Disqus - Latest Comments for oswaldothegreat

Re: downdetector.com/status/dropbox

howard — Sat, 14 Oct 2017 08:23:28 -0000

https://status.dropbox.com/ Investigating - All parts of the Dropbox platform are currently down for most users. We’re working to fix the problem as quickly as we can. We’ll share another update shortly.
Oct 14, 11:52 UTC

Re: A more detailed analysis of the traditional approach to model building

howard — Tue, 01 Mar 2016 16:35:18 -0000

Good question. I'm sure you have some ideas about that. Care to give us some hints?

One thing that I am constantly impressed by own brain (such as it is) is how its able to create abstractions without having to necessarily rely on language or specific nomenclature. It seems to be able to navigate through both known and new experiences with a flexible system of understanding that seamlessly mixes spatial concepts, sensory inputs and intuitive guessing. The speed, fluidity and bandwidth (for lack of a better term) are staggeringly impressive when you think about how to even begin modeling something remotely similar.

Another interesting problem is how hierarchy seems to work. How does the brain assign priorities among competing inputs and processes in a constantly shifting landscape?

Could a system analogous to those that model new drugs and chemicals be an inspiration? I'm not really familiar with these systems, but I imagine that they have created a great many rules and entities in order to attempt to get close to covering a high percentage of combinations and possibilities. At a certain point you could turn the system loose to experiment, record its experiences and create new abstractions on the fly. I realize that I am speaking very vaguely and without any specific expertise, but it is a lot of fun to think about :-)

Re: Moved to Sevenoaks, Kent

howard — Sat, 15 Nov 2014 19:05:32 -0000

It's also a unique opportunity for the people you meet to get to know you. Lucky for them!

Re: How memory evolved

howard — Wed, 02 Apr 2014 13:44:55 -0000

Some other expressions that come to mind: meandering mind, thoughts running away, a trip down memory lane...

Re: That Altavista moment

howard — Sat, 14 Dec 2013 17:56:36 -0000

I do remember that very well. I actually sold the Italian monthly ad impressions on Altavista (something like 2 million a month in 1998 which was a HUGE number). Every year or so a new search startup makes a little noise, but nothing that has changed our very notion of search like Google did. Yes, the time is ripe for the biomimetics search engine ;-)

Re: Emergent social behavior in bio-hybrid systems

howard — Tue, 06 Aug 2013 09:45:08 -0000

As we get deeper into the weeds, considering the excellent points made by Stuart and Marco, Marco's point about defining terms raises its ugly head :) What do we mean by sentient? When does a behavior achieve the status of emergence? Can experiments be designed to assist in recognition? Of what? After all, chaos, so-called intelligent design and emergence describe the same set of partially understood facts. Time for a nap...

Re: Emergent social behavior in bio-hybrid systems

howard — Mon, 05 Aug 2013 09:25:12 -0000

I hope the walk was great...

I enjoyed the post and agree with your take. It actually surprises me that you were in the minority, if not alone, in your understanding of AI. It's obvious that current technology is only able to throw computational power at a problem to simulate understanding. Following that path to its logical conclusion would create a kind of hall of mirrors simulating deeper levels of AI, but really it would just be an elaborately constructed illusion. We love to anthropomorphize. Which is not to deny that important discoveries will be made, useful technologies will emerge and huge businesses will be built based on this approach.

Since you brought up the issue of the language we must use to discuss these nuanced topics, perhaps this should lead us to emphasize the A in AI rather than the I.

Re: Tutti dobbiamo un po' cambiare

howard — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 17:36:55 -0000

uffa.

Re: Musings of a mobile marketer: The Road to Mobile World Congress 2013

howard — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 04:54:35 -0000

Just a note to let ticket seekers know that AppsFuel has put up a 2nd contest for free passes, set to end on 18 Feb. Details here: http://blog.appsfuel.com/20... See you there.... !

