Frozen Truth

The blogosphere is undergoing a shift toward lifestreaming. The efficiency and clarity of lifestreaming offers an alternative and a complement to blogging that enables time-strapped internet content creators and enthusiasts a better way to display, distribute and champion the content that matters to them. It’s a game-changer that also hints at the increasingly seamless way the internet is part of every aspect of our lives.

2008 has been a year of transitioning to lifestreaming for me. An increasingly time-strapped life has left me less time to devote to blogging, but my drive to share content with friends and strangers hasn’t relented. Lifestreaming has allowed me to point out more content and share more pieces of my life than I could have if I focused on longer pieces. I still love and appreciate blogging —I read dozens of blogs each day—, but lifestreaming is the future of how we share on the internet.

One of the clearest signs that ’streaming is becoming a mainstream force on the internet is the inclusion of rudimentary lifestreaming on Facebook and other social networking sites. We are coming to value quick shots from the attention of the people we care about and respect; a photo of a great meal, pieces of political discourse and a fascinating news article do provide real benefits in how we connect with others and how we experience the world. Even with the inevitable filler that comes from the speed of ’streaming, the data we create is going to reshape our interaction with the internet.

Lifestreaming heralds the next leap for the internet, the semantic web, by associating our important data with our online identities. This association enables data to be used to understand our lives, our interests and our social world. Marry this with emergent trends of location-aware software, cloud computing, and the still-rising tide of social networking, and you have a perfect storm of practical, sophisticated and exciting internet tools that will make our experience of the internet seamless within our lives.

Even President Obama will face a different online world during his time in office; Obama, his staff and the public will create and reflect on an endless stream of content and attention.

For the most powerful among us and through to the casual ’streamer, the way we interact with the internet is going to change profoundly.

The future will be astound, but what does lifestreaming give to us today and why commit to it? Without lifestreaming, out identities online are diffuse and not accessible, but merging our strands of activity across the internet into a ’stream provides a solution.

Lea Woodward asserts that it is an enjoyable compulsion to share content and participate in the communities that spring up around lifestreaming. ‘Streaming can also enhance pre-existing relationships that would otherwise be under strain from lack of contact in an environment of increasing stress on social life; Facebook’s lifestreaming aspect alone has allowed me to maintain relationships that otherwise may have waned.

C4Chaos, an integrally-informed and awesome (hyper)streamer and blogger, takes issue with the term lifestreaming but offers some great insight in his posts “Swallowed my blog in a single gulp!” and “Life is But a Stream“.

So, if ’streaming is about consciousness, does refining either one’s consciousness or one’s ’stream influence the other in positive ways? This line of questioning is where I think lifestreaming or (hyper)streaming becomes the most valuable. Assessing what we choose to include in ’streams, what we filter and why we do any of it, when done in a contemplative and open manner, will improve the quality of our lives.

25.11.08 Comment »

Increasing competency in creation spurs humanity to become more loving, more encompassing, and more wise. Technology is thus inherently good; this novelty is an expression of divinity and essential for improving any aspect of our lives. Technology lifts life above limitations and brings freedom to fruition.

This is a rare view, but an essential one to move us forward. Thankfully, a leading edge of thinkers is offering this beacon of hope amid a seeming void of entropy. Ken Wilber and Kevin Kelly are two thinkers on this edge who are passionate about bringing technology and spirit to the fore of our discussions. In an exciting and compelling dialog, titled “Exploring the Technium: Technology, Evolution, and God“, the two have come together to unreservedly share their profound understanding of the importance of technology, the very structure of the Kosmos and what it means to be part of an evolution that involves technology implicitly.

Kevin Kelly has been producing, in his blog The Technium, a body of work that frames technology as the newest leap in a vast movement of extropy that works against the winding down of the universe. His eloquent entries flesh out a vision of inherently spiritual directionality at work through life and the technology that emerges through it. Optimism of this sort is exciting and certainly uncommon, but apparently more true and more practical than the pessimistic and reductionistic views of technology as merely neutral or evil that prevail in many minds. At the very least, Kelly’s vision is a compelling and satisfying presentation of our role in the universe, as is clear in entries such as “Cosmic Origins of Extropy“.

The discussion begins with talk of The Technium, but moves into a look at Ken Wilber’s AQAL theory as it applies to technology and spirituality. And from this spiritual stream the topic of Kelly’s spiritual experiences emerges. A mystic event of conversion to Christianity informs his work as a futurist and a technologist in a rich way. A merging of spiritual and scientific understanding enriches the work of both men and creates an abundance of enthusiasm and greatness.

