cowbite.org

Books as Data

I've been enjoying this from James Bridle. In the accompanying post he makes his definition of books very clear;

And so when I talk about “books”, I don’t mean ‘ebooks’ or ‘bound books’ or any division thereof: I’m talking about something written down and transmitted. When we talk about how we feel about and interact with music now we don’t have to specify whether it’s MP3 or vinyl in most contexts. That’s not really what the discussion is about.

The reason this needs to be clear is because when we ask what is different about digital books, what we are asking is what existing qualities of the book digital enhances.

I'm doing a lot of thinking about TV Drama at the moment - wrestling with what multiplatform drama is, and what it should/could be. James' talk resonates.

links for 2011-08-03

• Everybody Is A Game Designer
  "Children will turn anything into a toy, any toy into a game and any game into a story. Adults do just the same thing, they just don’t do the noises. At least not when anyone’s looking."
  (tags: games play storytelling)

Teller on patterns, expectation and the psychology of magic

 

Jon Stewart and John Oliver on #NOTW

They say it better than I ever could.

(Although it's a drag that the video isn't embeddable.)

links for 2011-07-04

• Senior surfers on a roll | Malcolm Knox | Life and style | The Guardian
  "..surfing is meant to be about soul, about nature, about communing with the secret language of tides and swells. That's one way of looking at it. Another way of looking at it is as an activity that has the purest addictive properties. It is unbelievably hard to be good at. It is unbelievably hard even to be bad at. As with golf, swimming and running, you suffer so much mental and physical torment as a beginner that you are locked into constant practice to stop slipping back.

  ..If I can ride a shorter, less embarrassing board. If I can stop hyperventilating with exhaustion and panic in big surf. I never wanted to sit in the beautiful, warm ocean and exalt at the sight of a dolphin. I never wanted to meditate and divine life's secrets. I wanted the next step. Before it was too late. Forget that dying happy business."

  I like the way Malcolm Knox articulates the complex nature of deriving pleasure from physical exertion. I may quote him next time I'm asked why I get up so early.

  
  
  (tags: surfing sport fitness mastery enjoyment happiness)