DanShaw.com Modern Alchemy

Revised:

2008-01-26T22:55:00.000-08:00

TriDictionary.com(TM)

Tri-lingual Resources

PhD-26jan08-6th

Abstract: Proposes thesis; suggests wiki.

The prospects for world peace depend on communication, and communication on language. An understanding of the others’ language is vital then, to speeding international communication to its ideal. In particular, three volumes are suggested:

1. Hebrew-Arabic-English
2. Russian-Greek-English
3. French-English-Spanish

The Triangle of Triangles

Hebrew-Arabic-English
Because the Rome-Jerusalem-Mecca line is the heart of the world’s spirituality.

Russian-Greek-English
Because so much of America comes from Russia, and the power of the Eagle with the Bear.

French-English-Spanish
Because we are the Latin family.

http://tridictionary.com/

Geographic Emphasis of Atlas

Each volume would be an Atlas, with maps showing the geographic homelands, emigration, and Diaspora, and times of the people, languages and words.

Translation Needs

I will begin compiling resources here.

URL

I will need working partners at URAO in Moscow, who will be available to work with me on this project. While there, I will lecture on language acquisition in general and Russian-English language in particular.

? Who will work with me in Moscow?

Themes and topical specialty products

People find linguistic misunderstandings and faux amis very amusing; we could compile these as a basis for books, tapes and videos.

Wiki

Obviously required.

Formats:

The initial formats will be brief, black and white, affordable format to prove the concept, build production and marketing relationships, with plans for color editions in a higher price point.

Video formats

High-definition images of mouth and neck of speakers.

Audio Tapes

Based on video. Additional voice cues describing shape of lips, tongue and mouth, and faux amis.

Audio CD

Extensive granulation into

Amplifier Effect

Much that is learned and achieved in the production and marketing of the first book and website will be amplified by the production and marketing of the second and third.

Action Steps:

Answer above questions.

Post to wikipedia.

Keywords:

Mathematics; linguistics; sermons; wiki

Length: Approximately # words

Author:

Revised:

2008-01-26T22:28:00.001-08:00

Applying Mathematic & Geometric Principles to Linguistics

PhD-26jan08-2nd

Abstract: Pairs of antonyms can be arrayed along an axis of symmetry; variables including neutrality, context, time, create a multi-dimensional model of linguistics

A quick reading of Stuart C. Dodd’s writings

URL

suggests that mathematics may be applied to the liberal arts. Dr. Richard Kirby suggests that mathematics may be applied to theology.

URL

Dan Shaw, this author, suggests its application to linguistics. Words and thus concepts can be deconstructed usefully along an axis, I have been collecting such “word-charts” and “word-graphs” for years, and will post some here.

It is simple to construct pairs of antonyms along an ‘axis of subtlety’ where one side is the positive aspect, e.g., thrift, and the other, the negative aspect, e.g., “spendthrift,” “tight-wad,” “scrooge,” etc. Along the plane of symmetry, one posits the neutral word and aspect , e.g., “relation to money.” One might then posit another ‘axis’ along which the variable is things other than money, say relationship to plants, animals, people, places, ideas, etc. Now we have a three dimensional plane of relationships between words, ideas, levels of subtlety, and contexts. There are also multidimensional models, perhaps I will go into this further next in my post on

The Additive Model of Social Interactions

URL

? What would a 4-th dimensional time-based “word-graph” look like?

See the work of Jose Arguelles

URL

Tortuga

Action Steps:

Answer above questions.

Post to wikipedia.

Keywords:

Mathematics; linguistics; geometry; word-graph; Jose Arguelles

Length: Approximately # words

Author:

Revised:

2008-01-26T20:16:00.000-08:00

With Me

Teach me something

Learn something from me

Work with me

Make me laugh

Make me cry

When I say something

Take a deep breath

And sigh

Cry

Ask my advice

Take my advice

Take comfort

Remembering words and worlds we share

The highest compliment

Touching hearts

=================

2008-01-26T20:09:00.000-08:00

Theology of Mathematics: Defining & Popularizing a ‘New’ Focus of Research

PhD-26jan08-2nd

Abstract: Requests lists of axioms and resources; suggests wiki.

