Here are a few cool tools that have caught my attention lately. TOP OF THIS LIST: “Mind mapping: See what you’re thinking,” by Dave Pollard, How to Save the World, Jan. 5. Lately I’ve grown to adore mind mapping tools. This article is perhaps the best introduction to the topic, with no hype. Excerpt: “Recently I’ve started playing with mind maps as a personal thinking out loud tool, to organize my thoughts and think creatively all by myself. I’ve always learned best by writing, synthesizing and distilling books and other voluminous materials down to their essence: the message, the meaning, and the necessary actions. So perhaps this learning by writing down style is the reason I find mind maps useful.” YES!!!! That’s exactly why I love mind mapping tools, too. (Read the rest of this list…)
January 30, 2005 – 1:41 pm
Here are a few items on the theme of e-learning that have caught my attention lately… TOP OF THIS LIST: “Experiencing knowledge to succeed,” by Michael Jones, Yafle.com, Dec. 13, 2004. Excerpt: “Many in education — and especially many in e-learning — forget a simple truth. It’s not what you learn, it’s the process by and environment in which you learn it… Those who attempt to boil down information to a set of standardized learning objects that can be consumed interchangeably and acontextually risk losing sight of the contextual and collaborative elements of learning. Now, for some types of learning (e.g., procedural training), it’s perfectly correct and efficient to simply transfer information from A to B. This is simple knowledge transfer and acquisition. More complex learning, however, is essentially experiential and deeply contextual.” (Read the rest of this list…)
January 28, 2005 – 9:43 am
The online porcupine has much in common with its rodent cousins. Both sport a coat of sharp quills which cover it entirely save for the face and soft underbelly. In the rodent version, these quills are modified hairs. In the online version, these quills are linguistic… (NOTE: This is an installment in my “Handling Online Vermin” series about addressing people with poor online communication habits.)
January 26, 2005 – 1:26 pm
Contrary to popular opinion, the internet is not really about technology. It’s about people, specifically how people communicate. Despite the best efforts of evolution and civilization, human beings still have a lot of rough edges — individually and collectively. We annoy, denigrate, and dismiss each other all the time. Sometimes this is intentional, often it is not. The plain text which comprises most online communication makes our rough edges hard to miss. It strips away many of the subtle buffers and safeguards we’ve created to minimize the inherent emotional and psychological risks of communication. Also, online media presents a deeply weird juxtaposition of isolation and connectedness, anonymity and identity, parts and whole. In this baffling environment people can be unbelievably brash and vulnerable at the same time. In this realm, the vermin of communication thrive. Recognizing them, and choosing to react appropriately, is the key to avoiding their damage…
January 26, 2005 – 10:12 am
Here are a few items on the theme of writing, editing, and content rights that have caught my attention lately… TOP OF THIS LIST: “Any fool can learn to write for an audience,” e-editor, Nov. 29, 2004. I’ve worked on a lot of style guide projects, and this article nails precisely a key point which is wholly omitted in most conventional in-house style guides: The first duty of the author is to write for the audience. A skilled editor is needed to handle the rest. Editing (real editing, not just proofreading) is not optional! It’s a mistake, usually, to expect most writers to be their own editors. (More on this, and read the rest of this list…)
January 25, 2005 – 7:04 pm
All right, I know I get way too worked up about this, but I have to say it: Legalese is destroying public discourse! (Show notes…)
January 25, 2005 – 12:15 pm
As technology becomes more sophisticated and pervasive, it’s more important than ever to stay connected to other human beings. Used well, technology can support that goal. I was just re-reading an excellent column on this theme by Gerry McGovern: “Technology not answer to every problem” (New Thinking, Dec. 6, 2004). He observed, “Very few websites I come across are giving enough attention to human interaction. There is an expectation that the website should solve every problem in every situation. This approach is not going to work. There are certain things that people are better at, and organizations need to realize that the human touch, properly applied, is a valuable asset.” I see this very clearly in my husband’s portrait business…
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