Tag Archives: reflecting on

activity

from interactivity to back-channel (2/3)

Leave a reply

 

My believe is that all what surround us interacts with us at some level, but it is not that simple to listen to it or be aware about this. E.g. within humans we can find that some people is louder than others, then it is easy to hear (no necessarily listen) some individuals than others. The same happens with all what surround us. E.g. a flower can “talk” to us and tell us that it has not enough sun, it takes us some days to understand its message but it talks clearly about it. Of course a dog will be louder than a flower. Sadly enough, we humans are not train to listen to different frequencies and rhythms. We focus on our senses in a very narrow bandwidth (we make it even smaller than what it is).

Even with our lovely technology, we are not “train” to listen to it carefully, give time to it. E.g. when suddenly one of our applications is not working in a way I expect, (aka it is not being interactive and friendly with me from my perspective), I can say: it does not work. Then patiently Mikko and Teemu say: “what is the system telling us?”. We go to different (debug) windows to see what our system complains about.  Then the NO-INTERACTIVE system from MY perspective, actually is an INTERACTIVE system when we listen to it from another perspective.

This starts to be interesting….

Maybe even Newton could fit here. His third law is my favorite one: “For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction”. One of the main concept to understand within this law is friction. Btw friction is not a simple concept, but it is crucial in order to understand the balance of systems.

How Newton could fit here? Well, in a very naive way I would say: all action has a reaction somewhere, not only in “physical terms”. Then, can we call that reaction is interactive?  If interactive is “acting on each other”.

More in the last post of this sequel…

acting on each other?

acting on each other?

 

 

Credit of image: http://blog.dyknow.com/

 

from interactivity to back-channel (1/3)

Leave a reply

The last weeks I had gather A LOT  of food for the though, or  perhaps my brain is strangely configurated since my basics. I will try to process all these ideas  before express them out in here step by step. Today’s turn is of “INTERACTIVE”. (Thing I will research after my PhD, as now I am running out of time).

Interactive is a powerful and complex concept, that I do not have on clear. In the dictionary as a second definition of this adjective we find Interactive in “Computer Science: Of or relating to a program that responds to user activity.”  But the first definition is: “Acting or capable of acting on each other.” (source: the free dictionary).

Interesting…. as we always focus on the tool (in here any computer and/or machine) and superficial layer of understanding, we think and/or assume that a system is interactive if it makes noises, changes the graphics on the screen, or do something correlated to the “input” we are given to it. In other words we consider that a system responds to our activity if we can perceive without effort a “change” just by looking at it, or smelling it, or touching it or hearing it. Hence, the system is interactive. My question: if something does not “react” or “respond” according to my expectations then it is not interactive ???

To make my post shorter, then I will stop here, continue with the second part…

interactive-website

interactive-website

 

Credit of image: http://sivers.org/interactive-website

 

 

work hard and play hard

Leave a reply

In the last weeks I had worked as crazy  but also  I had the opportunity to be in Lappland, Joensuu, Tampere, Bahamas and Orlando, and in each spot the main focus has been: life, learning and games.

 It will be needed some time to diggest all these, but in brief to bring together industry and academia towards a similar goal besides to be a must (from my perspective) it is full of  richness. Yes, I have much to share, the FDG2009, was a learning experience in all senses. In the last days (weeks) I have seen collaboration between individuals in amazing ways, and the interaction with systems (between human-human and human-machine) very innovative, “pervasive“, immersive. In few words, I was shaked to wake up and realize that our “progress“ goes faster than I was thinking in my small brain. Yes, there is much to work and to do, I am slow in my own process, but persistant in the path. However it is room for everybody and every idea. Life and things are constantly moving and evolving… nothing is static!

“The future is today and tomorrow is just one dream away”  this is one of my BIGGEST learning experiences, which I knew, but sometimes I forget or I need some reminding about it. The are different worlds, but we have the most important elements: time, imagination and mind, then let’s go for it!!!

I wish all the individuals in this planet listen to themselves and work together towards believe in themselves, in  their friends and family and harmonize all that “magic” with our amazing and surprising plannet. Every corner of this globe is just a wonderful spot full of surprises!