Apparently the phrase “theology of mathematics” was coined by Dr. Richard S. Kirby, and inspired at least in part by Stuart C. Dodd. In my understanding, the phrase encompasses applying mathematical principles to the study of ethics. One example would be 1³ = 1, implying that when we ‘multiply’ our small individual selves, we create the greater one, the All One, the divine.

I suggest that we-you create a wikipedia listing for his topic, and create a list of axioms, explanations, etc.

?What are the sources of this idea?

?What articles should be linked here?

Action Steps:

Answer above questions.

Post to wikipedia.

Keywords:

Mathematics; theology; NAUP; sermons;

Length: Approximately # words

Author:

http://danshaw.com/9-stage-model.php

Revised:

2008-01-26T14:37:00.001-08:00

Productizing Your Existing Writings (and music):

Using Dr. Kirby’s work as an example for others

PhD-26jan08-2nd

Abstract: Careful assessment required of which existing materials can be most rapidly and profitably produced and marketed.

In previous articles I introduced the 9-Stage Model as it applies to the development of social movements,

based on the work of Richard Moore.

http://quaylargo.com/rkm

I am adapting that model to communications theory. Like Stuart C. Dodd’s matrix

A Scientific Foundation for World Culture, by Stuart C. Dodd and Burt Webb, Jan 1976

http://www.stuartcdoddinstitute.org/dodd-worldculture.shtml

the 9-Stage Model suggests that for effective action, we look up and down the timeline from our standpoint in the infinitesimal now. Specifically, looking at how we (as principals of NAUP &) as writers, and musicians, can “make use of the results” of our previous work. These already (semi-)completed works are the most expedient to bring to market, with the lowest production time and expense, hence the greatest (passive) profit potential.

Old products, new channels

Simply re-formatting old works can create new markets and distribution channels. Can we sell writings, e.g. the sermons, on CD?

Can we market videos?

Downloadable sales

What can we sell as downloadable .pdfs?

DanShaw.com downloadable sales

My website has the capability to sell downloadable files.

First questions

Specifically we need to know: What existing writings-works does RK feel are his best and most marketable?

What needs to be done to produce these?

What needs to be done to market these?

Who are our allies in this project?

Sermons: compiled by year and by theme

By year:

I could do this in a good day’s work, but I am still in the process of reading and editing these. Who (else) can input the edits after Richard approves them?

By theme:

Humbletown and other sermons

This collection of writings would be a great place to start.

Science Fiction shorts

?Which writings are in this category?

Altars of the Future

This topic would particularly easy to market if it were targeted for religious bookstores. I suggest we broaden the appeal by shifting the emphasis somewhat so that it begins with a ‘specialized concordance’ of Biblical references to altars; then put Dr. K’s commentary at the end. This short booklet would be relatively inexpensive to print

? would there be funds for an initial printing (3,000 + / -) and some marketing?

Action Steps:

Evaluate existing works

Weigh potential profitability

Prioritize

I have created a chart for this purpose:

Comparing Potential Profitability

http://danshaw.com/dan-shaw-writer.php

Keywords:

NAUP; sermons;

Length: Approximately # words

Author:

http://www.thehope.org/MAINp2.htm#publications

Revised:

2008-01-26T09:22:00.000-08:00

Compliments: Useful or Useless?

Responding to Compliments: A Quasi-Experiment

Adv. Interpersonal Comm. Dr. Shafer Summer II 2000

This article I wrote several years ago for a communications class at SOU, I've added a postscript and posted it because the topic seems important to me today...

The ability to give compliments and to receive compliments marks a skilled communicator. (Dow). By better understanding a single speech act, we can better understand all communication (Searle). The question I chose to peruse for the purposes of this quasi-experiment is: "Do compliments elicit formulaic responses?" Knapp et al found that compliments were very formulaic, being used in specific ways regarding certain topics, phrased in a limited number of ways, and eliciting very similar types of responses. Another author, Wolfson, observed that compliments show "an almost total lack of originality". Do responses to compliments also "lack originality"? After reviewing Knapp's article, I attempt to answer this question by classifying the responses of stars receiving the Academy Award.

