Virtual World "Activism" inspires pro-Kremlin Political Action

something strange, innovative and remarkably funny happened the other day at a news conference by the former chess world champion Kasparov. While he was talking to the press about the Russian opposition movement, he was disturbed by a remote controlled mini-helicopter modified to look like a penis. Now this is strange "panorama" news which i wouldn't mention on my blog. What makes this intervention truly unique is that the young pro-kremlin activists took that idea from an earlier incident in SecondLife where a group of anti-capitalist hackers disturbed a press conference by in-world real-estate tycoon Anshe Chung.


To my knowledge this is the first time that political activism from a virtual world was copied in a real world scenario.

Great Modern Art

Mr. Stylewalker has spotted some really innovative, beautiful, awesome, argentinian modern art:


MUTO a wall-painted animation by BLU from blu on Vimeo.

THANKS!

eLearning Social Media Competence

Some weeks ago i learned about Howard Rheingold's project to develop an online environment and curriculum to have students learn and practice Being (social) online and developing a Voice in the global cyber-discourse. Howard has summoned a team consisting of Samuel Rose, Brian Christiansen and myself to develop the online classroom and the course design for the Collaboratory.
Brian has created a great little video introducing the project's aim and components:

http://blip.tv/file/920630/

Holy Moly: iFlew

continuing the practice to post "private storries" if i feel that they might be interesting and relevant, i would like to share my excitement about www.iflysfbay.com.

I went indoor skydiving yesterday with my nephew and my niece; And IT ROCKED. I really really liked it, so go check it out if you have one of the 14 Ifly centers near you.

That's me:



And tha's a video (not me:)

Supercool School Introducation & How to (May 2008)

i finally managed to produce a screencast introducing the facebook application and live online classroom of www.supercoolschool.com

Social Media in Cyberspace & the public sphere

I recently had the chance to meet Howard Rheingold - godfather of the study and practice of virtual community building. We had a really interesting conversation and i am really excited to work, co-think and design a social media classroom.

Most of our philosophizing dealt however with the fundamental effects human expansion into cyberspace can potentially have. The next day I attended a class on Social Media Howard is teaching in Berkley and fittingly the theme of cyberspace and the public sphere was discussed.

Rather than paraphrasing his argument i found the following quote (1):

"Although civic engagement encompasses many dimensions, this chapter focuses on participation in the public sphere through direct experience with online publishing, discourse, debate, cocreation of culture, and collective action. By showing students how to use Web-based tools and channels to inform publics, advocate positions, contest claims, and organize action around issues that they truly care about, participatory media education can draw them into positive early experiences with citizenship that could influence their civic behavior throughout their lives. Formal theories of the public sphere could be introduced most productively after, and in the context of, direct experience of exercising a public voice. Talking about public opinion making is a richer experience if you’ve tried to do it."

In 2006 Habermas himself acknowledges that there is a second structural disruption of the public sphere by the internet:

“Use of the Internet has both broadened and fragmented the contexts of communication. This is why the Internet can have a subversive effect on intellectual life in authoritarian regimes. But at the same time, the less formal, horizontal cross-linking of communication channels weakens the achievements of traditional media. This focuses the attention of an anonymous and dispersed public on select topics and information, allowing citizens to concentrate on the same critically filtered issues and journalistic pieces at any given time. The price we pay for the growth in egalitarianism offered by the Internet is the decentralised access to unedited stories. In this medium, contributions by intellectuals lose their power to create a focus.” (translation and bold from signandsight)

I am not sure i agree with Habermas on this point. It seems to me that he has not fully grasped the cyber-logic of the blogosphere and the web-based media. The aggregated power of links pointing to authors with a special-knowledge reputation or exceptionally "on the spot" statements allows in my eyes for an increase in egalitarianism as well as space to enjoy positive freedom and the prudent evolution of a professional reputation or kleos.

