What is a meme? It is a term borrowed from evolutionary biology. Used in an internet context, the definition (taken from wikipedia) is: “An Internet meme is a piece of digital content that spreads rapidly, widely, and organically from person to person on the internet. The term is a reference to memes as virus-like self-replicating … Read more
I like to buy magazines that I wouldn’t normally buy every now and then. It is a great way to nurture creativity and to get the brain thinking in ways that are different. Recently I bought an issue of ‘BBC Focus’ magazine, which is a science and technology magazine here in the UK, produced by … Read more
I have been reading Robert Fripp’s online diary for a few years now. It is a fascinating source of information about touring, making music, running a music business. Oh, and the obsessions that Fripp has developed over the years – not being photographed, having been ripped off a few years ago by his management. He … Read more
I first came across Time Banks UK a couple of years ago. It builds on an idea I was aware of when I worked in the voluntary sector (now fashionably known as the Third Sector!) in the 1980s. It’s a way to encourage community building by getting people to offer their skills into a bank … Read more
R.E.M.hq: EXTRAS-REMix When the last REM album (Around the Sun) came out a couple of years ago, I saw the video to the first single, – ‘Leaving New York’. It was nothing startling or different, but then why would REM want to do that when they have a formula that works. As with much of … Read more
I first found this website a couple of years ago. Another look today, and I see that it is still thriving. So many websites are ephemeral – they come and go. But ones like the Global Children’s Art Gallery deserve to persist as the web grows and evolves. Put simply, the site is a collection … Read more
I first wrote about the Global Ideas Bank on my old blog called ‘Things I found’ back in 2004. It’s great to revisit some of these things and still find the energy there. This blog, not a high frequency one, has great links to places like NESTA (National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts) … Read more
Welcome to The World Cafe A couple of years ago, I took part in a knowledge cafe, run by David Gurteen. I wrote about it on my now deceased blog called ‘Things I found’. The technique, which is openly available in a truly open source way, is a brilliant way to get true participation. I … Read more
ETWiki Home – ETWiki Elephant Talk was a regular newsletter for some 15 years which updated the fan / fanatic about the activities of King Crimson, all of its members through the years and their own solo activities. It took the form of a discussion list, so there were many diverse views in each edition. … Read more
Many months ago I spent an evening in a bookshop, browsing through books and drinking coffee (vanilla latte – my favourite). I spent a while browsing through a book called ‘One Taste’ which is in the form of a diary. It comprises daily reflections on a wide range of subjects. It was an excellent book … Read more