Knapp et al's procedure

In their article, Knapp et al review the relatively sparse literature on compliments to "establish a descriptive taxonomy for the content and form of compliments and replies to them." They also attempt to answer some other basic questions about compliments: What qualities do compliments have in common with other speech acts? Are they formulaic? Do the actor and the partner (recipient) tend to be different status or different gender? Knapp refers to the literature citing certain cultural, gender, age, and status differences in compliment usage. The authors consider the perceptions of the recipient as to whether the compliment was deserved or undeserved, and as to the motives of the complimenter.

Knapp et al conducted three studies. In all three, interviewers ask respondents to recall the exact wording of a recent compliment. In the most extensive survey, investigators gathered 768 compliments (half "given" and half "received), and the replies. Investigators also asked specific questions such as, "What compliment did you value most?" The authors coded the compliments according to several criteria; because they were concerned with the accuracy of the coding they double checked their results. By narrowing their categories, they were able to achieve better consistency in the form and content of compliments, percentages in the high 90's in most categories.

Standard content of compliments

Compliments usually reference performance, personal appearance, attire, possessions, or helping/ service. The mosted valued compliments tend to be of the whole person. Compliments usually are acknowledged. Nice and good appear to have relatively distinct usages. Nice tends to be used more with appearance and attire, and good used more with performance. For example, "Nice shoes," and "good work." Of course, these generalizations vary according to culture, status, age and gender.

Four standard forms of compliments

Compliments generally follow one of four standard syntactic structures. Here they are with examples:

1. noun phrase/ linking verb/ (intensifier)/ adjective

That shirt looks so nice.

2. I/ (intensifier) / like [or] love/ noun phrase

I really like your shoes.

3. pronoun/verb "to be" / (intensifier)/ ("a")/ adjective/ noun phrase

You are really a lovely woman.

4. (noun phrase) / (linking verb)/(intensifier)/adjective/noun phrase

"That Chinese dinner you cooked was really excellent."

The authors identified the fourth category of compliment to account for compliments which were otherwise not easily categorizable. Nonstandard forms of compliments were more likely to be misunderstood.

Four Parameters

According to the authors, compliments incorporate four dialectics; directness, specificity, comparison, and amplification. Compliments vary according to the degree that they are more direct, or more indirect.

The three other spectra are: specific/ general; comparison/ no comparison; and normal/ amplified. The authors identify four levels of amplification, from normal, to amplified with superlative and modifier.

Four Variables

I. cultural differences Complimenting has been found to be more common in the US than in Indonesia.

Americans compliment more in the context of intimate relationships, while Japanese compliment more in the context of less intimate relationships.

II. status differences Compliments tend to be given by people of higher status to those of lower status.

III. age differences Younger people tend to compliment more frequently on appearance, and are more likely to respond in kind.

IV. gender Women receive more and reciprocate more.

Responding to compliments

The recipient of the compliment will likely respond in one of several formulaic ways. Several researchers have cited the difficulty people have in receiving compliments (Knapp p. 14). "Thank you" is considered a ritualistic response acknowledging the compliment. Other responses may be less receptive; the recipient may blush or stammer, attempt to diminish the compliment by deflecting it or sharing the credit; or the recipient may ignore the compliment. Knapp's categories verbatim: ritualistic acceptance, pleased acceptance, embarrassed, tempered acceptance, return compliment, magnified acceptance, not acknowledged, soliciting information, denial. Magnified acceptance is an interesting case because it deliberately breaks the norm against self-praise. The norm of tactful, humble acceptance of compliments is perhaps best embodied by the "aw shucks" of Nashville.

