Friday, July 30, 2010
Words to Think About: Interactive Collective Intelligence and Viral Memetics*
Part 1: The Problem - Collective Intelligence
Have you ever had someone send you an email or some note from Facebook that asks you to fill in some information just to allow you to talk about your favorite subject: yourself? What happens with all of that information? It may be true that some dark sinister forces are gathering all of that freely volunteered information to perform evil deeds at some date in the future, but how does all of that human data really affect you? Me? It is entertaining in the short term, we get glimpses and revelations about one another on a person-to-person scale, but where does that information go? What does it do? Answer: It doesn’t really do much - not apparently. Or does it?
We associate with each other often in Social Networking, creating an electronic community in which often real emotions and interesting ideas come and go. We share elements of our lives in electronic societies, which in turn become large elements of our lives. The Web itself has become a meta-culture, the Internet a Mega-Society. I have a friend who called me a meat-space bigot once, because I enjoyed meeting people in person – which means that electronic society has at the very least become psychologically so tangible that those who prefer physical and face to face contact are distinguishable as something else, and for some, something less. I find this trend, at the very least, absolutely fascinating.
Do we together create a greater intelligence than our own does singly?
Part 2: Viral Memes
When I was a Freshman in High School, there was a Senior who was a natural-born frickin’ genius. He would make up a term, use it in an odd way, but use it persistently, until it caught on in the sub-sub-culture in which we were a part. I thought about that quite a bit over the years, until I stumbled over Dennett’s work on Memes and how they created a sort of knowledge or consciousness that is carried by virtue of copying behavior, and in the case of speech, repetition of a phrase, spoken in a new or interesting way to convey a specific, or sometimes non-specific, meaning or emotion. The term that comes to mind is, “As if!” which in the context in which I first heard it, implied “As if that were even close to being the case!” or simply “I don’t think so!” Later the suffix “-ish” became a word to itself, meaning “sort of” or “in the vicinity of being the case.” The meaning of these terms was almost immediately apparent from the original usage to the new, but there was enough of a variation to be interesting, and thus to engender the enjoyment from the new use.
For more information on Memes, check out the Wikipedia “Meme” article. It gives a basic overview, as well as excellent sources. The article by Susan Blackmore “Evolution and Memes: The human brain as a selective imitation device” [Blackmore] indicates that we became essentially human because we could not only understand communication, but replicate it. I know what you’re thinking: “As if!” Me too, but maybe not for the same reason. You may also find Consciousness Explained by Daniel Dennett interesting, even if you don’t end up agreeing with him. He is an entertaining writer (as well as speaker!). One of my Professors re-named it “Consciousness Explained … Away!” The chapter on memes, however, is worth the price of the fare.
So, what is a Viral Meme? Is it similar to Memetic Poisoning?
First, I would like to differentiate two different types of Memetic Poisoning, and then assert that both terms are problematic:
Case 1. Poisoning BY Memes.
Case 2. Poisoning OF Memes.
In the first case, Poisoning BY Memes, there is an inherent value judgment. Unless it is possible to prove that a thought, spread by replicated word, by itself can directly cause illness and death, with no recourse, then Memetic Poisoning is a term used by one group to indicate memes that strengthening an opposing group. “Poisoning the well” is an example – using carefully inserted adjectives and adverbs, or other descriptive, to describe someone else, or someone else’s stance, or viewpoint.
Chong’s article, “Thinking Errors in a Freethinker” shows multiple cases in which this poisoning of the well occurs. This is all the more ironic because the article he critiques, Stahl’s “Mind Viruses and Memes,” is an attack on Christianity, specifically Christian beliefs and proselytizing. I recommend reading both articles. My final take on both of them is that while they both have some good articles, they both fail in the use of bad philosophy. Stahl fails for exactly the reasons that Chong says he does – he employs some fallacious verbiage in his essay – i.e., poisoning the well. Chong fails because he does NOT address Stahl’s main argument – Faith, by definition, precludes purely Critical Analysis. While I will not take up sides in THAT debate here, let it be noted that those are two types of experiencing the world, universe, and deriving meaning, that are (mostly) incompatible. To watch a debate is sort of like watching blind people have a staring contest – it just makes no dang sense!