IMHO it is exactly the media competence Howard alludes to a) develop a Voice online, as well as to b) navigate the public cyber-sphere and be able to perceive and understand the online Voices in their context.

(1)Using Participatory Media and Public Voice to Encourage Civic Engagement

Howard Rheingold Civic Life Online: Learning How Digital Media Can Engage Youth, Pages 97-118 - online @ www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/abs/10.1162/dmal.9780262524827.097


PS: I also really like the Yochai Benkler "The Wealth of Networks" quote in Howards text:

" We are witnessing a fundamental change in how individuals can interact with their democracy and experience their role as citizens. Ideal citizens need not be seen purely as trying to inform themselves about what others have found, so that they can vote intelligently. They need not be limited to reading the opinions of opinion makers and judging them in private conversations. They are no longer constrained to occupy the role of mere readers, viewers, and listeners. They can be, instead, participants in a conversation."

My web-tv channel & our video community?

some weeks ago i posted a request for recommendations for a web-tv player where one can have a list of videos recommended by my friends.

Miro seems to be the tool. I have played around with it in the last weeks and i like it.

Hence i started my video channel at video bomb which allows for direct integration into miro.

Check out and subscribe to my recommended videos feed - AND tell me about your channel so i can subscribe!

WANTED: A confederated peer online-tv

I dont have a TV for many years, and I have to say that online video has been more than a sufficient substitute for news and the occational dose of special interest videos and "funny stuff". However what i don't like is that there is no "online tv-player" (the software equivalent of that traditional single-purpose technology called TV) where i can watch all the streaming formats or at least where i can share and receive recommendations for videos in all formats. It is annoying to have a youtube favourits, some real media streams that i like, joost chanels, etc, etc.

Is there a application or site that allows me to network with my folks exclusively on video recommendations so when i sit down for a meal (which is when i get my daily dose of news and video) i can switch on my online-tv and see what you folks have been recommending?

More than One - I am the two sides of my brain

This video starts of as a "normal" presentation of a neurologist but transforms into a furiously inspiring spiritual happening.... left-right, left-right, left-

Knowledge Entrepreneurship as Mindset for Leaders in Education

I will hold a talk at Stanford's School of Education this Wednesday. Here are the slides (which are a variation of my phd defense presentation):

| View | Upload your own

Wikipedia Game

(english below)

Eine praktische idee(1) fuer ein intelligentes (famielen)internet-lern-spiel:

jeder spieler sitzt an einem computer mit internet

ein "schiedsrichter" waehlt zwei worte z.b. erdnussbutter und alexander der grosse

das erste wort wird in wikipedia nachgeschlagen (http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erdnussbutter)

ziel des spieles ist es von erdnussbutter zu alexander der grosse (http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_der_Grosse) zu kommen ohne die tastatur zu benutzen

man kann drei varianten spielen: a)wer als erster fertig ist (denke hier haben kids einen vorteil, da sie schneller klicken/sich besser zurechtfinden) oder b) wer mit weniger klicks hinkommt (ich erwarte die erwachsenen gewinnen da ein weiteres wissen bessere links ermoeglicht). Die dritte variante is nich ganz so funkey: wer schneller von der homepage zu einem wort findet.

logischerweise is die alfabetische listen verboten

als benchmark ich war beim 5ten klick und nach 4 min. beim alexander

Im englischen teil is noch ne variante

(1) ich hab mir das game nich ausgedacht sondern es von jemandem erzaehlt bekommen, weiss aber leider nich mehr von wem - naja jetzt hab ich kurz gegooglet und verschiedene englische sources gefunden

-----------------------
English

a first version (what i described in german above)
"Shaggy Hair was working on his chemistry homework and so [the wikipedia article on] "Chemical Sources" is traditionally the place where they begin. Then someone calls out a word or term or person, like "Bob Dylan," and they race to see who can get there first. The rule is you can't type anything; you can only click on links. And you can't go backwards." (blog link)

a second version:
"We invented a game where you try to find a certain item (for example, pancakes) the fastest, measured in either time or clicks. Here are the rules:

• You cannot edit any pages
• You must start from the home page (http://wikipedia.org/)
• You cannot type anything. Everything must be done via mouse clicks.
• You cannot use the categories, A-Z listings, etc

Here's a sample game, searching for "witchcraft."