Listen to Exploring the Technium: Technology, Evolution, and God for free from Integral Life.

22.09.08 Comment »

One of the most exciting movements in technology is the boom of cheap, efficient, small and robust laptops that are forcing a sea change in the market, bringing better products to more people. We are being offered computers that are more affordable than ever and this is sending waves through the industry as the ultra-portable goes from niche device to a mainstay of professionals, students, and families.

Since March of this year my main computer has been a tiny Asus EeePC, a computer that is as close to my ideal laptop as I’ve yet encountered. It is genuinely portable in a way that is startling in comparison with the bulky conventional laptops I’ve had in the past. Even better is the fact that it is capable of doing everything I use a computer for, from internet surfing to video and music management, at least as well as the larger computers I have used. The small package has left me wanting little more in my daily work and play. At $350 before tax, it was the best investment in technology I’ve ever made.

Asus has taken the market by storm, selling millions from their EeePC line and generating a slew of imitations from Dell, HP and other manufacturers. A surprisingly broad range of people have picked up on the trend, putting pressure on the big players in the industry to deliver options that best suit our needs. I personally know of a businessman who runs his small business with an EeePC and similar stories are popping up every day. The buzz generated by the laptop always surprises me; everyone I show my EeePC to and share the price with are excited by the prospect of an affordable and capable laptop.

We are already reaping tangible benefits from the ultra-portable trend, but this is just the beginning of the escalated push for cheaper, smaller and better computers. Apple, known for expensive hardware, is rumoured to be considering lowering their MacBook line below $1000 USD. Asus is promising EeePC battery life that will last “a whole day“. The Indian government is, astonishingly, planning to create $10 laptops, according to recent reports, for use in higher education settings. The market-driven push by companies like Asus, non-profit initiatives such as One Laptop Per Child and governments like India’s, are creating a perfect storm to deliver computers (and the internet) to a much larger percentage of the global population.

5 Key Advantages Common in the Ultra-Portable Space:

• 1. Size
  Laptops that easily fit into a purse or pocket are clearly more portable than laptops that demand their own bags.
• 2. Durability
  Laptops like the EeePC are made to endure the stress of real use. Solid state hard drives keep data safer through drops, bumps and crashes, and the casing of these computers tend to be rugged.
• 3. Cost
  As wealthy as we are in developed nations, there are still many of us who can not afford a laptop capable of delivering a quality experience, and those numbers rise when we consider other nations or if we enter a recession. Putting good technology into as many hands as possible is important in growing a global culture that embraces the many benefits technology can bring to our lives.
• 4. Ease of Use
  Ultra-portables tend to have simple, robust and capable interfaces that are very easy for people who aren’t computer-savvy to pick up and are refreshing for many advanced users (who can easily activate more complicated interfaces). We should want the elderly, children and others who may not have learned to interact with more complicated interfaces to still have the benefits of technology, and ultra-portables are one good avenue to introduce programs that can change lives for the better.
• 5. Linux
  Some ultra-portables are bloated with a Windows operating system, but most are offered with a flavour of Linux. Linux is a free family of operating systems that tend to be faster, more roust and safer than proprietary operating systems like Windows and Mac OS X. The open source movement provides a rich and responsive collection of software that, for the most part, is better than what is offered for proprietary operating systems and usually entirely free. Linux helps to make computers cheaper by cutting out hundreds of dollars needlessly spent to buy operating systems while providing a better experience for computer users of all skill levels.

04.08.08 2 Comments

Now and then an album that thrills with every track and enchants with every listen emerges as an instantly recognizable landmark. One of the great joys in music listening is when an artist consistently produces stellar albums of that caliber and then astounds with a masterwork that goes beyond even that. With Sunshine Lies, Matthew Sweet has delivered such a masterwork and cemented his place as a true master of songcraft.

I’ve followed Matthew Sweet’s career since my musical interest started to mature and have counted him among the greats for as many years. Matthew’s 1990 breakthrough, Girlfriend, still stands today as one of the most important pop albums that decade held, the follow-up Altered Beast was an alternative scorcher that showcased his wide pallet, 100% Fun and Blue Sky on Mars rolled out with dynamism, In Reverse was a wall of sound masterpiece and the sparse collections Living Things and Kimi Ga Suki were heart-felt meditations on nature and living. His collaborations as part of The Thorns and with Susanna Hoffs are superb and his contributions to numerous compilations and soundtracks are always highlights. Simply, Matthew Sweet is a master who has created a musical legacy that is enduring, staggering and open-hearted.

