Wednesday, March 21, 2007

Artistic compensation

Second Life reminded me of a thesis that I heard about many years ago, focussing on artistic recognition. I haven't actually read the paper, but I recall the elevator pitch.

Sunday, March 18, 2007

Artificial Life

Recently I have been noticing media reports about goings on within a thing called Second Life. After a dozen or so, I figured it was time to investigate. Well, I am intrigued, and online world that isn't about killing dragons and casting spells that seems to have a large support base (I suspect that free entry might have something to do with it). My local government funded media outlet has recently purchased an island . The whole premise seems to have a very artistic/creative slant to it, promising life performances or lectures. I can't see myself joining anytime soon, but it is a concept worth observing. The whole thing reminds me of the book Idoru.

It makes you wonder where this stuff will end up. Will we one day work inside a virtual world? A lot of us deal with people via email or phone only anyway, never seeing the person in the flesh. Education too could benefit - that expert who lives on the other side of the world can now hold global lectures from the comfort of their own home. There would be a darker side too, with cults and criminal organisations using a virtual world to circumvent traditional communication channels.

Yes, something well worth watching.

GTD has stuck

It is several months since I started the GTD way and think I can say it has stuck. I still carry my lists with me and refer to them regularly. Even if a slip a little, I come back - its never a chore to go back to the lists; every time I think its all in my head a look at my lists tells me not to get cocky. It works because its simple, like most effective systems.

Even a major event coming up has a big piece of butcher's paper in the kitchen covered in 'next actions' on it. My partner is not quite getting GTD-ified, but she likes the list-in-visible-spot concept. She can point to it and remind me: "these are your responsibility. :)