Dave Pollard's environmental philosophy, creative works, business papers and essays.
In search of a better way to live and make a living, and a better understanding of how the world really works.

	December 17, 2006

Sunday Open Thread -- December 17, 2006 What I'm Planning on Writing About Soon: Reintermediation: Why hollowed-out organizations are impoverished and fragile, and how to fill them out again, in a brave new way. Experience-Based Decision Making: It seems an obvious choice, until you understand why the alternatives hold sway. Making Blog Comments and Forums and Wikis Work: Do we need groundrules to enable real conversations, and would anyone follow the groundrules if we did? The Long Tail: Why the tail will never wag the dog (while it's attached to the dog). How to Just Begin to Let-Self-Change: And when. They say the first step is the hardest... What I'm Thinking About: Workarounds: The corollary to my Rule #1 of Human Nature (we do what we must, then we do what's easy, then we do what's fun) is that workarounds (which often allow us to do what we must, as easily and enjoyably as possible) probably dominate both organizational and social behaviour. If we want to understand how to bring about change in organizations or society, we need to understand why workarounds work (and when they work, and when they don't). Could we work around hirerachy? Could we work around The Edge? Could workarounds save the world? I'm also thinking about the role of art, and artists, in social change. And, as we head into the final week of frenzied pre-Christmas consumerism, I'm trying to remind myself that regardless of one's religious views, the act of giving presents could be a subversive way to give birth to a true Generosity Economy. What's on your mind these days? 10:49:39 PM  trackback []  comment []

Links for the Week -- December 16, 2006: The Generosity and Contemplation Edition Make Trade Fair (*Sigh* Links for the week are late again...) Creating Community: A brilliant and far-reaching essay by Inspector Lohmann explores why civilization culture deliberately destroys community to sustain its hierarchical control, and how we might re-establish community in spite of this. Thanks to Jon Husband for the link. The Gift Economy, Part 1: San Francisco's Really Really Free Market allows people once a month to give what they have that has value, and to take what they find that has value to them. No price tags, no keeping score. Just trusting your fellow human beings to be generous and fair. And it works. The Gift Economy, Part 2: Canada's Point Seven Campaign encourages everyone to donate 0.7% of their annual gross income to those in greatest need, as a nudge to governments to do likewise. Thanks to my work colleague Paul Sawtell for the link. Why We Let People Lie to Us: A series of articles by Paul Ekman discusses why we are predisposed to trust people and how liars exploit that predisposition. Thanks to Dale Asberry for the link. Crohn's Disease Forum: For those suffering from Crohn's and ulcerative colitis. Thanks to Michael Yarmolinsky for the link. What Is The Semantic Web?: Nova Spivak explains the concept, and why software that is more intelligent matters. Thanks to Jon Husband for this link too. Ebola Threatens Gorillas With Extinction: One of our two genetically closest relatives could be wiped out by a disease we barely understand. A Strategy to Exit Military Presence from the Entire Mideast: Three professors make a compelling case for not only exiting Iraq and Afghanistan militarily immediately, but moving back from the Mideast entirely to nearby Asian and Indian Ocean sites. Just for Fun Department: Soy Causes Homosexuality!: A hilarious review of the wingnut tabloid WorldNetDaily by the always witty Sheri Zollinger. 10:03:48 PM  trackback []  comment []

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