Machines as Power Extension

In further reading in Natural Born Cyborgs,  Clark is talking about the use of language as a way of objectifying thought ,  which allows those objectified pieces to be a source of further "creativity" and cognition.  It is a bit of "scaffolding" that allows us to recall,  disect,  and bounce off of older thoughts,  and create new lines of thought.  It reminds me of how ,  on several occasions,  I can recall having what seems to be an important insight,  but I am away from my tools like my computer or even a notepad to scribble down some points.  By the time I return to my "station" or place where I can record these thoughts or ideas,  all the little connections/synapses are gone from my mind.  I MIGHT be able to re-construct my train of thought by re-reading something I was reading when the insight or connection occurred,  but often that particular thought is gone. 

Rather than increasing the danger that we are building TOOLS that will later turn on us,  we may be building "scaffolding" that allows us to retain key thought processes and record or freeze conversations which have advanced to a certain point--- and continue to move on with these conversations by providing a platform which allows us to continue to record the process,  and allow all of the participants to reflect upon the contributions of ALL of the participants.  In FTF conversations,  the energy generated by conversations that seem to energize us is broken up somewhat by the "meeting constraints" (the time from one meeting to the next).  When such conversations can be recorded --- as when someone can note-take,  perhpas "blog" the conversation and so "extend it" into the realm of text,  hosted on a network,  so that the participants can "keep their juices flowing" in this exchange,  on an "as needed" or "when-can access" basis (which ,  in today's rapidly expanding WiFi extending of the network,  is moving ever faster toward extending its tentacles and points of access to more places).

Far from becoming "too powerful",  the Net in this sense is "expanding the reach of the brain"; in other words,  it is providing us with notepads extending outward from a variety of social situations which we must step into and step out of in a constant flow.   When Churches and organizations and workplaces learn that our conversations and plans and projects need constant attention lest we have to "backtrack" and "recapture" the energy generated by the previous meeting,  we can be improved upon by allowing ourselves these spaces where we "record" our energies and insights and can offer up some of these notes to the "social spaces" which allow us to continue to bounce our thoughts off one another. 

This is important for the Church,  at work,  and in those Third Places (the Church itself must take on some of the burden of "Third Place",  as I believe this is a major social and spirtual impetus for the Church in the first place.  It is called to be a place where Calling is explored (to address the search for purpose) and where our relationships to each other are built in the pursuit of questions around "to what and to where"  God is calling US.  In the process of exploring our "purpose under God",  we discover interdependencies and the resource we represent to one another.

© Copyright 2003 Dale Lature. Last update: 9/23/2003; 3:41:20 PM.