Matthew describes Sunshine Lies as “power-pop-folk-rock-psychedelic-melodic-singer-songwriter-type stuff” and any less broad genre classification wouldn’t do justice to the expansiveness of this album. “Time Machine” is one of the messy, beautiful pop rock gems, while “Room to Rock” and “Flying” are raging rockers that bookend the folk rock of “Byrdgirl”, contrasting with the Buddha-tinged ballad “Feel Free” and setting the mood for the pinnacle of the album, The-Who-meets-Neil-Young blazer “Let’s Love”. Not only are the songs finely made, they’re also inherently fun; this is an album that brings the summer alive and invites listeners to soak up some roaring bliss.

The music is beautiful enough to make Sunshine Lies irresistible, but the album art inspires awe as well. Brian Valentine has provided macro photography for the packaging that showcases his prolific and magnificent body of work. You can find thousands of his photographs in his Flickr account.

Sunshine Lies will be released on August 26.

05.07.08 Comment »

Roughly one in five people who access the internet already use Firefox, and today’s launch of Firefox 3 takes the browser to new levels of speed, ease of use, security, functionality and expandability that should only increase those numbers. I’ve been using beta and release candidate versions leading up to Firefox 3 and can say with certainty that it is leaps and bounds ahead of all the other major browsers and even its predecessor, Firefox 2.

A quick look at the new features gives a glimpse of the power Firefox 3 packs, but the fact it uses your hardware better than before with better memory use and page rendering means the experience is noticeably better than before for every task we do online.

If you download Firefox 3 in the next day you will be taking part in setting a Guinness World Record for the most software downloaded in 24 hours while improving your internet experience. As I’m writing this, 1,891,865 have already downloaded it today.

For more on Firefox 3, check out the following links:
Power User’s Guide to Firefox 3
Why You Should Download Firefox 3 Right Now
Top 10 Firefox 3 Features

17.06.08 2 Comments

Paul Chadwick’s Concrete: The Human Dilemma is one of the most accessible, balanced and finely crafted stories we have that explores the problems of overpopulation. The storytelling is superb – Chadwick consistently produces emotive art and compelling narratives that are exemplars of sequential art – and provides a magnificent framework for making sense of such a complex subject.

Overpopulation is a critical issue that we face as a world. Even a casual look at the state of the world reveals that the pieces vital for building the kinds of civilizations we can thrive in are being sapped, in large part, because we fail to limit reproduction. Our staggering numbers have helped turn things such as space, food, fuel and infrastructure into scarce resources. When we consider the complexities of disparities in development, quality of life and consumption we are faced with an overwhelming challenge.

Chadwick points out complications of motivation (baser tendencies, higher ideals and transcendent awe) and cultural momentum alongside statistics about overpopulation and possible strategies for combating it throughout The Human Dilemma. He presents an appropriately nuanced perspective of the issue, acknowledging conservative concerns, possible harmful extremes and obstacles in the way of implementing programs while being steadfast in the conviction that we must act to reduce our numbers.

One of the most important aspects of the overpopulation problem comes to the fore early in the book. The main character, Concrete, becomes involved in a program encouraging couples to opt for sterilization rather than contribute to overpopulation, thus creating role models and acceptance for life without reproducing. Creating public acceptance of not having children and forging new stations of life that embrace this will be incredibly hard to do. There is so much momentum in our cultures and biology that embeds the process of having biological children with a sense of obligation and benefit, and this will be challenging to counter.

Looking at the positive implications of fewer humans on Earth reveals a lot of promise. Imagine a world that is environmentally healthier, with abundant resources, greater wealth, more opportunity for individual and cultural growth, more people freed to contribute their greatest potential to the world rather than struggling just to create the necessities to sustain us and with space to build societies of great dignity. Those children we would choose to create would have better, happier, more rewarding and meaningful lives in a world with the kind of freedom we deny ourselves, in part, through overpopulation. If it comes down to a question of quantity of lives versus quality of lives, I think it’s clear we should work to create less lives and less suffering.

31.05.08 Comment »

Ken Wilber, the leading voice in the integral movement and founder of Integral Institute, was interviewed by Salon about his work and that interview, “You Are the River“, graces the site’s main page today. Ken has worked with tremendous insight and love to craft the finest maps of our experiences and his integral framework is a tremendous treasure. The interview has been linked to throughout the integral community today and is a nice introduction to Ken and and his integral philosophy.