Quasi Experiment: Academy Awards Recipient Speech Types

Frequency of Types of Responses

The 23 samples are recorded in Appendix A, along with the category I chose. Of the 23 samples, here are my counts by frequency. I counted some acceptance speeches in more than one category. My results would have been different had I selected just one "primary" category for each response, or if I had counted all the sharing in one category. Perhaps because of the nature of my observation, I wanted to make finer distinctions between sharing and a type of redirect which Knapp doesn't distinguish.

sharing with family = 6

humor = 6

feeling = 5

sharing with profession = 3

return compliment = 3

sharing with film crew = 2

sharing with nominees = 2

pleased = 2

not acknowledged = 2

magnified = 1

embarrassed = 1

I found that most of the celebrities shared the credit for their award, either with their profession or with their family. Knapp calls this "tempered acceptance." Turner and Edgley called this "minimizing responsibility," a type of "discounting or minimizing." I believe that sharing is distinct from tempering. Some celebs express pleased acceptance. In my opinion, this category is not broad enough to include other expressions of feeling that I saw at the Academy Awards. Many use humor, perhaps as a way to deflect the praise. Some employ a combination of forms. The recipient may share the award with the other nominees, or takes the opportunity to thank other people, family or colleagues. I found that the same words "Thank you" may be ritualized to the point of emptiness, or they may be full of authentic expression of feeling, depending much on the paralinguistics. Perhaps because we are used to identifying with actors, we are pleased when the actor is pleased. But this is also true when we compliment someone personally. Magnified acceptance is used rarely, the award being refused or not acknowledged is even more rare.

Areas for Future Research

Research on compliments poses certain difficulties, namely the virtual impossibility of designing lab experiments to garner information on naturally occurring compliments. Information regarding the frequency of compliment giving is also sparse, according to the authors. Further data on acceptance of awards would be relatively easy to obtain.

Postscript

Since writing this piece, I have Read Marshall Rosenberg’s Speak Peace in a World of Conflict: What You Say Next Will Change Your World. He outlines principles of good compliments, which are basically the same as principles of good critique. That is, say specifically what you liked (or disliked) and what you felt, not just your opinion (e.g., “that was a good poem.”) Rosenberg points out that compliments are the same type of speech as criticism.

References

Dow, M. G., S. Glaser, and A. Biglan. "The Relevance of Specific Conversational Behaviors to Ratings of Social Skill: An Experimental Analysis." Journal of Behavioral Assessment 3, 1981, pp. 233-242. (Cited in Knapp).

Knapp, Mark L. Robert Hopper, and Robert A. Bell (1984). Compliments: A Descriptive Taxonomy, Journal of Communication 34, Vol. 34 No. 4. pp. 12-31.

Searle, J. R. Speech Acts. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1969. (Cited in Knapp).

Wolfson, N. and J. Manes. "The Compliment as a Social Strategy," Papers in Linguistics: International Journal of Human Communication 13, 1980, pp. 391-410. (Cited in Knapp).

APPENDIX A

Quasi-Experiment:

"Oscar's Greatest Moments"

Academy Awards recipients and their acceptance speeches

Paul Hogan (who played "Crocodile Dundee", presenting in 1986): "Don't be too humble tonight because we have up here a second envelope. So don't get up on stage and say 'I don't deserve this award.' If you really feel you don't deserve an Academy Award just give us a wave from your seat (waving and shaking head)".

In order to study compliments, I obtained a video tape of selections from the Academy Awards. I recorded 23 responses. At the Academy Awards, the compliment comes from a select group (of "experts") rather than from an individual. The compliment is clearly in Knapp's first category, performance. The giving and receiving are of course highly ritualized. Even though my selection was limited and hardly representative, I expected that the recipients would exhibit similar responses to those observed by Knapp and his cohorts.

My observations: Quotes and categories

Recipients (Film and/or Year): Quote type

Michael Douglas: "I'd like to dedicate this award to [my family]... my parents... in particular my father..."

sharing w/ fam.

