bootstrapping.net

We’re all weird people. Just too bad so much of our culture has been based on the illusion that we’re all normal.

Stewart Brand notes from a Long Now presentation by a Bush Whitehouse insider.

Meanwhile in the world the US has a severe “credibility deficit,” especially with the people in other nations. He said that his organization, The Rendon Group, has done detailed research on how the United States is perceived in Islamic countries. The universal message from Muslims was, “You look at us but you do not see us.” As for whether they felt positive or negative about the US, three groups emerged. Those who had some direct or even indirect contact with American people felt largely positive about the US. Those with more distant contact thought of the US only in terms of its corporations, such as McDonald’s, and had a more negative view. Those with no contact at all thought of the US strictly in terms of its government, and had the most negative view of all.
“This is the key,” Rendon said. “The strength and credibiliity of the American people must be reflected in our government.”

What we’re doing with person to person media is connecting. Real connections, people in conversation. Between individuals, between individuals representing organizations, between individuals across the globe. In a way that our mass media system never was able to - and wasn’t designed for by no means.

Interesting taxonomy he outlines. No connection=The view as the state. Somewhat of a connection=The corporations. Those with a deep connection=Individuals.

Could it really be that simple?

A much more nuanced take on feedreader rss subscriptions. Being able to look at one’s subscriptions over time, pause subscriptions, see one’s identity/interest shifts over times based on aggregated tags of the posts of the individual blogs or seeing a digg/techmemorandum view of subscriptions i’ve paused/said goodbye to but still want to be alerted when something really happens.
Anyone seen this explored?

i summer-cleaned more than 50 subscriptions out of my feedreader.