Program or Be Programmed*
A machine talks in binary–a system of 1s and 0s; on or off; true or false. This base-2 system has allowed us to program machines to do our bidding…sort of. However, in order to program a machine, one must often think like a machine. Who (or what) is programming whom?
Binary is not only a machine language. It can be seen in the functions of the human race as well. Over time, society has adopted a bunch of “false” binaries that are still prevalent in the world. Regardless of what you or I believe, it is evident that these binaries do not define us accurately though they may control much of society.
Here are some examples:
- With me or against me
- White or non-white (people)
- Male or female
- Producers or consumers
- Windows or Mac
- “Linux” or proprietary
- Software or not-software
- Us or them
Only a Sith Deals in Absolutes!
*Well, in reality, there are true binaries, but the point is that we like to overuse the concept. There is a tendency to want/need to categorize, label, sort things according to the familiar. In all fairness, our brains automatically sort and label, but it is up to our higher thinking to decide what to do with that and determine the path to follow.
So, what does this have to do with Ubuntu?
(Hint: Ubuntu doesn’t fit into any of the lone categories listed above).
Preaching to the Choir
From a marketing standpoint it’s clear that we don’t need to convince anyone here that Ubuntu is unique and a choice beyond trends of the past. However, from a marketing perspective, it’s interesting to see how people might be thinking, and how it’s important to correctly present Ubuntu. It’s not just one thing, it’s not something that you can compare to other things, and it’s not an alternative. Ubuntu is Ubuntu. And, we are making it. Let us all make it together.
01010101 01100010 01110101 01101110 01110100 01110101 00100000 01101001 01110011 00100000 01101110 01101111 01110100 00100000 01101010 01110101 01110011 01110100 00100000 01110011 01101111 01100110 01110100 01110111 01100001 01110010 01100101
Are contrasts binary? In presentation and creative arts we use contrast in order to make educational points, to help people understand one point on the road to complexity.
Start with absolutes, but don’t stop on them.
Thanks for your comment. Good points. I would say that binary limits to only two options, which is why it’s so problematic. Contrast implies a range or spectrum, which is probably more accurate.
A range is a gradient, a contrast is where you take two samples from the given gradient, often from the dipoles. Bringing them together in sharp relief allows for a greater understanding of true distinction.
The idea at it’s core is that dialectically, conflicts between opposing ideas are to be resolved into new ideas and further conflicts. We bring ideas deliberately into conflict because we wish to explore what ideas that conflict would generate. Often the resulting ideas are non-obvious and the only way to get at them is to experience the conflict.
You see this a lot with people’s mode of communication online. Even though one set of people is presenting conflicts to another set of people. Most people are wholly unprepared to deal with that conflict at that juncture and find it kind of annoying to have some jerk trolling at them.
But stopping all conflict will just lead to stagnation of ideas. The only useful course therefore is to have strong social rules about when it is acceptable to engage in such conflict and what language to use to make this goal seem more obvious to readers. The maturity and skill of the community’s writers is key here I think.
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Agree with you Joe. “False Dichotomy” is everywhere. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/False_dilemma
Spectrum is a useful construct