Wikipedia > English Wikipedia > United States > Massachusetts > Salem > Salem Witch Trials > Witchcraft" (forum link)

Chilenian Communists & Cybernetitians invented another Internet in 1970

"Project Cybersyn was a Chilean attempt at real-time computer-controlled planned economy in the years 1970–1973 (during the government of president Salvador Allende). It was essentially a network of telex machines that linked factories with a single computer center in Santiago, which controlled them using principles of cybernetics. The principal architect of the system was British operations research scientist Stafford Beer." (wikipedia)

Check out the whole Wikipedia entry, and some chilenian activists prepared a pretty good website and an installation at the ZKM a great museum in Karlsruhe.

Open Source Mobile Phone Initiatives

I wrote a post about a couple of interesting initiatives working on open source mobile phone products & services. Read it @ the entrepreneurship.de blog (yes i will start to syndicate these posts soon ;-)

Larry Lessig for Congress

I just learned that Lawrence Lessig is considering to run for a seat in US congress and i call upon everybody to support his candidacy and help build the grassroots movement he proposes is necessary to CHANGE the way Washington works.

On the website http://lessig08.org/ there is a really good presentation about his stance & plans.

Entrepreneurship @ Stanford

I just published a post @ entrepreneurship.de listing all the interesting entrepreneurship activities i found here at stanford.

You find it @ labor.entrepreneurship.de/blog/entrepreneurship-stanford/

Igloo's are more difficult

so as promised, i went up to Tahoe this weekend to build and sleep in an igloo. Having done my homework and after the success with the snow cave i felt rather confident my buddy Sean and I would be able to build a luxurious igloo in his front yard.
Well - igloo's and esp. the statics of the dome proved to be much more difficult to build. After 4,5 hours of sweat and cold we had to acknowledge our defeat - - - for this time!

@ Ipernity I put up some pix; and to prove that we didn't turn too melancholic there is also some from the mountain we climbed the next day. Apparently the locals have made it a tradition to hang up their underwear to the summit flag pole - so did I ;-)

Future of the internet & social phsychology podcasts

Just came across two very good podcasts:

Ramesh Johari, assistant professor at Stanfords Engineering Department gives a highly recommened course entitled "The Future of the Internet". Considering the content of the course I dont like the title to much - he explains very well how the internet is working today and wants the students to think about questions regarding the future development of the internet. Naming issues apart, he gives a very interesting and insightful account about the internet's fundamental architecture and the inter-play of technology, policy and business in shaping this increasingly critical infrastructure. Especially lecture 3 on the economics of the internet (on the level of carriers and e.g. the niche that akamai was able to create) i felt was really good.

You can download all 6 lectures @ iTunes U and here are the lecture notes

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At Berkeley's webcast series i discovered the Social Psychology class, which proves to be an excellent introduction to the field, allowing the learner to develop a good overview of the core concepts and the main academic protagonists in the very dynamic science.

Again all lectures are available from Berkeley or @ iTunes. The lecture notes and syllabus etc. are available here (this course will run until mid-june)

the future of charging your mobile divices

patrick just pointed me to www.wildcharge.com. they have a really powerful value proposition: charge your mobile devices - mp3-player, phone, laptop, etc. - without fuddling and plugging no wires. They are still in the "start-up" phase and dont have their product ready to be 100% satisfying but it is potentially a technology that we will all want to use - just like wireless internet.

In the year 2014 the New York times has gone offline

i have a really bussy day, but i have to share this. It's really really powerful fiction-future-forcast. (Allow the backdrop to develop in the first few minutes)

"Set in 2014 it charts the history of the Internet, the evolving mediascape and the way news and newspapers were affected by the growth in online news.