In fact, I would challenge anyone to find a hard, solid case where pure memetic poisoning existed. The funny part here is this… if such a thing DID exist, it would be, in all likelihood morbidly self-editing. Until proven otherwise, I hold that memetic poisoning is a poor term, a politically-charged term used by one person or group to critique the communication and philosophy or cosmology of another person or group. If it is the case that there is some Lovecraftian concept out there that, just by knowing it or passing along the information, causes harm or destruction, it would be interesting, but I have not yet seen such a thing, nor do I understand how it could exist. I can and DO admit that memetic competition, or more extremely, memetic war, might exist… two individuals or groups using competing memes or meme-sets to establish a societal paradigm.
The second case, Poisoning OF Memes, is the idea that a meme can be poisoned by another meme, or have its meaning altered such that there is a poisonous effect of some kind. I allow that changes can be made to a meme, whether symbol, symbol-set, word-phrase, thought/idea, or belief system when injected with another meme or ideology. For example, the Swastika is actually a symbol meaning life, the turning of the seasons, etc., but was changed (it was turned to rotate the opposite direction, and put on a corner) forever by the National Socialist Party of Germany in the 1930’s, and has come to be synonymous with mass-murder done at the hands of Adolph Hitler. I submit the meme’s meaning has changed, it was not per se poisoned.
A better term here would be meme mutation. A successful mutation is one in which the meme endures, whereas an unsuccessful mutation is one in which the meme dies – we lose interest for some reason or another, and it fails to spread. If one posits that the mutation creates a meme that is poisonous, we default to the first meaning – it is a value judgment. That value may be invested with any number of historical and personal facts or emotions, but it is still a judgment.
Viral Memetics is a term that refers to the tendency for a strong meme to spread. Memes can be strengthened by intentional consistent use of one or more persons, a media source, or sometimes just by seeming to “catch on,” organically, or naturally. In Memetic Competition, a successful meme will emerge as the primary information-carrying-unit, imitated by a greater number of people, and widely accepted. In Memetic Mutation, a successful meme will keep its main, or central meaning, even if it is altered somewhat in form.
3. E-Communities, Viral Memetics,
and Collective Intelligence
Facebook, MySpace, or Twitter, are amazing test-beds of social experimentation. While the finery of subtle body language and tone of voice is often lost in text alone, we can use YouTube to augment some of the audio-visual cue requirements. This “Web 2.0” total interactive World Wide Web environment has begun to create complete sub-societies, without much regard to distance. Interests, previous friends and acquaintances, THEIR friends, and the like, become part of an ever-growing web of organic e-communities.
Through the process of viral memetics, ideas pour rapidly. Oddly enough, visual cues, such as logos and logotype, become more important here – branding and business identity, when successful, become part of the memetic framework. There are those who have become adept at strengthening the viral ability of those memes, such as using a viral marketing campaign or election campaign. For example, Obama’s ubiquitous “O” was virally marketed to every conceivable social networking community – a visit to his website will quickly show how different communities his brilliant marketing strategists covered with that visual viral meme.
I posit that even in a casual community – my Facebook Friend community for example, there is a relaxed but present flow of memes. Some may create them, others may carry them forward, but the entire process is apparent, it’s fast, and it’s fascinating.
The final question is this: do we become stronger, smarter, better humans in such an environment? The answer is, of course, a resounding Yes! Ideas, life experiences, verified quite often by a phone call, or if necessity requires, a personal visit, give a richness to our lives unavailable in a regular neighborhood, town square, shopping mall or classroom. We become connected, we share images and ideas and word-thoughts almost instantaneously, forming another intelligence, or perhaps consciousness, via the viral memetic network.
November, 2009
Frisco, Texas
-----
* This essay is a first foray of my own into the strange world of Memes, and should probably be read prior to my essay on Vemes. Note: Although "viral" and "villainous" both start with "v," "veme" is not a composite of "viral+meme," but, rather, of "villainous+meme."
