Comments for Ben Murray http://www.benmurray.us Wed, 10 Aug 2011 18:57:02 +0000 hourly 1 Comment on Leave no trace – Avoid the gotcha text by London Calling: How Marketers Taught Rioters to Form Flash Mobs « RecruitersNation http://www.benmurray.us/2009/12/leave-no-trace-avoid-the-gotcha-text/#comment-147 London Calling: How Marketers Taught Rioters to Form Flash Mobs « RecruitersNation Wed, 10 Aug 2011 18:57:02 +0000 http://www.benmurray.us/?p=162#comment-147 [...] (BBMs) are not. That’s why the United Arab Emirates tried to ban their use. (Although it’s not entirely clear that BBMs are completely protected from third [...] [...] (BBMs) are not. That’s why the United Arab Emirates tried to ban their use. (Although it’s not entirely clear that BBMs are completely protected from third [...]

]]> Comment on Alone together by Ben Murray http://www.benmurray.us/2011/06/alone-together/#comment-146 Ben Murray Mon, 06 Jun 2011 09:00:00 +0000 http://www.benmurray.us/?p=946#comment-146 Glad to know you've read "The Shallows" and that you liked it - it's on my list.  Throughout history, there have been critics of new forms of media that decried their impact on society.  Just read older essays on the detrimental effect of novels and books on society's children for a good laugh.  So, I frequently wonder whether this is just the same thing.  Andrew Keen writes about the Cult of the Amateur, and while I see his point, it's difficult not to read most of his book without sensing a deep bitterness on his part. Does Carr contrast some of the neurological changes he sees today with presumed changes in function from the past?  That would be interesting. Even still, I'm definitely not one of those people that decries Facebook and Twitter and such for ruining our attention spans or preventing us from being the cerebral and intelligent people that we can be (as you clearly were at the end of high school, haha).  It's up to us to decide how we use the technology.  I imagine some of these skills will be taught to younger generations just as we learned time management in a more traditional sense. You can have an iPhone or Blackberry without abusing it. You can use Facebook and Twitter without being obsessed with it.  You can choose not to engage in hyper-emotional texting and superficial reliance on instant feedback.  I think once more people start to make that choice, the nature of how the public at large shares information online will shift quite a bit. Glad to know you’ve read “The Shallows” and that you liked it – it’s on my list.  Throughout history, there have been critics of new forms of media that decried their impact on society.  Just read older essays on the detrimental effect of novels and books on society’s children for a good laugh.  So, I frequently wonder whether this is just the same thing.  Andrew Keen writes about the Cult of the Amateur, and while I see his point, it’s difficult not to read most of his book without sensing a deep bitterness on his part.

Does Carr contrast some of the neurological changes he sees today with presumed changes in function from the past?  That would be interesting.

Even still, I’m definitely not one of those people that decries Facebook and Twitter and such for ruining our attention spans or preventing us from being the cerebral and intelligent people that we can be (as you clearly were at the end of high school, haha).  It’s up to us to decide how we use the technology.  I imagine some of these skills will be taught to younger generations just as we learned time management in a more traditional sense.

You can have an iPhone or Blackberry without abusing it. You can use Facebook and Twitter without being obsessed with it.  You can choose not to engage in hyper-emotional texting and superficial reliance on instant feedback.  I think once more people start to make that choice, the nature of how the public at large shares information online will shift quite a bit.

]]> Comment on Alone together by Marlen http://www.benmurray.us/2011/06/alone-together/#comment-145 Marlen Mon, 06 Jun 2011 08:46:00 +0000 http://www.benmurray.us/?p=946#comment-145 Nice thoughts Ben. I have just read a book by a neuroscientist Nicholas Carr called 'The Shallows.' Therein Carr argues similarly to Turkle, but from a more brain science perspective, that the Internet is fundamentally changing the way humans think and comprehend information. Perhaps, explaining the short, twitter-like communication Turkle has highlighted. Carr is romantic about the past century's human ability to read and think deep; process meanings in a focused manner for a long duration. Internet however, he argues, is changing this capability, from focused reading towards information scanning and data collection. And he says, our brains' neurotic functions are changing. For better or for worse, he has a point. I have come to realize that I find it difficult these days anymore, to sit down and write essays that flow by just putting a pen on the paper. As my thoughts jump around disconnected, my paragraphs need multiple edits. Even to this little note here I have already made way too many edits... - Not quite like writing my 6 hour essay with a pen on a paper at the end of my high school. It was clean, it had a flow and a coherent argument - all by just starting writing at the beginning of a page. However, like you say, choice of depth can be a deliberate choice of ours. Reading and immersing ourselves at times in literature, may also help - keep us still and thinking things through a little more, taking a break from the snap-shot-like fast lifestyle of information exchange of the everyday. Nice thoughts Ben.
I have just read a book by a neuroscientist Nicholas Carr called ‘The Shallows.’ Therein Carr argues similarly to Turkle, but from a more brain science perspective, that the Internet is fundamentally changing the way humans think and comprehend information. Perhaps, explaining the short, twitter-like communication Turkle has highlighted.
Carr is romantic about the past century’s human ability to read and think deep; process meanings in a focused manner for a long duration. Internet however, he argues, is changing this capability, from focused reading towards information scanning and data collection. And he says, our brains’ neurotic functions are changing. For better or for worse, he has a point.
I have come to realize that I find it difficult these days anymore, to sit down and write essays that flow by just putting a pen on the paper. As my thoughts jump around disconnected, my paragraphs need multiple edits. Even to this little note here I have already made way too many edits… – Not quite like writing my 6 hour essay with a pen on a paper at the end of my high school. It was clean, it had a flow and a coherent argument – all by just starting writing at the beginning of a page.
However, like you say, choice of depth can be a deliberate choice of ours. Reading and immersing ourselves at times in literature, may also help – keep us still and thinking things through a little more, taking a break from the snap-shot-like fast lifestyle of information exchange of the everyday.