More details of this will come soon, just reporting from „Rock& Roll Coaster“ leeet’s rock!!!!!  Now to keep on my last hrs of Mickey Mouse’s overdosis! 🙂

reporting

reporting

the power of the mind

Leave a reply

Opportunities for learning something are always present. Each single moment of our existence can be a learning experience.  Interesting enough it seems it is up to us to make the best out of each opportunity.

As time pass by, I get the impression that most of the learning possibilities that one has are not utilized.  One can be “educated” or trained for something in specific. Actually our economical-social system has built educational institutions, that as far as I understand, offer to individuals the information and training needed to create the “proper” skills to function in our society.

Through the diversity of projects I am right now actively working with besides my own PhD focus (LieksaMyst, SciMyst 2009, Biosphere project,  CS students, etc.) I see and sense continually: we need to learn to listen constantly without loosing our self-confidence. Each one of us is so important, and has an incredible richness inside. When one can exteriorize this richness and connected with others, the results go beyond any expectation.

Then, while listening and putting a bit more of attention in the self, it is possible to realize the importance of the power of the mind.  Actually that is the core of everything we do, as its influence is more relevant and decisive than all the information and training that each one of us can have. Our mind is just incredibly powerful.

What your mind says is the truth and each one of us will act and experience according to it, because that is the truth.  If you mind says you can, you will do it, independently if you have many resources or none, you just know you can do it and you will. If you mind says forget about it, you will give up even if you have all what it is needed to achieve that goal.  Furthermore, our interpretations of our activities and relationships are closely related to what our mind believes.

It is just fascinating, how my mind affects me. As it happens to me, I wouldn’t be surprise it happens to others as well.  What I/you truly believe, it is what it is, but not necessary is what it really is. One needs to be open enough and listen carefully to realize there are different options, nothing is static.

 The power of the mind is unlimited, and I attempt to say personally under-use. In several cases it is controlled by external individuals  (e.g. “brain washing”) or habits. But it does not mean we can’t have access to it and shape it to our will. At the end our mind is ours.

each flame is unique and powerful

 

discovering the world as a child

Leave a reply

Lately I am conciently subscribing to the “slow movement ”, like slow food  or slow schooling. I might be getting old. But after any “crisis” one can realize the richness of time. I want to use my time as wisely as I can while living intense. Today for me that implies stop stressing only in the rush, and give time to the time. (no an easy thing to do for my persona)

People, individuals need time to process things, even to sense our environment requires time. Or at least I require time.   I agree that some actions can be performed fast.  However, our reflections might require its own time, what we need to put on it is discipline. Discipline shouldn’t wait for example, is from the habits that should be present as early as possible!. As it will help us to enjoy even further, and keep on moving, specially in difficult moments.

Discovery is one of our innate characteristics. However as older I get, I realized that the idea or feeling or “rushing” emphasis on the “control” of the outcomes instead of the process and experience. Hence, this rushing that emphasis in the control of the outcomes actually constrains the living experience. No wonder our planet is in such a crisis!

The point of my post is the wish to promote a discovering of any experience in a most natural level, just discover it. Allow oneself to be “bewitched” by the “new” experience before we even try to catalogue or say something about it. In few words: first LIVE IT in its purest form! without an work-on-process conclusion.  As when we just come to this planet, as a new born do. Just later, when the time is proper, the same discovering experience will transform in reflection that will connect with other experiences, but as a second step. That implies to surrender to our thirst of “control” of the situation. I know THAT is hard stuff!

 To discover in such levels requires to do not be stressed. Just give the time. Time that our “modern western society” might not want to offer, but it is up to us how we want to take the time to live our lives in the way we want to. At the end, who is in control?  I know this question is the most difficult one to answer, but part of the ride!

My utopia would be that after one had experienced something, a book, a trip, a game, etc. One could say and feel that  it is not the end of the journey, but the beginning of a new day in one’s life.

View of the frozen lake from Noljakka, Joensuu. It takes time to have such a wonder.

View of the frozen lake from Noljakka, Joensuu. It takes time to have such a wonder.