Michael Day Lewis: "You've just provided me with the makings of one hell of a weekend in Dublin." humor

William Hurt (Kiss of the Spider Woman): "I am very proud to be an actor. Thank you very much." sharing with profession

Liza Minelli (Cabaret, 1972): "Thank you for giving me this award you've made me very happy." pleased

[Narrator] "Diane Keaton shared the glory of her win... with Annie Hall". "I'm very honored to have been nominated with actresses like Jane Fonda, and Shirley Maclaine and Anne Bancroft and Marsha Mason, this is something." sharing with nominees

Sissy Spacek: "I started working on Coal Miner's Daughter with a bunch of strangers and I finished working with a bunch of friends." sharing

Meryl Streep (Sophie's Choice 1982): "I have a lot of people to thank. And I'm gonna be one of those people who tries to mention a lot of names...because I know two minutes ago my mother and father went completely beserk, and I want to give a lot of other mothers and fathers that opportunity." sharing & feeling

Shirley Maclaine: "I'm gonna cry because this show has been as long as my career." feeling & humor

Sally Field (Places in the Heart): "I haven't had an orthodox career, and I wanted more than anything to have your respect. The first time I didn't feel it. Now I feel it, and I can't deny the fact that you like me right now. You like me. Thank you." This is a particularly rich example, including many elements: pleased & feeling & embarrassed & reference to previous not acknowledged award & return compliment.

Cher (Moonstruck): "I would like to thank the women I was nominated along with because I feel really really good because they were so great. And I would also like to thank Marie Louise Streep... I feel really thankful." sharing with nominees

Jessica Tandy (Driving Miss Daisy): "I'm on cloud nine." feeling

Jack Nicholson (One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest): "...last but not least my agent who about ten years ago told me I had no business being an actor" This example of magnified self-praise does not seem to fulfill the author's statement that this response tends to be used "probably... in an effort to avoid responding directly to the compliment."

Dustin Hoffman (1979): I'm up here with mixed feelings. I've been critical of the academy and for a reason. I'm deeply grateful for the opportunity to be able to work. I refuse to believe that I beat Jack Lemmon, that I beat Al Pacino, that I beat Peter Sellers. I refuse to believe that Robert Duvall lost. We are part of an artistic family. There are 60,000 actors in the Screen Actors Guild and probably 100,000 in equity, and... a few of us are so lucky... None of you have ever lost and I'm proud to share that with you." sharing with profession.

Marlon Brando violated the norm in 1972 by refusing the award through Sacheen Littlefeather: "Hello. My name is Sacheen Littlefeather and I'm Apache. President, National Native American Image Committee... He very regretfully can not accept this very generous award. And the reasons for this being the treatment of Native Americans today by the film industry..." [boos].

Vanessa Redgrave: "My dear colleagues I thank you very much for your tribute to my work." ritualized acceptance or rc?

Ann Bates (Misery 1990): "To my mom at home and my dad who I hope is watching somewhere I would like to say thank you very much." sharing w/ fam.

Art Carney (1975): "Last year I got so excited I forgot to thank a few people; this year I'm so nervous I forgot the names of the people who I forgot to thank last year." humor & sharing

Maureen Stapleton: "...my family, my friends, and everybody I ever met in my entire life." humor & sharing

Shirley Maclaine: "I'm not going to thank everybody I've ever met in my entire life. Although with the way my mind has been going lately everybody I've ever met in my entire life and in other lifetimes might have had something to do with this." humor & sharing

Whoopi Goldberg: "I want to thank everybody who makes movies... I'm so proud... thank you very much..." feeling & sharing w/ prof.

John Patrick Shanley: "I'd like to thank everybody who ever punched or kissed me..." humor & sharing

Mickey Rooney (1982): "... tonight you honor me beyond anything a man should be given, you honor me with the greatest and the highest tribute we can receive in our business..." pleased

Charlie Chaplin (1971): "Thank you for the honor of inviting me here, you're wonderful, sweet people. return compliment

APPENDIX B

My personal experiences with compliments

I have in the past found it difficult to accept compliments. I found the deflecting response useful: "Thank you for saying so." On occasion, a person has restated their original compliment in more emphatic terms, making me even more uncomfortable. I have found it useful to take a moment to 'breath in' the compliment. I may refuse the compliment because I would prefer not to be singled out among my peers and possibly subject to negative attention from my peers for being a "know-it-all" or "show-off" or for "making them look bad."

