Ruth — of systems & design

The #PapersInSystems (remote) discussion series is a great opportunity to engage in focused conversation and share insights as we explore a paper of interest, and make connections (among ourselves, and to our and other work).

Next: "Improving Our Ability to Improve: A Call for Investment in a New Future" by Douglas C. Engelbart

Discussion will be led by @art3starr

When: Wed., September 13th, 1-2pm Eastern Time

Info/sign up (free):
https://ti.to/bredemeyer/engelbartabilitytoimprove

Paper: http://worrydream.com/refs/Engelbart%20-%20Improving%20Our%20Ability%20to%20Improve.pdf

Papers in Systems Discussion Series: Improving Our Ability to Improve

"Improving Our Ability to Improve: A Call for Investment in a New Future" From the paper we're reading for, and discussing at, the September (remote) meeting: "This vision of success has not changed much for me over fifty years – it has gotten more precise and detailed – but it is pointed at the same potential that I saw in the early 1950s (ref. 1). It is based on a very simple idea, which is that when problems are really difficult and complex – problems like addressing hunger, containing terrorism, or helping an economy grow more quickly – the solutions come from the insights and capabilities of people working together. So, it is not the computer, working alone, that produces a solution. It is the combination of people, augmented by computers." If you're intrigued by this quote, there's more! Our Papers in Systems discussion series will continue with discussion of “Improving Our Ability to Improve: A Call for Investment in a New Future" by Douglas C. Engelbart, 2002 The discussion will be led by Arty Starr (@[email protected] on mastodon), and we will also be joined by Dr Margaret-Anne Storey. When: Wednesday, September 13th, 2023, 1PM - 2PM Eastern Time (US/Canada). The Zoom room will remain open until 2:30PM for informal discussion. Check time in your time zone. The paper (transcript of a keynote) is available at: https://dougengelbart.org/content/view/348/ Or pdf: https://dougengelbart.org/pubs/papers/scanned-original/2002-augment-133320-Improving-Our-Ability-to-Improve-eic11.pdf

Tito
Sep 9, 2023 at 12:41pmWeb
Show threadRuth — of systems & designSep 9, 2023

People who have led discussions (from most recent, and going back) in this series include:
@juno
@roundcrisis
@dahukanna
@shauna
@reinh
@tltroup
@yvonnezlam
@ductape
@ntravaglini

We have @art3starr in September and @yvonnezlam leading in October (First chapter/lecture of The Real World of Technology, by Ursula M Franklin)

🎉🙏🎉

We’re considering suggestions for papers for the next few sessions after that.

Show threadDawn AhukannaSep 9, 2023

@RuthMalan @juno @roundcrisis @shauna @reinh @tltroup @yvonnezlam @ductape @ntravaglini @art3starr

Thanks for getting this community reading and discussion series setup. I’ve been exposed to familiar and new interesting + insightful papers in the series.

Show threadRuth — of systems & designSep 9, 2023

@dahukanna thank *you* for all you have brought to the organizing team, and also @tltroup, @yvonnezlam, @roundcrisis and @ductape

🙏

Show threadjuno suárezSep 9, 2023
@RuthMalan @roundcrisis @dahukanna @shauna @reinh @tltroup @yvonnezlam @ductape @ntravaglini @art3starr thanks to Ruth and everyone else in this community for creating this space and investing so much energy in it!
Show threadArty Starr : ☮️ :starrgirl.ethSep 10, 2023
@juno @RuthMalan @roundcrisis @dahukanna @shauna @reinh @tltroup @yvonnezlam @ductape @ntravaglini Seconded. Big thanks to Ruth and everyone else in this amazing community. I love that we're creating space for this. 💜
Show threadRuth — of systems & designSep 10, 2023

@art3starr @juno @roundcrisis @dahukanna @shauna @reinh @tltroup @yvonnezlam @ductape @ntravaglini

This — the *we* !! And the creating. And the looking forward to Wednesday :)

Show threadAndrea Magnorsky 😹 🦙Sep 11, 2023

@RuthMalan @art3starr @juno @dahukanna @shauna @reinh @tltroup @yvonnezlam @ductape @ntravaglini

This has been a great learning experience

Show threadRuth — of systems & designSep 11, 2023

This is on Wednesday, despite our usual “1st Monday unless it’s a holiday” pattern, because we are THAT excited to have @art3starr and Dr. Storey lead this discussion!

:)

Show threadRuth — of systems & designSep 11, 2023

We return to 1st Mondays in October, so that is coming up pretty soon too!

#PapersIInSystems discussion will be on:

Monday, October 2 (1-2PM Eastern Time)

Paper: First chapter (lecture) of The Real World of Technology, by Ursula M Franklin

Discussion will be led by
@yvonnezlam

Free, but sign up: https://ti.to/bredemeyer/realworldoftechnology

Papers in Systems Discussion Series: The Real World of Technology

The Real World of Technology by Ursula M Franklin “I start from the premise that we are living in a very difficult, very interesting time, a time in which a major historical period is coming to a convoluted end. I think we live in a time in which the social and political upheaval is as great or greater than it was at the time of the Reformation. And so I would like to do a bit of orienteering and map-making so the discourse in which we all have to engage can be conducted in a common language. As I see it, technology has built the house in which we all live. The house is continually being extended and remodelled.” -- Ursula M Franklin in The Real World of Technology If you're intrigued by this quote, there's more! Our Papers in Systems discussion series will continue with discussion of chapter one (the introduction to) “The Real World of Technology" by Ursula M Franklin The discussion will be led by Yvonne Lam. When: Monday, October 2, 2023, 1PM - 2PM Eastern Time (US/Canada). The Zoom room will remain open until 2:30PM for informal discussion. Check time in your time zone. The book (including the paper, or rather lecture/chapter) is available at many of the usual places you buy books, and also online: pdf: https://monoskop.org/images/5/58/Franklin_Ursula_The_Real_World_of_Technology_1990.pdf audio: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/ideas/the-1989-cbc-massey-lectures-the-real-world-of-technology-1.2946845

Tito
Show threadRuth — of systems & designSep 13, 2023

“The feature of humans that makes us most human - that most clearly differentiates us from every other life form on Earth - is not our opposable thumb, and not even our use of tools. It is our ability to create and use symbols. The ability to look at the world, turn what we see into abstractions, and to then operate on those abstractions, rather than on the physical world itself, is an utterly astounding, beautiful thing, just taken all by itself.”

— Douglas Engelbart

Show threadRuth — of systems & designSep 13, 2023

Wonderful discussion today — thank you so much to @art3starr for introducing us to this paper and co-leading the discussion with Dr. Margaret-Anne Storey, and thank you to everyone who joined us and co-created a vibrant discussion/learning together.

Now, thinking about what we need to tackle as “level C” kinds of things, that help “improve our ability to improve” (including our societal prospects in the face of <gestures around <🌍🌏🌎> climate challenges>)

Looking forward to where this goes!

Show threadthe roamerJan 12

@RuthMalan

Important thoughts by #DouglasEngelbart on symbols and their role in human life. I was not part of your discussion, but I found it illuminating. Thank you for sharing.

I realise that Engelbart refers to all sorts of symbols, not soecifically art, but reading his reflections urged me to look up #PrehistoricArt here on the Fedi.

Here is one post (with image) from an evocative thread by @wittgensteinmonster:

https://mastodon.social/@wittgensteinmonster/115136708584478559