Personal
Personal reflections, comments about things I've been doing, etc.
Pseudonymity and Anonymity online
Submitted by Aldon Hynes on Mon, 12/19/2005 - 11:43My online persona grew up in the world of MOOs, and I think that world can provide us some helpful insights in how pseudonymity and anonymity can work online.
Why is this important? Recently, there have been lots of discussions about anonymity and pseudonymity online. How can Craig’s List deal better with trolls and scamsters? How can Wikipedia better deal with people deliberately posting false information? How can we have better discussions in the comment sections of active blog sites? Would requiring some sort of consistent online identity help address these problems? What sort of level of verification should be used?
R.I.P. - Jude Nagurney Camwell's mother.
Submitted by Aldon Hynes on Wed, 12/07/2005 - 10:15My thoughts and prayers go out to Jude and her family.
Endgame
Submitted by Aldon Hynes on Mon, 11/28/2005 - 21:38“Finished, it's finished, nearly finished, it must be nearly finished.”
So, some recent blog posts have gotten me thinking about Samuel Beckett. The line above is the opening line of Endgame. It came to me as I read the last unread message in my inbox, a feat I haven’t managed to do in nearly a month. Yet, is a sisyphusian task. For as I sleep, another bolder of emails will roll down the virtual highway. Even as I write this post, new emails arrive.
The furnace is still broken. A new part has been ordered and perhaps there will be heat again on Wednesday. It’s okay. It isn’t that cold out right now. We work situation remains ambiguous. I expect a resolution on Wednesday, at least a resolution until the next bolder arrives.
“Grain upon grain, one by one, and one day, suddenly, there's a heap, a little heap, the impossible heap.”
"The Net. He thinks he’s entangled in a net."
Submitted by Aldon Hynes on Sat, 11/26/2005 - 21:22(One of Pozzo’s lines in Waiting for Godot.)
The other day, I quoted another line of Pozzo’s in Waiting for Godot. It was about meeting new people along our way, and I talked about it terms of blogging. Colin, one of those people I’ve recently met along the way, pointed to it today, and it caused me to return to waiting to Godot.
Pozzo’s departing line is, “They give birth astride of a grave, the light gleams an instant, then it's night once more.” I am struggling with a difficult work issue right now. This afternoon, Kim came upstairs saying that the water heater was leaking. Actually, it was the pipe leading from the radiators to the furnace, so we are without heat right now.
My sleep has been erratic, so these bleak thoughts resonate.
(To sleep, perchance to dream.)
So, "What do we do now, ... while waiting"? We could blog. "It'll pass the time."
Margaret's trip with Breast Cancer
Submitted by Aldon Hynes on Fri, 11/25/2005 - 12:38Playing the comment game at Michele’s blog, I stumbled across this blog entry. It particularly struck me, and I posted a comment there, which I am posting here as well.
Hi. Michele sent me. I'm glad she did. Great writing.
Your comment, "Are you there God? It's me Megan", together with references to doggie cancer made me put together a couple different thoughts.
Recently, a good friend discovered she has breast cancer. Stop by and read her blog at My trip with breast cancer.
I cannot help but wonder how many women like Kimberly read Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret years ago as they struggled with their adolescent bodies and their relationship with God, and are now facing new struggles with their bodies and their relationship with God.
