Comments on: Then I saw the Congo http://www.kryogenix.org/days/2005/10/03/then-i-saw-the-congo scratched tallies on the prison wall Thu, 08 Jan 2009 00:40:10 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7 hourly 1 By: malcolm the great http://www.kryogenix.org/days/2005/10/03/then-i-saw-the-congo/comment-page-1#comment-5791 malcolm the great Mon, 27 Feb 2006 11:27:41 +0000 http://www.kryogenix.org/days/?p=1078#comment-5791 there are no proper explanations of the meaning of the poem. there are no proper explanations of the meaning of the poem.

]]> By: Rob http://www.kryogenix.org/days/2005/10/03/then-i-saw-the-congo/comment-page-1#comment-3947 Rob Thu, 06 Oct 2005 04:37:28 +0000 http://www.kryogenix.org/days/?p=1078#comment-3947 Hey. I just realised. I never said 'new <em>exciting</em> things, just 'new'. Big difference. Bring your own excitement. Hey. I just realised. I never said ‘new exciting things, just ‘new’. Big difference. Bring your own excitement.

]]> By: Rob http://www.kryogenix.org/days/2005/10/03/then-i-saw-the-congo/comment-page-1#comment-3946 Rob Thu, 06 Oct 2005 04:29:14 +0000 http://www.kryogenix.org/days/?p=1078#comment-3946 I don't know what "new and exciting things" librarything will let you do. If I could tell you (or me) then they probably would be neither new nor exciting. Personally, I think I will use it to help me with pending and unfinished reading lists. Maybe new relationships between books will rise to the surface and I'll understand those behind me better, then choose those in front of me more wisely. Or maybe just keeping track of friends' lists via RSS will be cool. As for the £5 - how about simply showing support for a fellow hacker who's providing a system that encourages the altruistic tendency of others to go further? Hope you enjoy The Machine Stops. It's an eye opener for anyone who thinks Neuromancer was the first prophetic work about I.T. However, the fact that you can conveniently read it on the train home <em>without</em> having to organise meeting up with me is exactly my point. Can't you see what we've lost? *sobs, alone, into his virtual beer* I don’t know what “new and exciting things” librarything will let you do. If I could tell you (or me) then they probably would be neither new nor exciting. Personally, I think I will use it to help me with pending and unfinished reading lists. Maybe new relationships between books will rise to the surface and I’ll understand those behind me better, then choose those in front of me more wisely.

Or maybe just keeping track of friends’ lists via RSS will be cool.

As for the £5 - how about simply showing support for a fellow hacker who’s providing a system that encourages the altruistic tendency of others to go further?

Hope you enjoy The Machine Stops. It’s an eye opener for anyone who thinks Neuromancer was the first prophetic work about I.T.

However, the fact that you can conveniently read it on the train home without having to organise meeting up with me is exactly my point. Can’t you see what we’ve lost?

*sobs, alone, into his virtual beer*

]]> By: sil http://www.kryogenix.org/days/2005/10/03/then-i-saw-the-congo/comment-page-1#comment-3944 sil Wed, 05 Oct 2005 15:29:07 +0000 http://www.kryogenix.org/days/?p=1078#comment-3944 I'm unclear how I can experiment with my library in new ways by using <a href="http://www.librarything.com/" rel="nofollow">librarything</a> (G: that's what costs the £5), since it's not about *me* using my library, it's about other people using it. It might give me hints and tips for new books to get hold of, based on intersections between my library and other people's, but I don't buy enough books to need tips (I already have an Amazon wishlist, and I buy about five books a year off it; I don't need more suggestions). As I have <a href="http://www.kryogenix.org/days/2004/11/30/sonyericsson" rel="nofollow">discussed here before</a>, books, despite their alleged typographical loveliness, are a pain because they don't fit in my pocket and don't contain enough information and can only be carried one at a time. If someone can give me some indication of what "new exciting things" librarything will let me do, other than spend two weeks typing in all my books, I'd love to hear it, but currently my altruistic tendencies don't go so far as to spend all that time just so *other people* can see which books I've got. "The Machine Stops" is now on my PDA, where I can read it on the train home, rather than having to organise a meetup with Rob so I can borrow his copy or having to leave work early so I can get to my local library. You see? Isn't that a lot more convenient? I’m unclear how I can experiment with my library in new ways by using librarything (G: that’s what costs the £5), since it’s not about *me* using my library, it’s about other people using it. It might give me hints and tips for new books to get hold of, based on intersections between my library and other people’s, but I don’t buy enough books to need tips (I already have an Amazon wishlist, and I buy about five books a year off it; I don’t need more suggestions). As I have discussed here before, books, despite their alleged typographical loveliness, are a pain because they don’t fit in my pocket and don’t contain enough information and can only be carried one at a time.

If someone can give me some indication of what “new exciting things” librarything will let me do, other than spend two weeks typing in all my books, I’d love to hear it, but currently my altruistic tendencies don’t go so far as to spend all that time just so *other people* can see which books I’ve got.

“The Machine Stops” is now on my PDA, where I can read it on the train home, rather than having to organise a meetup with Rob so I can borrow his copy or having to leave work early so I can get to my local library. You see? Isn’t that a lot more convenient?

