[OT] reading recommendations?

[OT] reading recommendations?

[Eric Abrahamsen]

This question is going to be seriously OT, but I can't think of a better
place to ask it:

I'm looking for reading recommendations, for books about tool use.
Specifically: discussions about how the human sense of self (physical,
and social) is extended and altered by the presence and use of tools.
You've heard the sociologist's observation that, when drivers gets
rear-ended, they don't usually say "that car hit my car", but instead,
"that car hit ME". That sort of thing. Readings based in neurology,
philosophy, sociology -- anything would be great.

I'm asking here because I think Emacs (and Vim) are perfect examples of
"tools" which are "used", as opposed to "machines" which are "operated".
They extend the boundaries of the self, and their usage is in a way more
physical than mental.

I would like to read anything by any smart person who has thought deeply
about this question.

That's all! Apologies for the distraction.

Eric

Re: [OT] reading recommendations?

[Damien Wyart]

* Eric Abrahamsen <eric@ericabrahamsen.net> in gnu.emacs.help:
> I'm looking for reading recommendations, for books about tool use.
> Specifically: discussions about how the human sense of self (physical,
> and social) is extended and altered by the presence and use of tools.
> You've heard the sociologist's observation that, when drivers gets
> rear-ended, they don't usually say "that car hit my car", but instead,
> "that car hit ME". That sort of thing. Readings based in neurology,
> philosophy, sociology -- anything would be great.

Here are some suggestions (links to Amazon are for convenience only,
I am not affiliated with them):

http://www.amazon.com/The-Second-Self-Computers-Spirit/dp/0262701111/
http://www.amazon.com/Life-Screen-Identity-Age-Internet/dp/0684833484/
http://www.amazon.com/Evocative-Objects-Things-Think-With/dp/0262516772/
http://www.amazon.com/Inner-History-Devices-Sherry-Turkle/dp/0262516756/

http://www.amazon.com/Smarter-Than-You-Think-Technology/dp/0143125826/
http://www.amazon.com/Shallows-What-Internet-Doing-Brains/dp/0393339750/
http://www.amazon.com/The-Glass-Cage-Automation-Us/dp/0393240762/

http://www.amazon.com/The-Metaphysics-Technology-David-Skrbina/dp/0415716624/

http://cje.oxfordjournals.org/content/34/1/17.extract
http://www.scaruffi.com/mind/gregory.html
http://ubiquity.acm.org/article.cfm?id=1670827
http://cje.oxfordjournals.org/content/34/1/1.extract
http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED178395.pdf

-- 
DW

Re: [OT] reading recommendations?

[Óscar Fuentes]

Eric Abrahamsen <eric@ericabrahamsen.net> writes:

> I would like to read anything by any smart person who has thought deeply
> about this question.

Dr. Walpola Rahula: What the Buddha Taught.

Re: [OT] reading recommendations?

[Eric Abrahamsen]

Damien Wyart <damien.wyart@free.fr> writes:

> * Eric Abrahamsen <eric@ericabrahamsen.net> in gnu.emacs.help:
>> I'm looking for reading recommendations, for books about tool use.
>> Specifically: discussions about how the human sense of self (physical,
>> and social) is extended and altered by the presence and use of tools.
>> You've heard the sociologist's observation that, when drivers gets
>> rear-ended, they don't usually say "that car hit my car", but instead,
>> "that car hit ME". That sort of thing. Readings based in neurology,
>> philosophy, sociology -- anything would be great.
>
> Here are some suggestions (links to Amazon are for convenience only,
> I am not affiliated with them):
>
> http://www.amazon.com/The-Second-Self-Computers-Spirit/dp/0262701111/
> http://www.amazon.com/Life-Screen-Identity-Age-Internet/dp/0684833484/
> http://www.amazon.com/Evocative-Objects-Things-Think-With/dp/0262516772/
> http://www.amazon.com/Inner-History-Devices-Sherry-Turkle/dp/0262516756/
>
> http://www.amazon.com/Smarter-Than-You-Think-Technology/dp/0143125826/
> http://www.amazon.com/Shallows-What-Internet-Doing-Brains/dp/0393339750/
> http://www.amazon.com/The-Glass-Cage-Automation-Us/dp/0393240762/
>
> http://www.amazon.com/The-Metaphysics-Technology-David-Skrbina/dp/0415716624/
>
> http://cje.oxfordjournals.org/content/34/1/17.extract
> http://www.scaruffi.com/mind/gregory.html
> http://ubiquity.acm.org/article.cfm?id=1670827
> http://cje.oxfordjournals.org/content/34/1/1.extract
> http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED178395.pdf

Good lord, that will keep me going for a year! I knew this was the right
place to come. Thanks very much to you, Óscar, and off-list responders.