Re: Change, change and change

howard — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 10:33:24 -0000

The only hope that we have in the western democracies is that when it comes down to the wire (sort of like the fiscal cliff joke, but more serious), the obviousness of the disruption will be clear even to those trying to hold on to power, so that a last-second total, global disaster *may* be avoided by a lesser-of-the-evils accommodation. But this is playing with fire because so many things can go wrong. The whole thing could explode anyway.

And, of course, we have no way to predict how the externalities like a fast-spreading war, massive terrorism or climate change will add fuel the fire... not to mention social upheaval, which is the fire itself, and the natural result of the sudden collapse that you refer to.

Re: http://www.underpaidgenius.com/post/33233321410

howard — Tue, 09 Oct 2012 12:01:32 -0000

But then, poof, it appeared after the other comment. I guess that picture really sent me.

Re: http://www.underpaidgenius.com/post/33233321410

howard — Tue, 09 Oct 2012 12:00:13 -0000

I can see why you'd say that!
(I couldn't post in the thread because the post button is eternally hidden by the lower navigation bar in my browser...)

Re: http://www.underpaidgenius.com/post/33233321410

howard — Tue, 09 Oct 2012 11:46:30 -0000

Sweet, thanks for turning me on!

Re: What If APIs Should Be Finding Developers Instead of Developers Discovering APIs?

howard — Wed, 12 Sep 2012 13:02:58 -0000

It's a great idea... almost biomimicry :-) It should work just the way a flower attracts a bee, and a bee looks for the flower.

Re: Cognitive Neuromorphic Engineering Workshop

howard — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 18:12:48 -0000

4 years is a looooong time. :-)

Re: Startup Mentoring, the Socratic Way

howard — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 06:53:01 -0000

You alluded to this in step 2, but I just wanted to underscore that great mentoring should impart (often by unspoken example) another fundamental rock of wisdom: know thyself.

Re: Eurozone turmoil: Enter the technocrats - Tony Barber

howard — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 13:09:20 -0000

Meaty post.

Living here in Italy, I have another perspective to share. First off, my own point of departure is probably very similar to yours in that I believe that we need (and will soon be forced to) radically reinvent capitalism to halt the death spiral that its current incarnation has wrought. I agree with the premise that the real power brokers, let's code them as 'wall street' for brevity, have been surfaced as they try to get a hold of their own system spinning out of control.

The new government will have to survive a vote of confidence in the parliament and if they do so, considering the rancorous atmosphere and entrenched party interests in Italy, it will have democratic legitimacy -- elected by the elected representatives. I don't think you can call that totalitarianism.

The immense pressure to change the channel on Berlusconi was brought to bear by the market. As the interest rate on Italian bonds soared there was a collective recognition that the irresistible force of financial crisis had grown strong enough to move the apparently immovable object that was the Berlusconi government. And so there were enough defections in the ranks of his party to cause him to lose the confidence vote and to force the formation of a new government. The troika imposed a series of structural reforms and policies, not the swearing in of a new government. Still, it wasn't pretty.

Italians need to take responsibility for having giving Berlusconi enough rope, but the reason that there will be no significant protests in the street against the bank-driven non-democratic change of government is that there is an overwhelming feeling of relief and hope that outweighs fears of what austerity they will have to suffer. They are not shell-shocked into passivity, they are (very) anxiously hoping to regain the trust of the markets and will take a wait and see attitude to see how the details of the structural reforms will play out. Italians can be remarkably practical, flexible, skeptical and jaded. There are also less positive adjectives that are responsible for Berlusconism and the huge black economy.

This is not to say that there won't be huge demonstrations or violence in the future as the real pain is felt. But I don't think it will be about the legitimacy of the government, it will be about policy. And there will be lots of TV talk shows doling out the blame.

It is going to be very interesting to watch what unfolds as this government of non-partisan experts starts to work and brings their program before the parliament for vote after vote after vote. We have been suffering from politicians talking past each other for many years, leaving the economy in shambles. Perhaps they will, at least, start talking with each other.