Mental Beauty: The Art of Balance
Part 1
First Case: Have you ever been extremely happy? Either for some external cause, or sometimes because you’re alive, and life is good, right then? You might get a little frenetic, a little more talkative. And you didn’t have any more coffee than you normally do. Or the energy might be high yet negative, yet still intense, such as from anger or stress. It’s still a high-energy situation, but has negative overtones.
Second Case: Ever get down? I mean more than a little sad – I’m talking full-on doldrums, sailing through mud, look up to see the soles of other people’s feet kind of down. If you’re human, and you have a pulse – it’s OK to check – I’ll wait – then you have. It affects everything in your life. Your emotions. Your appetite. Your physical health. Your relationships. The whole kit-and-caboodle.
Your energy level has hit an all-time low. There may be times when you are feeling emotionally OK, but your energy level is still low.
From the point of view of the First Case, you always seem to tank eventually, and sometimes go so low as to hit that Second Case. From the point of view of the Second Case – depression or deep sadness – it takes some doing to get out of a place like that.
Eastern Philosophy would tell us that the First Case has too much Yang – Positive or Male Energy, and the Second Case has too much Yin – Female or Negative Energy. I am sure there are those who don’t much care for some of the notions of Eastern Thought, but there are those that don’t care much for Gravity either, but Gravity somehow still seems to still make things fall.
We have outlined two types of Positive, and two types of Negative. There are positive and negative energy levels, and positive and negative emotional states. The question is, what are the ideals, and how do we get there?
We are not talking here about extreme medical conditions or psychiatric issues. This addresses the re-balancing of the human mind from extreme conditions and states that are still within the margins of good mental health.
Part 2
To live in a good mental state of balance between these extremes, you should have a healthy diet, get some exercise, get some sunlight, meditate, and do things that make you happy. And – here’s the hard part – do each of these every day. I know, if you live in Seattle, that sunlight part will be a challenge, but you should do the rest at least. Split them up into two-to-three day segments if you need to.
Healthy diet, or good nutrition, is the elephant in the living room for the medical community. Make sure you balance your diet with easily assimilated vitamins, minerals, anti-oxidants, fiber, the right kinds of fats, and other key nutritional elements. Tablets are some of the hardest for the body to assimilate in the form presented. Liquid is typically best, and the more natural the form, the better. Example: fruit juice, vegetable juice (from freshly blended vegetables), etc.
Get some exercise, every day. This can be a walk around the block. It doesn’t HAVE to be extreme. If you have small children, chances are you are getting enough exercise every day, whether you like it or not. Becoming physically stronger and more fit is a step beyond the bare minimum, but we are talking basics right now. You can up your energy level by doing more. The human body will compensate for what you make it do, so to have more energy, do more. At the very least, take a walk.
Let the sunlight in. It may help you grin. Light helps the human mind be happy. Lack of it has… the opposite effect. Even so-called nocturnal type folks need some sort of light to keep functioning, but sunlight, as the basis of life on this planet, seems to be necessary for people, in its “raw” form.
Meditation is a subject that has been largely neglected in Western culture. Think of it as quiet prayer, listening to that “still, small Voice” beyond the chatter of your own mind. God is talking; are you listening? There are literally hundreds of sources on meditation techniques – find some. Or, just take some time for quiet to be in your life, quiet your surroundings, relax your muscles, even your breathing, and finally think about as little as possible. Or think on the concept of Nothing. On the other hand, use the same relaxation and quiet atmosphere to concentrate on something for which you need a solution. Relaxation is key here – answers come when you are calm enough to receive them. This may be from your subconscious mind being able to put puzzle pieces together when there are fewer distractions, it may be answers from God or The Universe – what’s important is that you take the time to meditate. It may be the greatest and most surprising gift you have ever given yourself.
Do something that makes you happy, so long as it is moral, ethical, and healthy. Play a game, watch a movie, read a book, have a good conversation with a friend or loved one, catch up on Facebook, play some basketball or football with a local group, bake or cook something challenging, join a community group – I don’t know what your thing is, but there’s a good chance you do! So… do something. Something fun! Maybe learn something new!