I gave a compliment to a woman on my paper route, referring to the work on her yard, "Looking very nice." This seems to follow the formula (intensifier)/ (adjective). Interestingly, this compliment (using nice) ambiguously may also refer to the owner of the yard.

I never give false compliments, as a rule. I find that if people give false compliments they lose their credibility.

Typically, receiving the compliment, "I love you," can be difficult. The cliché response is to match, "I love you, too."

When people compliment me on my poetry, I am usually dissatisfied with knowing that they liked the poem in general, I want to know what part they liked in particular. I will often ask for more information ("soliciting information"). If they say, "You're a great poet," I'm pretty satisfied that they liked a lot of parts of my poems.

I feel less than comfortable with people complimenting my possessions. Possibly because I am living on a shoestring, but I have some nice things (car, art) which I may have self-judgment about being "luxurious". When my son's friend said "Wow, you have a nice car," I just said, "Thank you." Had the complimenter been an adult, I might have deflected the compliment even more. When I first got the car, I actually told a few people that I got the car from a relative so as to deflect my projected self-judgment.

I have a friend whom I consider to be "an ingratiator". He is my peer; is particularly complimentary to me, complimenting my performance and also my whole person. I enjoy his company. After he was here last, he called to say he enjoyed my company. I returned the compliment.

2008-01-24T22:02:00.001-08:00

Measures of Ideally Effective Communication

PhD-24jan08-5^th

By DanShaw.com

Abstract: Examines some models of ideal communication suggested by ‘new’ math and physics in order to begin to establish measures of effectiveness of communication.

Dr. Kirby posed the questions, “How effective do we want our communication to be?” and “How can we measure the effectiveness of communication?” Our initial conversation included Gordon Arthur, whose new book, Law Liberty and Church, “examines the presuppositions behind authority in the five largest Churches in England.”

http://www.ecumenist.org

We explored the possibility of presenting the same information in several formats, e.g., written-printed, verbal, audio, video with audio and without audio. Comunicatees could then be observed and / or tested in some way for various desired outcomes of the communication; outcomes could include such factors as change in behavior, change in belief-attitude, or taking a certain action, such as doing further research, talking to friends. This article seeks to explore the measures of effective communication, so that we can improve our communication, and be more certain that our communications have the effect and outcome we intend or hope for.

2-dimensional Geometric models of communication

Many 2-dimensional diagrams of communication have been described, which we will not discuss here.

3- & 4-dimensional Geometric models of communication

In his writings on the Hejera Plot®, a proposal for a socially-culturally-spiritually constructive and healing computer game, cyberneticist Yitzhak Hayut-Man describes the geometry of the relationship between the gameplayers in terms of a hypercube:

An Infinitely Small Period of Time

As a scientific paradigm shifts, there is a time-lag before the new model is assimilated by other sciences and by lay people. Ideally effective communication accelerates the time period of dissemination, as can be done by streaming video live through the internet, as we are doing with

http://worldportlive.com

Fractal and holographic Models of Communication: Abstract, Synopsis, Summary

It is natural to apply the laws, language, and worldview of mathematics to the liberal arts as suggested by Stuart C. Dodd in his article, “A Scientific Foundation for World Culture”:

http://www.stuartcdoddinstitute.org/dodd-worldculture.shtml

It seems just as natural to apply the new physics to the social sciences, as Dr. Richard S. Kirby has done in his various articles, some mentioned earlier.

http://www.wnrf.org/cms/drrskirby.shtml

Hence in thinking of models of ideal communication we should also bear in mind the mathematics, etc. of fractals and holograms. In the communication itself, we should see a microcosm and macrocosm in the form of an abstract or synopsis at the beginning and summary at the end. This increases the usefulness of the article, since a reader can then easily assess for themselves the contents and thus the value of the article to them at that time or perhaps for a later time.

