Thearetical :: Blog » current events

Convening But Not Controlling

Thea — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 19:28:49 +0000

I had never heard of Clay Shirky before I saw this talk on TED, but I am definitely going to pay attention now. He talks at first about the difference between one-to-many or one-to-one communication that we’ve had in the past (print, telephones, recorded media) vs. the many-to-many model we have now (with Twitter, the web, etc.). He goes on to analyze how organizations or countries that try to censor and control such citizen-powered communication end up failing miserably (i.e. China), whereas organizations that “convene but do not control” their citizens succeed spectacularly (i.e. the Barack Obama 2008 campaign). I am going to watch this over again a few times within the next few months and try to really absorb the concept. Perhaps it’s worth a look to you as well.

An (Internet) Star is Born

Thea — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 21:21:56 +0000

If you haven’t already seen this, it’s worth a watch. Susan Boyle’s name is being spread across Twitter and email as the perfect example of why you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. She appeared on “Britain’s Got Talent” as a self-described 47-year-old unemployed woman who has never been kissed with a cat named Pebbles. When she says she wants to be a professional singer, the audience members and judges laugh, roll their eyes, etc. No one believes in her. And then…well, just watch the video:

Now there are multiple fan sites for Susan Boyle, as she inspires people across the world to believe in themselves and do their best, regardless of whether or not the rest of the world believes in them. My hope is that someone will see Susan’s potential, not only as a singer but also as a media phenomenon, and cast her in a fitting role in some London musical.

Kudos Susan, you have more courage than I think I could muster for such an opportunity. Welcome to Internet stardom…it may be short-lived, but it’s fun while it lasts, and it can open up more doors than you can imagine. :)

Shift Happens 3.0

Thea — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 16:51:09 +0000

I think this video is a really interesting glimpse into the truth of the changing world we live in. It may look familiar to you – Karl Fisch, an educator at Arapahoe High School in Centennial, Colorado, created his original “Shift Happens” presentation as a glimpse into the changing world of communication and learning. It quickly became an Internet phenomenon, with various versions viewed on YouTube more than five million times. The version above has been remixed by Sony BMG Music Entertainment, and updated for 2008. I do think it’s funny that the last statistic they focus on is illegally downloaded music…but it’s Sony BMG, I can’t really blame them. :)

It makes me wonder – what does it all mean for us? In another 11 years, when I’m 38, will I hold half a dozen more jobs? (I hope not.) Will I be solving problems that aren’t problems yet, using technology that hasn’t been invented yet? (I sort of hope so.) But most of all, what will the new technology look like that connects us all and shrinks this world even more? And how can I be a part of its invention/adaptation?

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