Mark BernsteinMark Bernstein: hypertext researchWild Horses of the Creative Mind- June 29, 2008 Susan Gibb opens her new copy of The Tinderbox Way. Thanks. Conn O Muineachain posts a video interview with me on NeoVictorian blogging.http://markbernstein.org/Jun0801/WildHorsesoftheCreativeMin.html Festival- June 28, 2008 After the wonderful fish at a chalandra — tiny clams in broth, a rich portuguese fish soup freshly made for us, a lovely (though surprisingly costly) grilled snapper, and a positively medieval pudding — we returned to the hotel to find great crowds gathered in the square, singing traditional songs (in harmony) and parading in mock-traditional workers' garb. Wine growers gathering grapes, bakers and their bread trays, sailors and their wenches — all singing and dancing and...http://markbernstein.org/Jun0801/Festival.html Sessenta Setenta- June 27, 2008 A very impressive dinner for the program committee at Sessenta Setenta (6070, a pun on "sit and try"). I had a tasty ceviche with a very nice vinho verde, and then a beautifully roasted rack of borrego with a lovely red blend, and then a plate of fresh cheese with a honeyed fig, a bit of honey, and a glass of vintage (!) port. Why do we indulge in this sybaritic luxury Of course, it's nice to thank busy scholars and scientists for taking time to read so many papers. Some of us...http://markbernstein.org/Jun0801/SessentaSetenta.html Making Preparations- June 26, 2008 I'm chairing a meeting for WikiSym in Porto on Saturday. I'm here on Thursday, so that a plane cancellation won&8217;t leave my meeting unchaired. But no time or resources are wasted; the early arrivals are sampling food, tasting drinks, and discussing many esoteric topics to make sure that WikiSym will be everything it can be. Much depends on dinner. It always does. If you think Google makes you stupid, try skipping a few meals while flying across an ocean. For dinner, we had...http://markbernstein.org/Jun0801/MakingPreparations.html Is Google Making Us Stupid- June 25, 2008 Writing in the JulyAugust number of The Atlantic, Nicholas Carr asks whether Google (and the Web) are making us stupid (or, rather, inattentive and distracted). Is Google Making Us Stupid Short answer: don't be silly. Thanks for playing. Dept. of &8220;What were they thinking&8221;: Carr finds it harder, lately, to read long articles and long books. I&8217;m not thinking the way I used to think. I can feel it most strongly when I&8217;m reading. Immersing myself in a book or a lengthy...http://markbernstein.org/Jun0801/IsGoogleMakingUsStupid.html Ebert Criticism Morality- June 24, 2008 Roger Ebert discusses the challenge of reviewing Triumph of the Will, Leni Riefenstahl's notorious masterpiece. Whether it is truly great or only technically qualifies because of its importance is the question. As faithful readers will know, I have been avoiding this particular opportunity with dread. I felt it would involve grappling with the question of whether evil art can be great art. Since moral art can obviously be bad art, the answer to the flip side would seem to be clear enough, but.http://markbernstein.org/Jun0801/EbertdoleafCriticismdoleaf.html Reviewing Conference Papers- June 24, 2008 We're getting ready for the Program Committee Meetings for WikiSym. Assembling the program for a research conference is a complex and serious matter; careers sometimes hinge on whether or not a paper is accepted, and I think it is quite common for a single year&8217;s program to significantly change the direction of an entire field. Despite its importance to research — especially in computer science, where conferences often replace journals as the primary medium — people...http://markbernstein.org/Jun0801/ReviewingConferencePapers.html |