Hello Dougald, Excuse my manners, how can I not welcome you to the list?
*welcome :-) *Don't despair, this is only the beginning - I am very excited by the whole thing. I think that it is original and urgent and it was bound to create a bit of controversy. A lot of the dialogue could also be observed as part of the process of learning, in an open way, even if it does seem a bit rude and disrespectful. karen * * On Fri, Oct 30, 2009 at 4:50 PM, dougald hine <writetodoug...@gmail.com>wrote: > Brussels, Friday 30th October > > > - Why would I possibly care for you when you dont care for me? > > When you see black-and-white lines painted across the road here, they > don't mean quite the same as the ones at home. Step too briskly onto a > stopped escalator and you risk being thrown over as it whirrs into > life. As far as I can tell, there is no code governing which side you > stand on. I am a foreigner. > > At home, one can be a host. Away from home, one is a guest, invited or > uninvited. This list is home to some of you, but I'm new round here. I > am not familiar with your customs. > > That's OK. What makes it tricky, a paradox or a presumption, is that I > am here as an invited host. > > - Why dont you write me a single word? > > "Welcoming" was the word Marc used to describe this list to me, I think. > > Since I introduced myself earlier this week, no one has said hello > back.* But I have been compared to the BNP and told I can't write. > (Both in the third person, as if I wasn't here.) Well, nice to meet > you, too. > > Then again, why should I be welcome? As an invited host (invited by > whom, anyway?), I am already in violation of the logic of hospitality. > > - Why are we reading these lists? > > The name intrigues me - and encourages me. > > It encourages me to talk about social interaction. > > Joining a mailing list is like walking into a room full of strangers. > > - Why have we gone all bold? > > I don't know how you would write a "hesitant and provisional" > manifesto. Though maybe we could have a go, together. > > Writing a manifesto - and I've only tried it once - seems to lead you > to a bolder mode of expression than you might use elsewhere. Rather > like speaking through a megaphone. > > It is unwise to walk into a room full of strangers and begin speaking > through a megaphone. > > - Why would the possible manifest itself? > > Megaphones are not without their uses. For a small, self-published > pamphlet, our manifesto has been heard in a lot of places, and led to > a lot of conversations. > > We didn't write it to proclaim ourselves saviours of the world, or of > literature, or of anything else. > > It is not a utopian project. (Unless you are John Gray, who sees > Utopia under almost everything.) > > It is not intended as the final word on anything, but as a starting point. > > - Why a book on this topic? > > Because our current way of living is (most likely) doomed - and > 'sustainability' has come to mean sustaining that way of living at all > costs. > > Because we will (most likely) outlive our current way of living. > > Because how good or bad a job we make of outliving it will (most > likely) have to do with the stories we tell ourselves, as much as with > our ability (for example) to measure and trade CO2e emissions. > > There are other reasons, but let me give you those for a start. > > - Why are you telling me this? > > I wouldn't normally take up this much space, as a new member of a list. > > It's a strange thing to be both a newcomer and in a privileged > position, as "host" of DIWO at the Dark Mountain - whatever we want > that to mean. > > Sorry if I've gone on a bit. > > One more thing, some words from Ivan Illich - who is, for me, one of > the spirits of the Dark Mountain Project. I wonder what you think of > them: > > "Learned and leisurely hospitality is the only antidote to the stance > of deadly cleverness that is acquired in the professional pursuit of > objectively secured knowledge. I remain certain that the quest for > truth cannot thrive outside the nourishment of mutual trust flowering > into a commitment to friendship." > > Hoping we get to know each other better. > > Your (un)invited host, > Dougald > > > * Actually, one person did say hello off-list - thank you for that. > > -- > Dougald Hine - http://dougald.co.uk/ > _______________________________________________ > NetBehaviour mailing list > NetBehaviour@netbehaviour.org > http://www.netbehaviour.org/mailman/listinfo/netbehaviour >
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