Many-to-Many model: The Fast-Forum Technique

The Forum Foundation developed the Fast Forum® technique, which has been used “as a part of many-to-many communication groupware technology [that] allows the head-of-state to ‘talk’ symbolically to those youth and parents participating” in an exercise in direct democracy based on George Bush’s State of the Union.

http://forumfoundation.org/default.asp?pageID=53

Media Virus & Re-Visioning a Qaballistic Tarot

Douglas Rushkoff has described “Media Virus” in his book of that name, and I have attempted to realize that model in the design of a card deck that combines traditional playing cards, astrology, tarot and qaballah, inspired in part by

The Qabalistic Tarot: A Textbook of Mystical Philosophy

by Robert Wang.

Metadata: Title, Author, contact info, Date, Length, Keywords, URL

The most useful data includes extensive metadata. That would include the Title, Author, contact info, Date, Length, Keywords, URL. This also includes an effective subtitle and section titles. Metadata also includes filename and location. These principles apply to some degree no matter what one is writing, whether an article, a book, or even a link on a webpage. With metadata, more is always better.

Asking for Action: feedback

Every article should include an invitation for the reader to take some action, such as contacting the author with questions and comments, and provide contact info.

Asking for Action: subscribing

Ideally the communication should provide for a way for the recipient to be notified of new information, such as with RSS. I should determine how, if it is possible, people can ‘subscribe’ to my blog. Please subscribe to my Youtube channel:

http://www.youtube.com/vortexmaps

Asking for the multiplier effect

Article should include a request for readers to pass on the message. Please pass along my writings and videos to interested parties!

Multiple Streams of Dissemination

Writings and communications should strive to use as many channels as possible; these articles will be posted to my blog

http://earthgrid.blogspot.com

and I will email them to the people whom I mention, and hopefully they will email them to their friends. Ideally, I will also print them out, hand them out, and mail them, as I do with my poetry.

http://danshaw.com/verse

Asking & telling about best channels and times for communication

Do you prefer to be called at a certain time? Do you prefer email to phone or vice-versa? Do you use a certain social networking site more than others? What are the best times and channels of communication for you? I want to know. You will find it empowering to take control of your channels in this way, answering phone calls only during certain times, etc.

My preferred channels and times

You are welcome to call me anytime, Sunday through Friday. I prefer not to do work on Saturdays. You may call within business hours Pacific Time, or even later, up to about 9 p.m. if you like.

Granularity and Non-Linearity

These topics I mentioned in a previous post:

Initial Thoughts on Learning Russian, & Languages in general

http://earthgrid.blogspot.com/2008/01/initial-thoughts-on-learning-russian.html

Put simply, the usefulness of information increases as the granularity, i.e. segmentation increases. Linear media require relatively slow viewing, fast-forwarding and / or ‘scrubbing’, while digital media allow instant access to many (if not all) points, e.g., the scenes on a DVD. Hence the importance of also archiving the

http://worldportlive.com

broadcasts so that viewers can enter in at the beginning at any time of day. These criteria allow the user more rapid assessment, and access to the most useful data ‘bits’.

Evaluating This and other Writings

This article contains extensive metadata: effective title, author’s name, contact info, date, a synopsis, word-count, and keywords list, and URL. Future articles by me will have these features, and I will continue to develop an exhaustive list. Some metadata, such as length, URL, may be inaccurate or incomplete in early, working versions.

I will continue to research and write on this topic, in pursuit of my PhD in Communications Theory. I invite you to contact me with your thoughts on ideally effective communication. Please pass this article on to your friends.

Keywords:

Ideally Effective Communication; Gordon Arthur; 2-dimensional Geometric models of communication; Fast-Forum Technique of the Forum Foundation; many-to-many communication groupware technology; 3- & 4-dimensional Geometric models; the Hejera Plot®; http://worldportlive.com streaming video; Fractal and holographic Models; Stuart C. Dodd; Media Virus; Qaballistic Tarot; Granularity and Non Linearity.

Length: Approximately 1,120 words

Author: