Doug, I'm inclined to advocate for withdrawing from digital culture. Digital culture will always be hampered by the inability to determine who can be trusted. This has always been an imperfect human skill, but has been key to human survival. Many of of us who are here now must have gained some evolutionary advantage. The ability to determine who to trust is being compromised by digital life. Digital existence lacks the smells, the context, the micro movements and other factors that stimulate our suspicions and teach us how to hone and then trust our intuition. In addition, rather than just trying to figure out if I can trust my own family, my coworkers, my neighbors, we are thrust into a "community" of many thousands if not millions working to gain our trust with good and ill intent. Many people living in the digital world prefer the perfect flowers of their video games to the imperfections (and hard work) that go along with the rewards of the true garden. The path to Gardenworld requires unplugging.
Doug, I love how you always seek the middle path. I guess I would say that individuals will have to make this decision for themselves. (Some caveats coming.) If we had time to really educate people on the risks and benefits, this would always be my preference. But, we do not have time and skeptics and educators are out-resourced by the mega corporations and other interests who want us fully plugged in. And, what if this digital landscape is leading us to our doom? What should we be willing or unwilling to do? If we could go back in time and get people to heed the warnings about plastic, or even prevent the invention of plastic, would you be willing to do that? (I realize that this is similar to asking the old question, what if you could go back in time and kill Hitler?) I have 3 sons who grew up in this digital world and I have been warning them for years that it is the "new opiate of the people" - to riff off Marx. Self-regulation in a world that is using science to influence and control human behavior is increasingly challenging. This is not a world where "Just Say No" is feasible - if it ever was. I'm still engaging with the digital world despite my misgivings, but would rather have a garden to work, roam and read in - and flesh and blood people to talk to, dance and sing with.
Julie its likely that we are cooked either way, so work for Gardenwo but don't expect long term solutions - yet pay attention to the larger scene because you never know.. Rome was built - and then destroyed. Good times were had - for a while. That is what it is reasonable to hope for.
Doug, I'm inclined to advocate for withdrawing from digital culture. Digital culture will always be hampered by the inability to determine who can be trusted. This has always been an imperfect human skill, but has been key to human survival. Many of of us who are here now must have gained some evolutionary advantage. The ability to determine who to trust is being compromised by digital life. Digital existence lacks the smells, the context, the micro movements and other factors that stimulate our suspicions and teach us how to hone and then trust our intuition. In addition, rather than just trying to figure out if I can trust my own family, my coworkers, my neighbors, we are thrust into a "community" of many thousands if not millions working to gain our trust with good and ill intent. Many people living in the digital world prefer the perfect flowers of their video games to the imperfections (and hard work) that go along with the rewards of the true garden. The path to Gardenworld requires unplugging.
Julie, how about a middle path. unplug from lots and keep the networrk for learning and coordination? A mixed world might be the best we can do.
Doug, I woke up this morning to the Rumi poem “A Great Wagon.” From the middle verse, this line seemed relevant:
Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing,
there is a field. I’ll meet you there.
When the soul lies down in that grass,
the world is too full to talk about.
Doug, I love how you always seek the middle path. I guess I would say that individuals will have to make this decision for themselves. (Some caveats coming.) If we had time to really educate people on the risks and benefits, this would always be my preference. But, we do not have time and skeptics and educators are out-resourced by the mega corporations and other interests who want us fully plugged in. And, what if this digital landscape is leading us to our doom? What should we be willing or unwilling to do? If we could go back in time and get people to heed the warnings about plastic, or even prevent the invention of plastic, would you be willing to do that? (I realize that this is similar to asking the old question, what if you could go back in time and kill Hitler?) I have 3 sons who grew up in this digital world and I have been warning them for years that it is the "new opiate of the people" - to riff off Marx. Self-regulation in a world that is using science to influence and control human behavior is increasingly challenging. This is not a world where "Just Say No" is feasible - if it ever was. I'm still engaging with the digital world despite my misgivings, but would rather have a garden to work, roam and read in - and flesh and blood people to talk to, dance and sing with.
Julie its likely that we are cooked either way, so work for Gardenwo but don't expect long term solutions - yet pay attention to the larger scene because you never know.. Rome was built - and then destroyed. Good times were had - for a while. That is what it is reasonable to hope for.
carpe diem