]]> By: G. http://www.kryogenix.org/days/2005/10/03/then-i-saw-the-congo/comment-page-1#comment-3940 G. Wed, 05 Oct 2005 10:45:06 +0000 http://www.kryogenix.org/days/?p=1078#comment-3940 Bwaahhhahaha! My sentiments exactly. Not only has his soul been sucked out by the internet, he's ruining my livelihood! Buy more books and stop eating, dammit! I have a nicotine hbit to feed! Seriously though, £5? What for? Bwaahhhahaha! My sentiments exactly. Not only has his soul been sucked out by the internet, he’s ruining my livelihood! Buy more books and stop eating, dammit! I have a nicotine hbit to feed!

Seriously though, £5? What for?

]]> By: Rob http://www.kryogenix.org/days/2005/10/03/then-i-saw-the-congo/comment-page-1#comment-3935 Rob Tue, 04 Oct 2005 20:23:09 +0000 http://www.kryogenix.org/days/?p=1078#comment-3935 *exhales and drops shoulders to demonstrate submission* So you <em>want</em> to read poetry on some badly formatted web page fired at you by a cathode ray tube, rather than experience it in a lovingly crafted, typographically delicious book? But you <em>don't</em> want to experiment with engaging with your library in new ways on a well constructed site that represents fresh, forward thinking, inventive use of the internet? For £5. I have a new book to recommend to you. 'The Machine Stops' by E.M Forster. Oh, look, that's handy, there's a copy on the web, I won't have to lend you mine. http://brighton.ncsa.uiuc.edu/~prajlich/forster.html <blockquote>"Cover the window, please. These mountains give me no ideas."</blockquote> *wanders off to find someone who hasn't had their soul sucked out by the internet* *exhales and drops shoulders to demonstrate submission*

So you want to read poetry on some badly formatted web page fired at you by a cathode ray tube, rather than experience it in a lovingly crafted, typographically delicious book? But you don’t want to experiment with engaging with your library in new ways on a well constructed site that represents fresh, forward thinking, inventive use of the internet? For £5.

I have a new book to recommend to you. ‘The Machine Stops’ by E.M Forster.

Oh, look, that’s handy, there’s a copy on the web, I won’t have to lend you mine.

http://brighton.ncsa.uiuc.edu/~prajlich/forster.html

“Cover the window, please. These mountains give me no ideas.”

*wanders off to find someone who hasn’t had their soul sucked out by the internet*

]]> By: sil http://www.kryogenix.org/days/2005/10/03/then-i-saw-the-congo/comment-page-1#comment-3931 sil Tue, 04 Oct 2005 12:31:03 +0000 http://www.kryogenix.org/days/?p=1078#comment-3931 I reckon it *should* be read by Ice Cube, personally. Not all poetry is meant to be read aloud, but, to use a tautology, poetry that's meant to be read aloud is meant to be read aloud. Jazz poetry, for example, is meant to be read aloud and therefore should be. Whether that's the case with Edward Thomas is...less clear. I reckon it *should* be read by Ice Cube, personally. Not all poetry is meant to be read aloud, but, to use a tautology, poetry that’s meant to be read aloud is meant to be read aloud. Jazz poetry, for example, is meant to be read aloud and therefore should be. Whether that’s the case with Edward Thomas is…less clear.

]]> By: G. http://www.kryogenix.org/days/2005/10/03/then-i-saw-the-congo/comment-page-1#comment-3930 G. Tue, 04 Oct 2005 10:38:20 +0000 http://www.kryogenix.org/days/?p=1078#comment-3930 I am a very strong detractor from the opinion that poetry is "meant" to be read aloud- it is a slippery slope that ends in the most tedious and nugatory of analyses, of which I offer up this example: http://www.poemtree.com/articles/Scansion.htm. I couldn't help but hear "The Congo" as read by Ice Cube: "THEN I had religion, THEN I had a vision/ of my MOTHAFOCKING brothers being looked at with derision". I am a very strong detractor from the opinion that poetry is “meant” to be read aloud- it is a slippery slope that ends in the most tedious and nugatory of analyses, of which I offer up this example: http://www.poemtree.com/articles/Scansion.htm. I couldn’t help but hear “The Congo” as read by Ice Cube: “THEN I had religion, THEN I had a vision/ of my MOTHAFOCKING brothers being looked at with derision”.

]]> By: sil http://www.kryogenix.org/days/2005/10/03/then-i-saw-the-congo/comment-page-1#comment-3929 sil Tue, 04 Oct 2005 08:17:37 +0000 http://www.kryogenix.org/days/?p=1078#comment-3929 Librarything.com costs ten bucks! Just so I can let other people see what books I own? Bah. Librarything.com costs ten bucks! Just so I can let other people see what books I own? Bah.

]]> By: Rob http://www.kryogenix.org/days/2005/10/03/then-i-saw-the-congo/comment-page-1#comment-3928 Rob Tue, 04 Oct 2005 08:17:00 +0000 http://www.kryogenix.org/days/?p=1078#comment-3928 One more thought regarding public speaking - I've never really processed it formally, but as I sit here typing this, the one thing that comes to mind is the value of the <em>gaps</em>. The spaces you leave for people to soak up your words. Rather alarmingly this reminds me of the way that Tony Blair speaks. Eek. One more thought regarding public speaking - I’ve never really processed it formally, but as I sit here typing this, the one thing that comes to mind is the value of the gaps. The spaces you leave for people to soak up your words.

Rather alarmingly this reminds me

of

the way

that Tony Blair

speaks.

Eek.

]]>