These activities and measures will give you proper levels of positive energy and positive emotions, while maintaining that balance in your life to keep from extreme frenetic highs or deep dark lows. Most of us WANT to be happy, functioning, creative, productive people – following these few steps may go a long way to helping us be the balanced people we want to be.
H. Todd J. Moore
October 2009
First Case: Have you ever been extremely happy? Either for some external cause, or sometimes because you’re alive, and life is good, right then? You might get a little frenetic, a little more talkative. And you didn’t have any more coffee than you normally do. Or the energy might be high yet negative, yet still intense, such as from anger or stress. It’s still a high-energy situation, but has negative overtones.
Second Case: Ever get down? I mean more than a little sad – I’m talking full-on doldrums, sailing through mud, look up to see the soles of other people’s feet kind of down. If you’re human, and you have a pulse – it’s OK to check – I’ll wait – then you have. It affects everything in your life. Your emotions. Your appetite. Your physical health. Your relationships. The whole kit-and-caboodle.
Your energy level has hit an all-time low. There may be times when you are feeling emotionally OK, but your energy level is still low.
From the point of view of the First Case, you always seem to tank eventually, and sometimes go so low as to hit that Second Case. From the point of view of the Second Case – depression or deep sadness – it takes some doing to get out of a place like that.
Eastern Philosophy would tell us that the First Case has too much Yang – Positive or Male Energy, and the Second Case has too much Yin – Female or Negative Energy. I am sure there are those who don’t much care for some of the notions of Eastern Thought, but there are those that don’t care much for Gravity either, but Gravity somehow still seems to still make things fall.
We have outlined two types of Positive, and two types of Negative. There are positive and negative energy levels, and positive and negative emotional states. The question is, what are the ideals, and how do we get there?
We are not talking here about extreme medical conditions or psychiatric issues. This addresses the re-balancing of the human mind from extreme conditions and states that are still within the margins of good mental health.
Part 2
To live in a good mental state of balance between these extremes, you should have a healthy diet, get some exercise, get some sunlight, meditate, and do things that make you happy. And – here’s the hard part – do each of these every day. I know, if you live in Seattle, that sunlight part will be a challenge, but you should do the rest at least. Split them up into two-to-three day segments if you need to.
Healthy diet, or good nutrition, is the elephant in the living room for the medical community. Make sure you balance your diet with easily assimilated vitamins, minerals, anti-oxidants, fiber, the right kinds of fats, and other key nutritional elements. Tablets are some of the hardest for the body to assimilate in the form presented. Liquid is typically best, and the more natural the form, the better. Example: fruit juice, vegetable juice (from freshly blended vegetables), etc.
Get some exercise, every day. This can be a walk around the block. It doesn’t HAVE to be extreme. If you have small children, chances are you are getting enough exercise every day, whether you like it or not. Becoming physically stronger and more fit is a step beyond the bare minimum, but we are talking basics right now. You can up your energy level by doing more. The human body will compensate for what you make it do, so to have more energy, do more. At the very least, take a walk.
Let the sunlight in. It may help you grin. Light helps the human mind be happy. Lack of it has… the opposite effect. Even so-called nocturnal type folks need some sort of light to keep functioning, but sunlight, as the basis of life on this planet, seems to be necessary for people, in its “raw” form.
Meditation is a subject that has been largely neglected in Western culture. Think of it as quiet prayer, listening to that “still, small Voice” beyond the chatter of your own mind. God is talking; are you listening? There are literally hundreds of sources on meditation techniques – find some. Or, just take some time for quiet to be in your life, quiet your surroundings, relax your muscles, even your breathing, and finally think about as little as possible. Or think on the concept of Nothing. On the other hand, use the same relaxation and quiet atmosphere to concentrate on something for which you need a solution. Relaxation is key here – answers come when you are calm enough to receive them. This may be from your subconscious mind being able to put puzzle pieces together when there are fewer distractions, it may be answers from God or The Universe – what’s important is that you take the time to meditate. It may be the greatest and most surprising gift you have ever given yourself.
Do something that makes you happy, so long as it is moral, ethical, and healthy. Play a game, watch a movie, read a book, have a good conversation with a friend or loved one, catch up on Facebook, play some basketball or football with a local group, bake or cook something challenging, join a community group – I don’t know what your thing is, but there’s a good chance you do! So… do something. Something fun! Maybe learn something new!
