Dynamic Digital Diversity (in two parts)

This content is cross-posted to Tumbld Thoughts. A series of readings (in two parts) on trends in digital technology and the nature of internet use. 

I. The Digital Monoculture and its Discontents, the Digital Hellscape and its Malcontents

The first reading list is on alternatives for consumption and use of internet [1] and virtual worlds [2]. Where one type of person sees corporatist monoculture as the norm, others see new opportunities. How do we achieve a more mindful computing environment? In the case of reading [1], mindful means greater balance between the deluge of information and the ability to reflect upon it. Discover the possibilities courtesy of an insightful techno-buzzword salad on topics such as ubiquitous information and disconnectionists.

The second reading [2] confuses the "post-apocalyptic" for "eschewing the corporate". Today's Second Life is like what would happen to Burning Man if all of the hipsters and Silicon Valley types stopped going. People are doing a lot of interesting things under the radar of the hype machine. An interesting article notwithstanding.

II. What do People of the Internet and the Sciences Want?

Here are some interesting readings and visualizations related to science and technology. The first [3] is a network analysis of comments received by the FCC in response to preserving net neutrality. Interestingly, this analysis allows us to assess the uniqueness of each major argument (and how one side of the argument tended to be suspiciously more homogeneous). The second visualization [4] is a survey of how scientists use social media to advance their research. This includes now only how these tools are used, but which tools are most popular. 

NOTES:

[1] McFedries, P.    Mindful computing. IEEE Spectrum, July 25 (2014).

[2] Levy, K.   Second Life Has Devolved Into A Post-Apocalyptic Virtual World, And The Weirdest Thing Is How Many People Still Use It. Business Insider, August 1 (2014).

One version of a "post-apocalyptic hellscape".

[3] Hu, E.   A Fascinating Look Inside Those 1.1 Million Open-Internet Comments. All Tech Considered blog, August 12 (2014).

[4] Van Noorden, R.   Online collaboration: Scientists and the social network. Nature News, August 13 (2014).