("JP")

And so, while language is necessary, it does a disservice to reality. In attempting to describe the indescribable, words constrain reality. Through simplifications, generalizations, and connotations they mischaracterize and water it down. They fail to capture the complexity, uniqueness, and dynamism of life. And as a result, we never truly see, und... See more

Words are a lossy medium for describing rich, multidimensional ideas.

What’s missing from our map? Everything else. The forest has been made legible to lumber production. In the process, the entire ecological web of trees, shrubs, birds, bugs, moss, soil microbiota are stripped away. They didn’t fit into our map.

By the second generation of planting, there is a noticeable decline in forest health. Within one century: ... See more

I studied Classics in college. When I read Caro, I cannot help but think that his work is -- in terms of quality, significance, and longevity -- comparable to that of Thucydides, Tacitus, Suetonius. Truly one of a kind.

Let’s elevate the language to give it more emotional depth and resonance:

What kind of interface could enable people to collectively learn and build knowledge as a group? I'm trying to imagine a system that goes beyond forums and linear discussion threads, with highlights and summarization to distill key ideas [design thread]

'Architects have to stop thinking in terms of buildings only. Built and physical architecture, freed from the technological limitations of the past, will more intensely work with spatial qualities as well as the psychological ones. The process of erection will get a new meaning, spaces will have more consciously have haptic, optic and acoustic prop... See more

I'm not sure that there is an inherent tension between scale and trustworthy information systems, but I am confident confident, especially after being in the belly of the beast for as long as I was at Facebook, that there is an inherent tension between trustworthy information and centralized governance systems at a scale.