November 2009

There were 3 posts published in November 2009 (this is page 1 of 1).

A better facebook interface

One of the problems for Facebook’s interface is that people post at an unequal rate. Those who post a hundred messages a day drown out those who post just occasionally, and this happens despite attempts to balance things. A solution to this would be to introduce an alternative “friends” view which would present just the latest update from each friend and, when clicked, would expand all that person’s other posts. The arrangement could be according to the last person who posted appearing first. However, our “top 20” or “top 40” friends (whoever many fit comfortably on the first page) would always show first, regardless of the number of messages they post. That would prevent the frequent posters from crowding out best friends who post infrequently.

The above suggestion would make it possible for those who like to post as frequently as they do on Twitter from feeling restrained by Facebook etiquette and it would make it unnecessary for Facebook users to block frequent posters. It could be an alternative view to News Feed and Live Feed – but I think it would be popular. And it should be “sticky” – i.e. persistent between Facebook sessions, once chosen. If I recall correctly, Flock browser’s facebook view already presents a friends list with latest status message from each friend.

Red Corner

Red Corner is a movie about an American who comes afoul of the Chinese legal system. It stars Richard Gere and a lovely Chinese actress named – I think – Ban Lee. I’m writing from an Ipod and it isn’t so easy to look up references. Quite a terrible movie. I wasn’t so worried about what critics called the hackneyed plot – since I don’t watch so many movies that never bothers me. And the silly plot developments didn’t worry me too much either. But I felt angry that the American director felt he could give himself so much license in his portrayal of China. I feel few sentiments towards that country, but this kind of xenophobic rubbish, which has a senior Chinese official pull out a gun and dispense summary justice in the courtroom, and other absurdities just add to the cross-cultural bad vibes. It’s a pity that Richard Gere, the Buddhist devotee of the Dalai Lama, involved himself in a hateful movie like this. The media always reports with indignation the way in which Israelis or westerners are depicted badly in Arab or Iranian films.

Memories and experience

Walking in the woods today I turned my thoughts to my early childhood. The fields and woods were growing dark under a gibbous moon and there was plenty of time to let memories surface. I thought of the houses in which I lived, of moments with parents, of childhood friends. It was actually surprising how few memories came, especially before the age of five. I think if I were to write headlines for each of these memories, they would not fill very much space.

Then I let my thoughts flow to memories of adolescence and adulthood. There too the record is murky – a convoluted worm’s-path in sand. I felt sad not on account of memories, but for the fact that so much of life passes unconsciously, unprocessed, without due reflection, as if on automatic pilot. And the consequence is that memory is dim. Even the broad outlines, such as the rationale for directions taken, lose their clarity.

Just as my feet knew to complete the long circle of my evening walk in the semi-darkness, while my mind was reeling back through other times and places, my life experience has brought me safely along to the present juncture. It isn’t a question of following a path and reaching a destination – it’s a question of the manner in which we travel the path.