What Dataportability.org Wont Fix

January 28, 2008 · Comments

crowd Humans. If you want to save the read, the answer is: humans. Systems and software and all the sluices we build in the data stream won’t change the way humans see themselves, the way they construct their own feelings, the way they form groups, alliances, arguments, disagreements and then reform new versions of the same. As we are, so shall we always be. Humans, frail, flawed, and on a crazy path towards success just the same.

Fears and Concerns

While people were reconsidering other things, I checked in on the Twitter stream at large to see them responding to the State of the Union speech. What I saw were tons of angry, disillusioned, frustrated voices. (I don’t discuss my politics, but at this point, who’s on the President’s side, really?) I saw people talking about the pending US Presidential election. I saw them talking about which candidates might do a better job, and which ones might win, given all the crazy vectors human nature will take.

One theme I see/saw during this all was the sense that other people had the power, and that we are watching others take it. I worry that people believe they don’t possess power.

Another theme I saw was accusations all around of elitism. I worry about that all the time, personally, because as the people who read my words and follow my communication see only the abstraction of me, and haven’t met me, don’t know me, they might form a different opinion. (If you’ve met me and think I’m elitist, that’s another whole thing). I do worry about what people think about me to some extent. I know it’s a fool’s errand. Dr. McKay’s book on self esteem tells me that. But it’s there.

I Believe In Humans

For any of you who feel unheard, who feel like someone else has the power, who feel that others are between you and your greatness, I want to share one of the videos I’ve watched recently. It’s from the TED conference, held yearly in Monterrey, California, and featuring some of the most interesting thinkers in the world (my opinion). Ben Dunlap is a powerful storyteller. I think he could read a cereal box to me, and I’d listen.

I’m glad projects like Dataportability.org won’t fix how social networks impact humans. I think we can figure it all out ourselves. These tools have empowered us beyond what has come before. We’ll see even better tools in the future.

With that, here’s Ben Dunlap:

Photo credit, Andre Gustavo

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  • I believe that people are essentially good, and that people who do rotten stuff do so because they are deeply confused.

    Maybe this is "correct" and maybe it isn't, but it is a useful way for making one's way through the world, and it leads to a much more enjoyable life than many of the views people hold.
  • Chris, wow! Incredibly powerful talk! Loved it: "the insatiable curiousity... the irrepressible desire to know... no matter what the subject or what the cost". And from Gandhi "Live each day as if it is your last. Learn as if you will learn forever." Powerful words.

    Your own words were powerful, too, Chris. I share your concern (and those of others commenting) that people don't understand the power they possess. We are creating the future, even in simply our comments here. It is being born through our actions, our decisions, our choices... including our choices to NOT act or to NOT do. (Echoes of an old song from Rush: "Even if you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice.)

    Thank you for sharing your thoughts and reminding us to think about it all.

    Dan

    P.S. Chris, I have met you, and no, I don't think you are elitist! ;-)

    P.P.S. @Sam, judging by this video, I think you were very lucky to have him as a professor!
  • @Pistachio This is a great question about authority, especially in the context of social media.

    I think that the social media crowd has a slanted view of this issue. Many of us are content creators, we go out on our own, away from the group and put ourselves out there. We make our own decisions frequently and don't want to give that up.

    But, not everyone wants to take the risks of going blazing a new trail. Authority does have a useful purpose. And, in the modern Internet landscape where it's easy to ignore authority, I agree with your quote that no one should let themselves feel inferior through social media.
  • Related to various stuff about human nature, and the TwitterPacks, I tweeted:

    "wondering why in the 2.0 world we still try to channel decisions thru "authority?" have at it folks. have at it. change what u think u should"

    and then:

    "take charge. avoid the logjams. make direct contributions. look left, right & inwards, not "up" or even at the origins of something."

    I am likewise bothered by what you describe well as:

    "...the sense that other people had the power, and that we are watching others take it. I worry that people believe they don’t possess power."

