While seemingly open-ended and allowing for an infinite recombination of elements, the idea of “vibes” is reductive. It discourages the more difficult work of interpretation and the search for meaning that defines human experience. It diverts attention away from narrative and moral implications in favor of foregrounding the idea of affect as... See more
I just don’t think it has done journalism much good to have a group of people specifically designated as misinformation experts or fact-checkers — that should be everyone’s job. And although I don’t really trust Zuckerberg’s motivations, it was fact-checkers who pressured Facebook for the partnership in the first place, not the other way around.... See more
The only value of cultural ideas is their ability to inform action in this true world. And because mass communication about complex new ideas is impossible, whatever ideas you have can only directly affect your own actions and those of your collaborators. This is the discipline of materialism. If you want anything of true excellence done, don’t... See more
Attentive visitors will notice something else, which is that about a third of the buildings in De Beauvoir – and generally the best maintained – have handsome dark blue front doors. This is the color of the Benyon Estate, the original landowners in the nineteenth century. Unlike most London landowners, the Benyon Estate never completely sold off... See more
Understanding DFW’s Big Question, do you see why he asks the specific sub-questions he does in each of these profiles?
I guess the point here being that do you see what I mean w/r/t answers just not being that interesting and the questions you ask shaping your reality? No one else would write Federer like DFW did. McPhee, writing about a tennis... See more
A modern darling of edutainment that is a big public success would be Duolingo. Their focus on gamification is deeply studied and widely appreciated. In an interview the founder was asked about the conflict between gamification/engagement and education. To which Luis (founder and ceo of Duolingo) responded they always pick gamification/engagement... See more