I have spent a lot of time with the exact formulation of that title. What is a lot? What is a little? Somehow this line of thinking reminds me of the Pensees / Blaise Pascal, and the title itself seems situated nearby to Descartes’ Meditations yet perhaps even closer to Edmund Burke’s flowery view from… Continue reading Some Reflections on the Relationships Between Influence and Rationality
Tag: rational media
Case Study in the Contrast Between Rational vs. Irrational Media: “I Don’t Believe in Beatles”
This week was no exception: Every week is another week in which I try to fathom why there is such widespread trust in irrational media; and every week I find it ever more difficult to fathom. And yet this week also provides a few exceptional cases (which are actually probably quite predictable, as the propaganda… Continue reading Case Study in the Contrast Between Rational vs. Irrational Media: “I Don’t Believe in Beatles”
Would You Rather Choose a Book or Pick a Card?
One may be somewhat difficult (intellectually), the other uses little or no brain power whatsoever. Yet for those who might be prone to economize on cognitive load, a few words of warning: do not be so foolish as to leave your nutrition decisions entirely up to chance. There is a big difference between biting into… Continue reading Would You Rather Choose a Book or Pick a Card?
Learning to Understand Irrational Information Retrieval
wikipedia.org (an irrational media site [1] ) states: Linus Van Pelt is a fictional character in Charles M. Schulz’s comic strip Peanuts. He is the best friend of Charlie Brown, the younger brother of Lucy Van Pelt, and the older brother of Rerun Van Pelt. His first appearance was on September 19, 1952, but he… Continue reading Learning to Understand Irrational Information Retrieval
What’s the Difference (Between Mainstream Media and Echo Chambers)?
Joe Rogan and Debra Soh were recently engaged in a lengthy discussion (about several topics, but also in particular) about differences between mainstream media and non-mainstream media — it was a recurring topic throughout the episode, and I recommend to consume the full podcast before reading my own take on it (see also “Are People… Continue reading What’s the Difference (Between Mainstream Media and Echo Chambers)?
Consumer Culture Technology, Cancel Culture Technology & Other Cultural Technologies (?)
It is now approaching two decades since the company now known as Alphabet started its attack against rational media [1], and at the same time started promoting its own brand names (such as Google). Other companies in the irrational media space have likewise fed mainstream consumers with similar myths regarding their own algorithms. All of… Continue reading Consumer Culture Technology, Cancel Culture Technology & Other Cultural Technologies (?)
Free Speech & Market Speech
I have been mulling over one of my long-held beliefs a lot lately … and the big puzzle for me is: why do so few people get it? I think the answer is a combination of several things — and that is a big part of why it seems to be complex, not simple, not… Continue reading Free Speech & Market Speech
A jumping off point for the truth
I listen to quite a few podcasts, and I have already mentioned some of them here before. Now I am going to mention an episode of “Factory Settings” (another episode of which I also mentioned a few months ago — see “There (but for the Grace of God) Go I“). In this new (or at least… Continue reading A jumping off point for the truth
Mainstream vs. Anonymous
Breaking News: There are problems with mainstream media! 😯 I DO listen to the “No Agenda” podcast regularly — and have listened to it for a long time (too long to share without feeling somewhat ashamed). Yet, it does feel good to consume John’s & Adam’s version of “media deconstruction” — and they can also… Continue reading Mainstream vs. Anonymous
Information Retrieval & Algorithmic Search vs Visual Design & Brute Force
Yesterday I posted some feedback about recent changes in WordPress Reader (see “WordPress.COM Reader Design Feedback (about Featured Image & information usability)” [ search.tech.blog/2022/10/15/wordpress-com-reader-design-feedback-about-featured-image-information-usability ] ). My own feedback comes from my own reading habits, which are very text-based and also oriented towards natural language search (including algorithmic information retrieval) technology. I realize that most people… Continue reading Information Retrieval & Algorithmic Search vs Visual Design & Brute Force
Socio Business blog 