    Authority only exists to the extent we buy into it. As much as I know this, there are certainly plenty of authorities I oversubscribe to and give too much power in my life. I guess it's the human condition. But I also find it frustrating and sad.

    We're all hiding so avidly behind walls we *think* we didn't build, hiding from fears that we *think* even exist.

    I've said it over and over and over (as a way of convincing myself, perhaps). Eleanor Roosevelt's famous "Nobody can make you feel inferior without your permission" quote can be amended to "without your ASSISTANCE." Why do we all devote so much energy to helping the world scare us and put us down? Wish I friggin knew. Would sure love to get over it.
  • Small world, Chris.

    Prof Dunlap was first my mentor and professor at my alma mater (Wofford College) and now he's the President of the College. He's an amazing man and this video captures a little of that but definitely not the full spectrum.

    Great post and thanks for the video. I'll have to email him this and get his thoughts.

    Sam
  • Ed M
    limited or low quality info. Would this justify sending Maher Arar to Syria? The problem lies not in there was "limited or low quality info" (which this is debatable) but in the limited imagination on the solution to the problem. This is not due to any lack of intelligence which contrary to popular belief I believe the President is intelligent. This was due simply to human choice.

    Thankfully, as Dr. Dunlap has mentioned, I too believe in the possibility and goodness of the human race. Due to this we have the ability to make better solutions. And note that I say we and not Mr. or Mrs. President. President Bush inherited a failing and failed government so will the next administration. But the problem lies not in any one administration but in "We the People". We have chosen to be either inactive in our communities or lazy and selfish in our dialog. We must do more than simply vote. We must open our doors to our neighbors sit down and enter into a deeper dialog with both those agree with and those we disagree with.
  • I guess I'm always willing to take the least desirable role. In college, I played the role of a def mute eunuch in Friedrich Durrenmatt's "The Visit". I loved the role - no lines to memorize. And I loved the play, the story.

    Although off your broader topic, and definitely unrelated to Dr. Dunlap's talk, here's how this relates: You ask, "who's on the president's side, really?" and I guess I have to say that I am. Regardless of my personal politics (I don't claim that he has performed admirably always, nor do I appreciate many of the positions he takes or agree with several of his policies), I do believe that his has been a less than desirable role for him.

    There have been a lot of highly consequential decisions during his presidency that required answers in the moment which were based on limited or low quality info, at best. I don't believe I could have done better using the same inputs so I don't think I should be overly critical.

    Having some odd form of the entrepreneurial disease, I can respect a man needing to move forward without knowing every outcome ahead of time.

    The one thing I really do like about the president is probably what drives some of his critics up the wall: I like that he is willing to stake out a position and then stand his ground, with or without popular support.

    There isn't a lot of backing down or capitulating and you sort of know that if he says "I'm going to veto your bill if it doesn't cut earmarks by 50%" that he will veto it.

    Some will probably say that this is too little too late and others will say it'll lead to gridlock in the last year of a lame duck presidency, so really there are few ways for him to win the day.

    For me the larger lesson in all of this is that we ought to focus our attention on politicos in a way that makes good people want to run for offices, not run away from them.
  • That was a beautiful speech by Mr. Dunlap - and riveting in its lyrical bent.

    I wish I had as much optimism every day as he clearly does throughout that speech.

    There are days I believe in the innate goodness of man - and there are days I see it, live it, and breathe it. I could share stories like this of my own.

    Then there are the other days, when I'm exposed to the other side of the coin - where I believe that the nature of man is neither good, nor kind, nor anything other than self-interested bordering on evil. I have stories for that as well.

    In the end, I try to focus on and nurture the good I see - and try to be a force for enabling it to grow. But I cannot ever completely ignore the evil I have seen either - and the times I have tried, I have paid dearly.

    But today? I think I'll join you in your optimism. Let's believe - and work toward ensuring to the best of each of our own abilities - that the best will win out in the end. That it will be the people that make what is wrong, right - and what it broken, whole.
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