]]> Comment on My iPhone tracks me by Ben Murray http://www.benmurray.us/2011/04/my-iphone-tracks-me/#comment-144 Ben Murray Thu, 21 Apr 2011 21:38:00 +0000 http://www.benmurray.us/?p=931#comment-144 Thanks, Pete. Always good advice to encrypt and password protect. Why isn't all this press mentioning the previous research on this? Seems a little...sensationlist! Thanks, Pete. Always good advice to encrypt and password protect. Why isn’t all this press mentioning the previous research on this? Seems a little…sensationlist!

]]> Comment on My iPhone tracks me by Pete http://www.benmurray.us/2011/04/my-iphone-tracks-me/#comment-143 Pete Thu, 21 Apr 2011 21:33:00 +0000 http://www.benmurray.us/?p=931#comment-143 The tracking has been known about since the iPhone 4's launch (and has been well documented https://alexlevinson.wordpress.com/2011/04/21/3-major-issues-with-the-latest-iphone-tracking-discovery/ ). Encrypt your backup and use a passcode on your phone. In terms of explaining why, check out their GC's letter on the topic from last year (http://markey.house.gov/docs/applemarkeybarton7-12-10.pdf ). The tracking has been known about since the iPhone 4′s launch (and has been well documented https://alexlevinson.wordpress.com/2011/04/21/3-major-issues-with-the-latest-iphone-tracking-discovery/ ). Encrypt your backup and use a passcode on your phone. In terms of explaining why, check out their GC’s letter on the topic from last year (http://markey.house.gov/docs/applemarkeybarton7-12-10.pdf ).

]]> Comment on Welcome to London by Bradley Portnoy http://www.benmurray.us/2010/09/welcome-to-london/#comment-142 Bradley Portnoy Thu, 30 Sep 2010 19:18:00 +0000 http://www.benmurray.us/?p=441#comment-142 Stop making me miss London. Stop making me miss London.

]]> Comment on Welcome to London by Bradley Portnoy http://www.benmurray.us/2010/09/welcome-to-london/#comment-64 Bradley Portnoy Thu, 30 Sep 2010 19:18:00 +0000 http://www.benmurray.us/?p=441#comment-64 Stop making me miss London. Stop making me miss London.

]]> Comment on I'm moving to London by Ben Murray http://www.benmurray.us/2010/04/im-moving-to-london/#comment-56 Ben Murray Sat, 10 Apr 2010 18:32:52 +0000 http://www.benmurray.us/?p=199#comment-56 Thanks, Michelle. How are you? Let's catch up soon. Thanks, Michelle. How are you? Let's catch up soon.

]]> Comment on I'm moving to London by Ben Murray http://www.benmurray.us/2010/04/im-moving-to-london/#comment-141 Ben Murray Sat, 10 Apr 2010 13:32:00 +0000 http://www.benmurray.us/?p=199#comment-141 Thanks, Michelle. How are you? Let's catch up soon. Thanks, Michelle. How are you? Let’s catch up soon.

]]> Comment on I'm moving to London by Ben Murray http://www.benmurray.us/2010/04/im-moving-to-london/#comment-57 Ben Murray Sat, 10 Apr 2010 13:32:00 +0000 http://www.benmurray.us/?p=199#comment-57 Thanks, Michelle. How are you? Let's catch up soon. Thanks, Michelle. How are you? Let’s catch up soon.

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