Kc’s Comments (group member since Mar 02, 2013)

Kc’s comments from the EDCMOOC group.

Philip K Dick stories as radio plays - worth a listen?

http://www.openculture.com/2015/12/he...

Dear all, agree totally. We have this space & I would like further recommendations. We could do the odd chat too perhaps!

It helped me learn about connectivism in a hands on way. Long live edcmooc!

Dear all,

The book group has quite possibly run it's course, but I was thinking the other day about what a great group it was.

We ran for two and a half years following participation on one of the early Massive Open Online Courses together (with about 80000 other people!).

We have read and discussed about 24 books/short stories and I for one have been introduced to authors I would never have otherwise come across.

I have valued our discussions and maintained an interest in the themes and how I viewed and used social media as a learning tool has evolved alongside.

Best wishes
KC

We've postponed this chat until Saturday 5th September when more people can make it.

K

Also, we have manuscripts housed for 100s of years - some lasting through cataclysmic times. Will digital artefacts last that long?

1. "in the meantime our lives are going unrecorded" -

Are our lives constantly recorded? what might the implications be?

2. What is productive work or usefulness?

3. what was the significance of the proverb 'for the want of a nail?'

4. Is it important to keep ourselves alive at all costs?

Please add/comment.

Hi Chris, nice to hear from you. I don't get out much on Saturday evening!
K

proverb - For Want of a Nail https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/For_W...

(sorry I'm late putting this up) - our read in July is short story "For want of a nail" by Mary Kowal.

There is a version to read online here https://www.smashwords.com/extreader/...

Join us on Twitter using the hashtag #edcmchat on Saturday 1st August (Sunday for NZ/Aus) 21:30 (UK time).

Join us for a tweet chat on 4th July (5th for Aus/NZ), 21:30 UK time. Using the hashtag #edcmchat

A free version of the story can be found here http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/28554

All welcome. Please post comments below.

Would anyone like to moderate?

Some suggested questions...

1. what were you first impressions of the story?

2. How much do you think our languages affect perception of the world?

3. Do languages limit what we can know?

The narrator's sense of time changed after learning to communicate with the Heptapods - this seemed to comfort her in her grief. Is how we perceive time connected to how we describe or think about it?

Short Story

Book chat 21:30 - 22:30 (uk time) Sat 6th June.

Story available as a pdf here https://mathisgasser.wordpress.com/20...

Please enter comments below.

Stephane wrote: "Q2. The manipulation of moddies is quite sensitive. Would you use such a technology ? For which application and whose personality would you like to experiment ?"

Mmm. good question! The operation required might put me off. I might consider it as I get older, if, for example I become immobile. I don't think I would like it as I am now - the only advantage I can see is extra energy and being able to take on new interests, perhaps not needing sleep. However, the toll is taken on the body as there is a Cold Turkey (withdrawal).

Stephane wrote: "Q0. Our traditional first impressions on the book. Did you like it ?"

I found it a gripping crime novel and read it very quickly. The sci-fi elements were a big part of the context, but the book stood up well on it's story and plot. The characters were interesting and there were some good twists! I would be happy to seek out other books by Effinger.

Stephane wrote: "Q1. I was surprised to read that the story is supposed to take place near the end of the 22nd century (published in 1986 though). Year 2015, I'd set the story in maybe 20 years from now, except may..."

It surprised me that the book was written in 1986 - I assumed it was written in the last 5 years or so. 50 years in the UK - I think we are at very unpredictable stage in history. I don't know whether it's because we have more information to draw on, but the world seems to be going through a big change (and yes, geopolitical definitely). Technology-wise, if it keeps developing then augmentation and wearables will be normalised. This will come with a pay off for privacy. There may be groups who resist these because of this and also there will be 'battles' over who owns the technology (ie. people/big companies). On the positive side, technology will be focussed in one way to try to mitigate climate change and peak oil but this will create greater global divides in the 'haves' and 'have nots'. On a personal level, I'll probably be in the same house growing vegetables as I am now!

Q4. There was a theme of nature (what is natural - emotions/bodily functions) - what other examples were there in the theme of nature vs synthetic?

"Being in the world but not of it"
Q3. What virtue was there to being 'unmodified'. Did it have advantages over the Moddies?

I had a few thoughts. Will note them here before Saturday.

Hi Stephane, that would be great thanks. I got it for about £3 on the Kindle.

Note, UK times will have gone forward an hour by then. A good place to check is http://www.worldtimebuddy.com/?qm=1&a...