These activities and measures will give you proper levels of positive energy and positive emotions, while maintaining that balance in your life to keep from extreme frenetic highs or deep dark lows. Most of us WANT to be happy, functioning, creative, productive people – following these few steps may go a long way to helping us be the balanced people we want to be.
H. Todd J. Moore
October 2009
Thursday, July 15, 2010
VEMES: Words that shut down the mind
I heard on a local radio station this morning a horrible fall into the informal fallacy of hasty generalization. Apparently, there was a woman at a Tea Party rally portraying some racist message. So, hmmmm. Woman is racist. Woman is at Tea Party Rally. Ergo, went the implied argument, all those at Tea Party Rallies are Racist? Of course, the radio commentators didn't actually say that as a statement. It was in the for of the accusatory question, "So, Tea Baggers AREN'T Racist, huh? She can wear a monkey suit and say Obama go back to Kenya, but Tea Baggers aren't Racist?"
Here is the fallacy laid out:
Here is the fallacy laid out:
X is a Y.
X is a Z.
Therefore, All Y's are Z's.
It made me angry to hear such argumentation, knowing that it would be accepted as gospel just given the emotive well poison (also an informal fallacy).
In Philosophy, we used to use this term "being charitable." This meant, you didn't take an argument or point of view and attack its weakest element. You attack the argument at its strongest. If the opponent proposes an argument, and needs the gaps filled in a little bit logically, or with examples, you even help supply them. THEN you attack that point of view with everything you have. While this is NOT the way to win a tactical position on a battlefield, it IS a good way to show that, even given the BEST that an opponent has, their position is still faulty.
This charitableness is not done in politics either, unfortunately. But perhaps it could be.
Take the position of the morning radio folks who get upset at racist elements in political groups. OK, a fair assessment. But take the same medicine yourself. If one opposes me, and proposes a solution for my group, take the same one for your own. For example, the NAACP enjoys attacking any opponent with the "R" word. Yet, that same accusation can easily be leveled at some of their own members...
Examples:
Jeremia Wright:
"Black Africans do not control the economic systems, the military or have control over the resources (the diamonds, the oil and the natural resources that were stolen by the whites who took over South Africa), and until that changes, white supremacy will still be in charge!"
Al Sharpton:
"White folks was in caves while we was building empires. We taught philosophy and astrology and mathematics before Socrates and them Greek homos ever got around to it."
- Kean College speech, 1994
http://www.capitalismmagazine.com/index.php?news=2411
http://www.capitalismmagazine.com/index.php?news=2411
There are enough citations here to make the point.
New Black Panthers:
I do not include a single quote here - just the links to Wikipedia and the NBPP's own "Mission" page. That should pretty much cover it.
Louis Farrakhan:
Again, no need for a single quote here - just the links to Wikipedia and and a couple others.
Jesse Jackson:
There are a few choice words in here, from Jackson - read for yourself.
If you need to hate, that's your deal. Just know that when you accuse someone else of a racism using argumentative methods that can be leveled back at you equally, your arguments lose all credibility.
The NAACP has done a good job historically of helping, REALLY helping, the cause of egalitarianism in this country with regards to black people. But there are plenty of people who are part of the group, or to whom the group has given public nods, that are easily racist as well. To say that the NAACP is a racist organization, however, is a fallacy, one which I will not knowingly commit.
But all of this brings up a sociologial issue with memetic conditioning.
Historically, there seem to have been one or more words that can shut down conversation, shut down thinking, allow someone to be instantly guilty merely by those words being directed at them, regardless of evidence or logic or truth. I will term these words "Villain Memes," or "Vemes." The practice of "Vemetics" is one that is used to great affect by many people who need an instant accusation. This can buy time in an argument, have someone lose their job, or used at the right time, in the right place, get beaten to death or, historically, stoned to death.