It coined the word "Googlezon" from a future merger of Google and Amazon to form the Google grid, and speaks of news wars with the Times becoming a print only paper for the elite culminating in EPIC Evolving Personalised Information Construct

As a flash animation, this film is extraordinary, not just for it's use of technology but for it's fantastic perception looking forward."

Epic 2015 (new updated version)
Click here to launch the new movie
Click here to launch the movie full screen

Finally, my first snow cave

Introduction
My friends and I first talked about sleeping in a snow cave about five years ago when we where ski-touring in Norway, and the idea of building and sleeping in such a traditional shelter has been with me ever since. On several occasions we discussed whether or not to do it and NOW with these 2meters of perfect snow in the Sierra Nevada I was finally mentally prepared to do it :-)

I first consulted some websites. Especially this, and this (good pix) and this one (scroll to bottom) were quite helpful.

Then i went to a close by outdoor shop and bought a cheap 32$ bivvy sack and a 6$ three square meter silver-foil to reflect my body heat (not sure i really needed the latter).

As my partner from last weekend had to work i decided to go by myself. Naturally I was a bit ambiguous about the whole project. Hell would i do when the cave collapsed? As always traffic was worse than expected and I got to the trailhead around 12.00. Luckily the 3 miles to the Peter Grubb hut (at Mount Castle near Lake Tahoe) next to which i planned to dig my cave were not too difficult and i got there by around 3.30 pm.

The Building Process
The websites had recommended to look for a small not to steep hill and build the cave on the lee side where the wind had transported the drifting snow. I had also read to take advantage of a tree if possible. So i chose my spot at the tree you see at the right.

I dug a pretty deep whole in order to have the necessary depth to setup the cold-trap (the entry tunnel needs to be lower than your "bed"). On the picture you see the entry as well as the tunnel photographed from the sleeping position.

















Things got a bit complicated once the horizontal entry tunnel was complete and i had to dig up vertically. I couldn't think of another way than to lay on my back, shove myself into the tunnel and work overhead -- with the result that a got my face etc. all wet from the falling snow. Once the tunnel was big enough for me to crawl into it things got gradually more comfortable. However the fact that i was by myself made the procedure more difficult as i had to gouge the "body" of the cave while constantly squeezing out to remove the snow from the entry hole.

The Night
The idea to build the cave next to the hut proved pretty clever, because all my cloth were completely wet after muddling through the wet snow for so long. I could have them dry in the hut, prepare a soup and some noodles and read a bit. At around 23.00 i prepared my gear: loaded the sleeping bag in the bivvy and filled the sleeping pad halfway with air. Then i went in my cave, spread the silver foil, draged the crash pad inside and filled it up. Last was the sleeping bag. Shit and the cave was full full full. But it was much too late for second thoughts. I got got rid of the outer shells of my ski boots (which was quite acrobatic given the tightness of the place) and climbed into my "bed" - not without reassuring myself that the shovel, which would allow me to dig myself out in case of an emergency, was right behind my head.

I fell to sleep without a problem, but kept waking up every two hours or so, because i couldn't really turn around, plus there were these ice water drops that interrupted my dreams. But overall it was pretty comfy and warm. In fact when i woke up at around 6.45 it was light already - a really awesome ice-blue light - and i decided to take another nap which lasted until almost nine o'clock when i rose out of my cave, completely relaxed and rested.

Reflections
The whole building procedure took me about 2 and 1/2 hours and i have to say there is plenty of room for improvement :-) Even though it did remember to smoothen the caves ceiling (this is supposed to make melted snow run down the side walls), i apparently wasn't thorough enough because i had small but constant amount of drops drip on me all night. Also my cave was really small. It would have been much more comfortable if i could have sat up. A bigger would have prevented me slowly sliding towards the tunnel also. Well next time. I am optimistic that from now on snow caves (and igloos) will - slowly but surely - become my specialty :-)