Cheers,
Eric

Re: [OT] reading recommendations?

[Rusi]

On Thursday, December 18, 2014 6:18:23 AM UTC+5:30, Eric Abrahamsen wrote:
> Damien Wyart writes:
> 
> > * Eric Abrahamsen  in gnu.emacs.help:
> >> I'm looking for reading recommendations, for books about tool use.
> >> Specifically: discussions about how the human sense of self (physical,
> >> and social) is extended and altered by the presence and use of tools.
> >> You've heard the sociologist's observation that, when drivers gets
> >> rear-ended, they don't usually say "that car hit my car", but instead,
> >> "that car hit ME". That sort of thing. Readings based in neurology,
> >> philosophy, sociology -- anything would be great.
> >
> > Here are some suggestions (links to Amazon are for convenience only,
> > I am not affiliated with them):
> >
> > http://www.amazon.com/The-Second-Self-Computers-Spirit/dp/0262701111/
> > http://www.amazon.com/Life-Screen-Identity-Age-Internet/dp/0684833484/
> > http://www.amazon.com/Evocative-Objects-Things-Think-With/dp/0262516772/
> > http://www.amazon.com/Inner-History-Devices-Sherry-Turkle/dp/0262516756/
> >
> > http://www.amazon.com/Smarter-Than-You-Think-Technology/dp/0143125826/
> > http://www.amazon.com/Shallows-What-Internet-Doing-Brains/dp/0393339750/
> > http://www.amazon.com/The-Glass-Cage-Automation-Us/dp/0393240762/
> >
> > http://www.amazon.com/The-Metaphysics-Technology-David-Skrbina/dp/0415716624/
> >
> > http://cje.oxfordjournals.org/content/34/1/17.extract
> > http://www.scaruffi.com/mind/gregory.html
> > http://ubiquity.acm.org/article.cfm?id=1670827
> > http://cje.oxfordjournals.org/content/34/1/1.extract
> > http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED178395.pdf
> 
> Good lord, that will keep me going for a year! I knew this was the right
> place to come. Thanks very much to you, Óscar, and off-list responders.

Yes -- good stuff. Thanks Eric for asking the question.

Can you share the suggestions you seem to have received off-list
answers as well?

Re: [OT] reading recommendations?

[Eric Abrahamsen]

Rusi <rustompmody@gmail.com> writes:

> On Thursday, December 18, 2014 6:18:23 AM UTC+5:30, Eric Abrahamsen wrote:
>> Damien Wyart writes:
>> 
>> > * Eric Abrahamsen  in gnu.emacs.help:
>> >> I'm looking for reading recommendations, for books about tool use.
>> >> Specifically: discussions about how the human sense of self (physical,
>> >> and social) is extended and altered by the presence and use of tools.
>> >> You've heard the sociologist's observation that, when drivers gets
>> >> rear-ended, they don't usually say "that car hit my car", but instead,
>> >> "that car hit ME". That sort of thing. Readings based in neurology,
>> >> philosophy, sociology -- anything would be great.
>> >
>> > Here are some suggestions (links to Amazon are for convenience only,
>> > I am not affiliated with them):
>> >
>> > http://www.amazon.com/The-Second-Self-Computers-Spirit/dp/0262701111/
>> > http://www.amazon.com/Life-Screen-Identity-Age-Internet/dp/0684833484/
>> > http://www.amazon.com/Evocative-Objects-Things-Think-With/dp/0262516772/
>> > http://www.amazon.com/Inner-History-Devices-Sherry-Turkle/dp/0262516756/
>> >
>> > http://www.amazon.com/Smarter-Than-You-Think-Technology/dp/0143125826/
>> > http://www.amazon.com/Shallows-What-Internet-Doing-Brains/dp/0393339750/
>> > http://www.amazon.com/The-Glass-Cage-Automation-Us/dp/0393240762/
>> >
>> > http://www.amazon.com/The-Metaphysics-Technology-David-Skrbina/dp/0415716624/
>> >
>> > http://cje.oxfordjournals.org/content/34/1/17.extract
>> > http://www.scaruffi.com/mind/gregory.html
>> > http://ubiquity.acm.org/article.cfm?id=1670827
>> > http://cje.oxfordjournals.org/content/34/1/1.extract
>> > http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED178395.pdf
>> 
>> Good lord, that will keep me going for a year! I knew this was the right
>> place to come. Thanks very much to you, Óscar, and off-list responders.
>
> Yes -- good stuff. Thanks Eric for asking the question.
>
> Can you share the suggestions you seem to have received off-list
> answers as well?