Historically, there seem to have been one or more words that can shut down conversation, shut down thinking, allow someone to be instantly guilty merely by those words being directed at them, regardless of evidence or logic or truth. I will term these words "Villain Memes," or "Vemes." The practice of "Vemetics" is one that is used to great affect by many people who need an instant accusation. This can buy time in an argument, have someone lose their job, or used at the right time, in the right place, get beaten to death or, historically, stoned to death.
In this case, it is the "R" word. It used to be "Heretic." It used to be "Witch." It used to be "Communist." Hell, in the days when our colonies were struggling to be a country, it used to be "Tory!" Now one of those words is "Racist."
Other Vemes:
- Antisemite
- Homophobe
- Misogynist, or the translation, Woman-Hater
- Man-Hater (Misandronist)
- Human-Hater (Misanthrope)
- Patriarch(-al)
- Bigot
- Pedophile
- Pederast
In Conservative circles, merely calling someone a Socialist or Communist or Marxist is enough to discredit them. In my view, it takes a lot more than an accusation to make such a thing stick. And there are more folks who deny the Vemosity (yes I am having fun with this word) of the words Socialist, Communist, and Marxist.
What's awesome to the Veme-Slingers is when you can stack a bunch of them together.
But then, one would think that Vemes themselves, once identified as such, could be analyzed rationally as well. Good luck with that.
- H. Todd J. Moore
Friday, July 9, 2010
Introduction: Love and Kung Fu
I am at a bread restaurant, doing the floating office thing. You probably know the place. Almost rhymes with the last name of the guy who plays the cat on the ogre movies. Yep, that one. One cup of coffee buys air conditioning and free wifi for a work day if I need it.
It's not all flying purple monkeys and rose gelatin, however. Getting rent paid, sometimes at all, is a challenge. Sometimes I can't wait for the zompocalypse, where survival will be harder, but simpler. Kill zombies. Find food. Find shelter. Rinse and repeat.
I started this whole blog thing with Trip the Light Fantastic bit, but really, just getting through a day can be the challenge. Summer of 2010. It's the future, from much of the science fiction I've read, and I gotta say - the future kind of sucks. No Jetsons air cars. No peace or prosperity. Greed and idiocracies are the rule du jour. Rampant suckology.
Following are the items on my mind:
Love: Having someone who loves you is amazing. Again, not all lemming and scotch cocktails, but it is pretty amazing. It helps that she's hot. And sweet. Like those really good sweet chili tortilla chips, only better. Hot tamales. Mmmmmmm- Hot Tamales.
But that's not all about Love - those zany Greeks had several different kinds: agapé, eros, philia, and storgé. The beloved above has most of that built in - to one person. Cool. But there are some other types not truly covered here, perhaps because they are covered in other greek words - pathos for passion, for example.
There is something that happens when I am in front of a classroom, teaching students art, or programming, or some aspect of graphic design - it is a kind of love, but a different kind - similar to natural familial, or storgé, but of a different kind. Taking students, as my father put it once, into the Hall of Knowledge, and sometimes of Skill (a different kind of knowledge), is an honor and a privilege, and whenever I can sense that happening, see lights going on, see skills developing, there is a kind of passion for the art and craft of creation that arises in the air, almost palpable, in the room. Invocative. Evocative.
Also, I really like being in front of people, talking.
Kung Fu: The actual translation of Kung Fu is, roughly, knowing what to do. It means something like being trained - your whole body knows what to do. This is where we get the idea - where it enters the West - martial artists from China knew what to do to defend themselves, and they called it Kung Fu. The common Mandarin term "Wushu" more correctly defines the concept of Martial Arts. While studying Chinese Martial Arts has been something I have greatly enjoyed*, I take the expansive term Kung Fu for developing knowledge and skill in whatever it is you do.
Love and Kung Fu:
Love, in all of it's variant forms, and I DO include Pathos in this, in the precise notion of Passion FOR something, for doing something, and Kung Fu, in its expanding concept of Knowing What To Do, and Kung Fu, when taken together as a maxim, give one the guidance needed, and the understanding of what the obligation required, for the Aristotelian Megalopsychos, the Great Souled Person. When I die, I would like to be remembered for giving the world this phrase: "Love and Kung Fu."
H. Todd J. Moore, Sr.
2010, July 9
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