Thursday, April 29, 2004

Year of the Tablet I checked my Chinese calendar looking for the year of the tablet. It has not arrived for me yet. I really want my tablet pc. But if the magic pen works with a paper tablet I might get that sooner. Sounds cool. Technology Review: Microsoft's Magic Pen. This "universal pen," as Wang calls it, could transform the way people interact with computers. Unlike gizmos that write on computer displays or special pads of paper, Wang's invention uses regular ink, works with regular paper, and lets users combine handwritten text and diagrams with digital content from reports, magazines, and Web pages. [Tomalak's Realm] 3:15:06 PM    comment []

Social Influence Networks and Norm Formation. That goes along with my belief that web and weblogs are really social influence networks and the real trick is to understand the process of norm formation in social influence networks. There is some cool work done on a 1930 telephone wiring room where the analysis of two separate social rings much like blog rings today still facilitated the convergence of a norm of what was the range of acceptable work effort per day. Too much and you were a show off, too little and you made risk making the group look bad and suffer sanctions. The web is about changing people's attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors. Ross Mayfield points to Captology Notebook, a weblog of Stanford Persuasive Technology Lab. Between others things there: books about persuasion and a quote by BJ Fogg: The web is not about sharing information with people -- that's an illusion. In reality, the web is about changing people's attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors. See also: Captology, persuasive technologies and web credibility A bit of later: associated with thinking about persuasion - How I was played by Online Caroline, Jill's essay featured at her homepage. Emanuel Vigeland is the little-known younger brother of the famous Norwegian sculptor Gustav Vigeland. While Gustav filled a huge park with sculptures, creating a monumental Oslo tourist attraction that still bears his name, Emanuel spent decades designing and building his own mausoleum. He designed the space to direct visitors' movements in several ways. The door is so low that I have to bow my head to enter. Inside the light is dim, and it takes several minutes for my eyes to adjust. The acoustics are peculiar, making my slightest sound reverberate in echos. I walk quietly to avoid making a din. The architecture makes it physically impossible to enter or view his work without showing it respect (Wadell 41-42). [Mathemagenic] 11:49:30 AM    comment []