The only off-list suggestion that wasn't also made on-list was Marshall
McLuhan. I've browsed through these things very lightly, and so far the
one that looks like it might be closest to what I was after is the David
Skrbina, "The Metaphysics and Technology", except holy crap it's a $100
KINDLE EBOOK. $100 is such a nice, round, "go away we don't want you to
read this" number.

Eric

Re: [OT] reading recommendations?

[Emanuel Berg]

Eric Abrahamsen <eric@ericabrahamsen.net> writes:

> I'm asking here because I think Emacs (and Vim) are
> perfect examples of "tools" which are "used", as
> opposed to "machines" which are "operated". They
> extend the boundaries of the self, and their usage
> is in a way more physical than mental.

I agree Emacs is very much physical once you get to
know it. The configurations I am the most proud of are
those that draw on that. For example, scrolling - I
scroll one line at a time, up and down with M-i and
M-k. This is because my left thumb... ah, I think you
understand: it has to do with finger positions for
typing, and i being directly above k on the keyboard,
of course.

Yes, it is physical more than mental (ha, "mental" use
of an editor - is that Professor X controlling it with
telepathy?) but it is mental as well, which is
physical, which is... Remember the words of Hegel the
Wise: "The body is a brain, and the brain is part of
the body."

If there is a distinction, it is: all basic, every-day
stuff should be very easy to do. Easy and *fast*.
Because if it is, you don't have to think about it *at
all*. That means, you can think about what isn't
basic, every-day, but what is difficult, and requires
a creative solution.

So when your mind feels good, and you want to do fun
things, be sure not to waste that feeling and
motivation to look for files, reboot the computer,
etc., because you don't have to do that for much time
before all that good karma is gone. So have everything
arranged, always. "Care of kit", as they call it in
the UK army (the best in the world?).

Remember the best muay Thai warriors master kicking by
throwing 1000 kicks every day. And the best hockey
players in the NHL - contrary to the "highlights" they
play again and again at burger shops - the best
players are those who do the basic things the best, at
the right times, and with the most confidence. All
that fancy stuff is great fun, but it isn't what makes
them great as hockey players.

If you do basic stuff all day long, the advanced stuff
- the shamanism if you will, or "highlight" stuff -
that will just appear when you need it. And you will
be surprised: Hey, I never practiced *that*! Indeed,
not that you didn't...

> I would like to read anything by any smart person
> who has thought deeply about this question.

I have thought about this, but not deeply I would say,
because there isn't anything that deep about it. If it
is, I'm to narrow-minded to see it.

I wrote some about physical-mental ergonomics in this
document. Make a search for Emacs, GUI, and especially
the chapter "Editor looks", but it isn't deep - it is
basic, like this post.

    http://user.it.uu.se/~embe8573/about/degree/x.pdf

-- 
underground experts united

Re: [OT] reading recommendations?

[Emanuel Berg]

Eric Abrahamsen <eric@ericabrahamsen.net> writes:

> Good lord, that will keep me going for a year!

Hopefully you will be wise enough to not only read the
books, but be active at the same time, with the
material you assimilate through the books but also
with that which is just there, which will come, for
sure. Otherwise it won't work ;) No, it is the truth,
of course.

-- 
underground experts united

Re: [OT] reading recommendations?

[Emanuel Berg]

Eric Abrahamsen <eric@ericabrahamsen.net> writes:

> The only off-list suggestion that wasn't also made
> on-list was Marshall McLuhan. I've browsed through
> these things very lightly, and so far the one that
> looks like it might be closest to what I was after
> is the David Skrbina, "The Metaphysics and
> Technology", except holy crap it's a $100 KINDLE
> EBOOK. $100 is such a nice, round, "go away we don't
> want you to read this" number.

Perhaps you can dial the BBSs on FidoNet and get in
touch with some ASCII-traders...

-- 
underground experts united