thinking is the new black

Atlanta Highway by Choking Sun

In between juggling getting back into thesis mode, teaching, supervising undergrad dissertations and general research-arama, I’m slowly, slowly trying to spruce up thinking is the new black. Therefore I’ve been having a poke around the blogosphere over the last few days, and looking at blogs I like, such as The Sartorialist, Fresh Peel, this one about culture and brands, the brilliant brilliant stylebubble.

I came across a discussion about  an analogies for the web recently, which captured my imagination, and reminded me of an amusing conversation I had with a colleague, about the different words and phrases people use for the same technologies, and how these can shape our perception. The idea of streams makes me think of the Amazon and all its’ tributaries,  which in turn makes me think of  Bruce Parry.  * sigh & goes all girly* 

It is very interesting to me that we as humans require analogies and metaphors for communication and information revolutions.  It’s discourse init.

Some of these analogies for what is happening in the web and social media, make me feel slightly uncomfortable, and think about the notion of echo chambers. It’s about the suitability of a metaphor to an intended audience. I haven’t really had the time or inclination to develop this further at the moment. However there is a brilliant reference by Phil Agre on the internet and public discourse.

I found it on this site I really like,  the v useful resource from  Caslon Analytics group. 

Also it’s all referenced bootifuly using the Harvard System. Nicely.

Thinking about the internet has been bedevilled by a range of metaphors such as the ‘information superhighway’, ‘digital divide’ and ‘broadband gap’. This page considers conceptual challenges and particular memes. 

Thanks to Peter Kay, I, like hundreds of others have been guilty of using the t’interweb in professional situations -such is its’ acceptance into common parlance in the UK. I’m also a huge fan of The Internets, and the terribly retro sounding,  Information Superhighway. Of course, these all mean slightly different things, are historically specific and depend on who’s doing the talking.

I’m quite fond of the town square and placing web theory in context with Habermas, as you know. But the reason I still quite like Information Super Highway, is that it evokes the idea of networks: sometimes monolithic motorways with service station stop offs, or contrasting bendy country lanes, bridle paths and cycle lanes, sometimes gridlocked, but very often going nowhere, empty or abandoned.