In the interview Ken touches on the limitations of scientific materialism, the absurdities of the new age movement, the relationships the founders of quantum mechanics had with mysticism, human development, and facing death. Ken, as always, presents his work with a rare humility and eloquence.

For more on Ken Wilber and the integral movement, take a look at “Your Four Quadrants“, “The Perspective-Taking You“, “Spiritual Agreement” and “The Integral Vision“.

28.04.08 1 Comment

With so much information at our fingertips, it is increasingly important to create powerful visualization tools to make it all more palatable. I Want You To Want Me does this in the world of matchmaking. The visualization project “explores the search for love and self in the world of online dating.”

Dating profiles may not seem the ripest place for important data, but there is a lot that can be learned from looking at the traits we think others will value in us and what we want to find in prospective partners. Every stumble and triumph in dating life is an opportunity to reflect on ourselves, and being able to see these pieces from others is valuable in understanding both ourselves and the societies we live in.

The highlights the group behind the project have shared range between inspiring and ridiculous, with a person who “will listen to your darkest demons and not fear them” for each one “looking for a guy to JUST make out with.” What this tells us about our outer and inner worlds I’m not sure, but it’s one glimpse more than we had before this project launched.

The video that follows demonstrates the visualization and shares some more about the project. more »

23.04.08 Comment »

Last night I read Paul Chadwick’s Concrete Celebrates Earth Day 1990, as much for the ongoing story as for the relevance to today’s Earth Day. Chadwick pointed out a lot of issues nearly two decades ago that are still incredibly relevant today; global warming, overpopulation, our failure to adopt environmentally sound practices and our failings in communicating environmentalism are all problems we have not adequately addressed.

Much of today will be focused on bringing attention to environmental problems and possible solutions and that is absolutely vital. But how we communicate environmentalism is something we need to look at very closely if we want to be successful in building a world that encourages everyone to live in ways that keep nature vibrant. The Concrete special includes a segment of Concrete talking about the challenge of getting conservatives engaged in environmentalism, and recommends recasting the environmentalist as a patriot. This sort of reframing environmental concern is vital in engaging as large a portion of our world as possible in action to protect life. We need to set aside our idealism and passion for the cause of environmentalism and pragmatically weigh our methods of presentation.

One of the greatest contributions of developmentalism –and integral theory more particularly– is the notion of altitude, or the fact that we have different levels of development as people and societies. People can be egocentric, ethnocentric or worldcentric, with only the latter group –making up only a small percent of the Earth’s population– caring about the entire world innately. Using awareness of these altitudes, we can more effectively communicate with people where they are instead of assuming everyone thinks in the same ways and has the same concerns.

An ethnocentric person, say a fundamentalist conservative, may respond better to environmentalism being in the service of their family, God and country than some of the ideals we, as environmentalists, hold. And we can work with that in ways like the one Paul Chadwick suggested years ago, by changing the messages we use. By focusing on local impact, the cost to humans everywhere and other pieces of the environmental concerns we have that are more relevant and visible for people not plugged in to the environmentalist movement, we can create more and better change. Pointing out the stakes people have in the Earth in a way they can understand and embrace is absolutely necessary if we can to succeed in protecting and advancing the Earth.

For more on environmentalism, I highly recommend Communicating Integral Sustainability and C4Chaos’ Environment blog entries.

22.04.08 Comment »

My ideal life is freewheeling and nomadic; my envy boils up most when I see projects like GeekBrief’s The Big Trip allow for travel, creativity, technology and work to mesh. The Economist suggests we’re moving toward facilitating this in a smaller scale and I’m thrilled at the prospect.

“The New Oases: Nomadism changes buildings, cities and traffic” explores the untethering of people from places of work, learning and socializing. Changing technological and social realities free us from stodgy notions of place and leave the how and where of many tasks forever altered. The reshaping of our architecture is one response to this that is especially exciting; environments are expected to be reshaped to do away with obsolescence of holdovers like the desk and serve human connections and productivity.

Our shared spaces, be they cafés, parks or public transportation, are becoming multi-functional hybrid places where we can be as comfortable meeting a work deadline as we are interacting with our most intimate friends. The emergence of more neutral, flexible places –what sociologist Ray Oldenburg named “third places”– changes how we relate to cities, making our routes alter from tedious in-and-outs to fulfilling meanderings. There are pitfalls ahead in merging spheres of life, but the potential for enriching life is exciting.

21.04.08 Comment »