Tomorrow I will give a talk in the Aronoff Center for the Arts about a topic I know very little about. This is a new experience for me. New in the sense that I haven’t really had this feeling in years. I’ve spent the better part of the last 15 years working with emerging media […]
I left Wired in 2002. There were jobs in between. A book. MIT. But I really built my career at Wired and I’m beginning to realize exactly how long ago 8 years is in modern time. Not to ruin the ending, but it’s a long time. These days, I’m a professor at Ball State University, […]
There’s a website called Kickstarter that enables people who have an idea to solicit help in working on a project. If the project doesn’t “make” – that is, if there aren’t enough funds generated – nobody pays and the project goes away. I’m a big believer in the micro-loan way, giving individuals the opportunity to […]
This talk is from Skepchicamp, a skeptics group in Chicago where atheists and skeptics gather to discuss the issues facing rational thinkers in the public sphere. This speaker runs The Friendly Atheist, one of my favorite sites, as he discusses his life as a public school teacher in Chicago and an atheist. This talk focuses […]
I’ve been thinking about George Carlin lately. Particularly his use of words. When I was a child, his comedy routines taught me the power of choosing words precisely and with purpose. He also taught me timing. Many years later, I had the opportunity to interview him when I was working for Wired News. Depressingly, this […]
“I understand that Americans are kowtowing to a religion overseas. I don’t understand why this is happening and it’s wrong.” Apple has, by far, the most Draconian and frightening policies towards content creation, individual rights and copyright. This is nothing new for those of us who write about, follow and engage in these realms. Unfortunately, […]
I had a discussion with someone about religion awhile back and the argument made was The Bible is truth because it is. It’s hard to argue logically with that idea. Had I known about Tim Minchin, I would have played this in response. (On an un-related note, I will be purchasing all of Ricky Gervais […]
Finally, other material in the report indicates that texting is happening in addition to other forms of social interaction. Thus, another interpretation is that teens actually have more access and more informal, casual contact because of texting. This is because texting is woven into the flow of other activities. In essence their friends are always […]
There is a five-minute version of this clip that traces the entire conversation right here. I suggest seeing the whole thing. Also, this clip below cuts off the best part of the conversation. The last 5 seconds makes the entire joke. Still… “That was fun.”
A talk by associate professor Jeff Jarvis, discussing participatory culture in school.