[FRIAM] Motives - Was Abduction

[Prof David West]

Steven,

Fall of 1968, I abandoned physics and adopted Asian Philosophy (first
semester at Macalester College). Since then, every spare moment, and
many not so spare, was dedicated to learning and practicing. My
vocation, quite by accident, was always programming/software/IT but
everything in that realm is intensely informed by the philosophy.
Like you, I have been totally underwhelmed by Alexander's Pattern
language stuff and especially its adoption in the software community. I
am really enamored with his early writing on "non self conscious
process," "fit" as a design principle; "unfolding," "Timeless Way of
Building," and a lot, but not all, of Nature of Order.
Given your career, "centered on the problem of how to help humans be
more effective/efficient through the leverage/mediation of computers"
really interests me. Englebart's paper on Augmenting Human Intelligence
(circa 1965) was truly inspirational but I admit ignorance about how or
if it had much impact. Nothing I have read in the area of UI / UX has
seemed to have that kind of focus. Perhaps you could share some insights
/ references from your work?
davew


On Fri, Jan 11, 2019, at 1:03 PM, Steven A Smith wrote:
> David -


>> Steven,
>> 
>> Is is a pleasure to do discourse with you.
> The pleasure is mutual.
> 
>> Minor clarification: When I mention "sentient life" I do indeed
>> include all life. In fact, given that I take as a working assumption
>> the Vedic (and then Buddhist) notion that the entire universe, all
>> the way down to quanta is an admixture of purusa (mind) and prakrti
>> (matter) so even a 'string' is sentient. Pragmatically, I focus on
>> multi-cellular lifeforms that I can actually sense / interact with.> This is the sense which I prefer and acknowledge the pragmatic limits
> implied by "that which I can actually sense/interact with."   I would
> like to learn more about your Vedic (cum Buddhist?) groundings in the
> philosophical (often shrouded in political) discussions here.  Or
> maybe it just helps that you have made them explicit (or I have
> finally heard your explication of them).> 
>> 
>> "Willful ignorance" — I would indeed assert that most people are
>> willfully ignorant most of the time, that the vast majority live
>> lives that are "unexamined" ala Plato.  This is the reason that I am
>> very, very, wary of "pure democracy."> It seems to come with our language functions to be both willful and
> ignorant.   Animals which we presume to have no significant language
> ability, have a very different quality of each "will" and "ignorance"
> and I don't think "willful ignorance" really makes sense for them
> except to the extent that we humans project that onto them.  My dogs
> can seem to exhibit willful ignorance,   but I think something less
> complicated is going on.  They can definitely be willful, and they do
> something which is like feigning ignorance (e.g. pretending not to
> hear me until I rattle the milk-bone box, breaking that illusion).> 
>> Christopher Alexander spoke at OOPSLA a decade ago — an architect
>> talking to software professionals. He noted that professional
>> architects influence roughly 10% of the built world, but software
>> folk will influence 100 percent, and not just the physical "built"
>> world, but every aspect of life, redefining work, play. culture ....> I'm a fan of Alexander, mildly for his architectural/urbanist work,
> almost not at all for his influence of SW and "design patterns", but
> hugely for the abstract underpinnings of form and function.> 
>> 
>> "With great power comes great responsibility." Alas the software
>> folks have refused to accept the responsibility that goes hand in
>> hand with the power they have.  And this is a case of dramatic
>> "willful ignorance" on the part of the software community, but also
>> those engaged in city and social planning efforts. Everything they do
>> affects people — individually, collectively, socio-politically, and
>> culturally — and yet they are "willfully ignorant" of people.> Much of my work over the decades has been roughly in the realm of
> "user interface"... not exactly or always directly involving building
> UI's, but rather centered on the problem of how to help humans be more
> effective/efficient through the leverage/mediation of computers.   The
> culture of "willful ignorance" in systems analysts, software
> engineers, coders, etc.   is extreme.   And I believe it inherits from
> the techno-utopian/techno-cratic mindset of  Scientists, Engineers,
> and Technologists in general.   Present (collective) company included.
> Pogo and Scott Adams both seemed to have our number from early on: "We
> have met the enemy and they is us!"> 
>> 
>> The attached paper was presented at PURPLSOC (software, city
>> planning, social change agents) in Austria last fall. It became the
>> featured paper of the conference and proceedings. I think you might
>> find it interesting, and, hopefully, find some seeds for further
>> discussion of how a social construct might evolve from the kind of
>> individualism we both seem to resonate to.> Thanks, I'll take a look.  I knew through Jenny that you had been
> (presenting?) at a conference on patterns last year, but hadn't
> bothered to follow up.   From the Abstract, I think I'll find plenty
> of meat to chew on and try to respond responsibly to it.> 
>> 
>> [The professor at Macalester College that inspired my interest in
>> utopian/designed communities was Hildegarde B. Johnson. Just
>> remembered her full name.]> Just looked her up... fascinating story of maintaining/promoting
> Geography in the Liberal Arts.> -sas


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