Jay Hanson quoted me saying
> >But I have a lot of trouble persuading people to imagine those
> >things, so I came up instead with the simpler task of explaining
and replied
> I have a lot of trouble people getting people to imagine "running out of
> gas".
> Even though everyone has experienced it.
>
> That should tell you something.
Yes, indeed, Jay, it tells me that you too would benefit from the matching
system I propose. It could be used to match you up with people who
can understand your argument -- yes, such people do exist! -- and it
could even be used to match you up with people who haven't heard it before,
(a much harder problem).
You may find it hard to believe, but I have given some thought to the notion
that you might actually be right, and can't completely discount it. I wish I could
be sure that you have given as much thought to the "other side" -- people
like me who believe human ingenuity can get around the problems you
envision.
I'd like to recommend a book to you, Jay, and to everyone else on this mailing
list. Here is a bit of text I posted on the Frontiers Social Technology round
table -- at http://www.tinman.org/Frontiers/TalkToMe/STP.html -- the same
bit of text also describes a repository of human ingenuity:
Please check out the Global Ideas Bank at the Institute of
Social Inventions, at http://www.globalideasbank.org/
which is clearly motivated by the same needs as the
Frontiers Ideas Bank -- and the Institute is clearly
motivated by the same needs as this Social Technology
pavilion.
I prefer the term 'social technology', which I find quite
a liberating idea because we know how to "do" technology,
whereas 'invention' conjures up the image of a genius
inventor like Thomas Edison. I feel uncomfortable about
anything that depends on genius or even sounds like it
might depend on genius. (But! See below!)
The discipline of systems engineering is a mature and
stable method for doing work in any technology, and is
certainly applicable to social technology. It gives us a
sequence of steps to follow and will almost always work,
without the need for genius.
The phrase "social invention" is worth thinking about,
though. It comes from the book "The Everyman Project",
by Robert Jungk, which is an English translation of the
original German book titled "Der Jahrtausendmensch",
(The Thousand Year Man), written in 1973 and discussing
the man (or woman) of the year 2000, the people of the
new millenium.
I like the English title better, because it refers to the
idea "Every man a Genius", from Fritz Zwicky who wrote:
> Very few people realize the fundamental fact that
> everyone is a potential genius, and that a sane, free,
> and healthy world can only exist if all these geniuses
> are recognized and allowed to develop.
With this in mind Robert Jungk wrote:
> One can envision an 'Everyman Project'. It's purpose
> would be to develop hidden, buried or crippled
> capabilities in countless individuals who have been
> cheated of their proper development by bad education or
> social deprivation.
I hope you will all consider a trip to a library to find
"The Everyman Project" which is a wonderful book.
---------------
Read that, Jay, and see what you think, and if you
do, I'll read some book you recommend -- is it a deal?
dpw
Douglas P. Wilson [EMAIL PROTECTED]
http://www.island.net/~dpwilson/index.html
