Off to the MLA

Off to Philly to meet some old friends and make some new ones...

Warfare meets Video Game

Had a discussion with my Brother-in-Law about the Military's use of video games in training. I think this goes beyond the "toolness" of techne and infuses military thinking (especially the higher ups, who think of war in more abstract terms anyway).

Linked article doesn't really discuss anything new, but just shows how we begin to inhabit the aesthetic worlds we create. Shades of Grusin and Bolter...

Here comes the Charette

Just found out that we will be getting a lot of "Professional" feedback from a range of folks in Northern Ohio, Southern Michigan. HCI folk, Information Architects, etc. Too cool for words...

Amazing Postmodern Sculpture

This guy is pretty obsessed. Interesting, but obsessed.

Science or Rhetoric

This article in WIRED magazine makes me shake my head. Scientists can have SUCH flabby rhetorical muscles. These ID shills are using a classic Cartesian argument. Instead of the "THEY'RE WRONG"(true, but the political audience can't understand that technically) and "WE HAVE MORE BELIEVERS"(not really, if you consider the number of religious mystics who are willing to ignore ANY material evidence that stands in their way) arguments, turn the argument against itself. "Teach the controversy," but teach it IN A DIFFERENT CLASS. Create a special philosophy course that explains the differences in how different approaches occur. Science is peer reviewed and depends upon a specific, material methodology. The ID folks are depending upon seventeenth century philosophy that foregrounds logic and reasoning (no empiricism need apply) in the journey towards Bible-based evangelical christianity. Of course, you now have five centuries of philosophy between these two poles to show why ID is a good idea and why it isn't science.

When does design "eat" writing?

Interesting article on how design can drive business.

Bite of the Apple

Thanks Jen and Jay

Both of your presentations were excellent. I especially like the way you synthesized the main ideas. This synthesis was actually inspiring.

Two Motivations for Documentation

Seems that the Doheny-Farina article describes how documentation (in this case, a business plan) is used to guide worker action towards a larger goal. The Paradis article seems to describe documentation as a way of BOTH guiding workers and of determining how people fit in with technology (in this case, studguns).

What is Professional?

It seems like Faber makes a similar argument to Johnson-Eilola in highlighting the values of autonomy. Do you buy the trichotomy of government/capitalism/professional?

Welcome to your first blog.

Don't just sit there...blog!