Re: Games People Play, and Social Games Online

howard — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 03:53:13 -0000

I completely agree. Thanks for the stimulation.

Re: Games People Play, and Social Games Online

howard — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 17:05:34 -0000

What I really liked about your bringing Berne's work into a discussion of social games was the way that it challenges your readers to look at the word 'game' in a much deeper way. But I think it's a mistake taking that too far.

The danger here is confusing the settings by taking Berne's games from psychology into sociology. His work is about psychoanalysis, of an individual, a couple or even groups. In this context his ego states model is a proven and productive tool, in the right hands, of course. The games he describes are meant to be analyzed in conjunction with a full understanding the individual and unique history of the each person involved in the transaction. In some cases the players can change roles within the same game, change games or invent new flavors of games of their own. The deeper you dig, you find that the games are neither nice nor simple. :-)And that is why I take your point that his model of the ego states doesn't belong in a discussion of sociology, games and interaction design. And from the very little I know of Goffman, and your comments, his work seems more directly relevant to social game design.

Re: Games People Play, and Social Games Online

howard — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 04:47:09 -0000

This is a great post, Adrian.

I hope that people reading this take the time to read and think deeply about Berne's incredibly groundbreaking work in order to clearly distinguish, as you do, the different use cases of the word 'game'. It is a key to understanding how we relate to world by creating situations, sniffing out clues, playing our part and achieving ulterior ends -- all without being consciously aware of carefully we orchestrated the outcome.

It is interesting to note that Berne's use of the term games connotes a lack of transparency, a fundamentally hidden route to achieve a result that you don't have the awareness to achieve openly and, that if you did, you would probably choose not to go for it, coming away with a more profound understanding of yourself as a bonus.

I guess you would earn a self-awareness badge ;-)

Re: Mobile Apps Must Die | Blog | design mind

howard — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 11:57:41 -0000

I appreciate your response Scott. I don't necessarily disagree with your vision, but it's your framing that I object to. It sets up a false dichotomy. Nothing needs to die for this to come to pass.

There are thousands of very smart people working on the various pieces of the puzzle and they are not being slowed down one nanosecond because of the current success of native mobile apps. If anything there is more money being invested in these advanced technologies because of how successful mobile apps are proving to be.

The resources being spent on mobile apps today are well spent responding to people with today's devices and are providing a wonderful testing environment for UI/UX developers and designers that will still be in huge demand if and when your instant access model comes to be.

If native apps eventually die it will be the result of a better way of doing things, not because it's a necessary condition for getting to where you want to go.

Re: Forrester: ecco le 10 mobile app più cool

howard — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 07:21:34 -0000

Un pochino sì, ma dalla mia parte pignolo NO! :-)

Intanto, da poco ho scoperto http://www.zemanta.com/ , un plugin/extension che facilita l'inserimento di link mentre scrivi.

Re: Forrester: ecco le 10 mobile app più cool

howard — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 07:01:41 -0000

Paolo, grazie per la risposta. Infatti il contenuto di qualità conta tantissimo, ma come avete già capito, il collegamento ipertestuale è fondamentale per valorizzare lo stesso contenuto e per risparmiare tempo e fatica per i lettori. Buon lavoro e buon appetito ;-)

Re: Forrester: ecco le 10 mobile app più cool

howard — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 05:38:22 -0000

Wow. Complimenti. Un blog post di 2011 che parla di servizi web senza neanche 1 link.

Re: Comparison of free versions of Yammer & Chatter

howard — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 03:32:22 -0000

Thanks for this comparison... I was following the question on Quora and clicked through. I would be interested in a more subjective comparison, as well, if you have the time to comment. For instance, neither platform seems to have a specific module or interface for project management, task assignment and tracking, true? Do you find that a problem, or is that not an issue for you? How would you express the value and main use cases if you were trying to convince somone of their usefulness?