I want to help architect the future.
We are suffering from “Future Shock”, i.e. the disease of and rate of change.
Where and when are we centered in out perfect natural state?
Comission -> what is right or wrong with our current way of life?
Omission -> what is missing from our lives?
We are strangers in our own land. We are living in the external without acknowledging, accepting and adventuring in to the internal. For it is the internal that defines the external. The external has run away with itself in an ever increasing rate of change. The sleeper has awoken. Fear is the mind killer. Fear is being cultivated? Do we dare to dream? Mentally we are expending cycles worrying. Anxiety is rife. Worry drains the mind of much of its power, and, sooner or later it injures the soul. A natural reaction to insecurity or the unknown is to defend or lash out rather than to explore from a neutral standpoint. We pin our hopes on science, this so called neutral mentality of observation and hoped for understanding. Science is a framework for thought, but only supposedly practiced by trained scientists. How can one pour new thoughts and ideas in to ones mind, without first emptying the cup. Is there any absolutes? One must constantly make decisions with the data one has. *Concept of quality of data or information comes in to play*. Control the content, platforms and distribution, control the masses. Do you want to just exist or seek and explore all your human potential? I am actively re-architecting my mind. I am taking responsibility for my thoughts and actions. How does one adopt a positive paradigm about the world and all that is in it? Must we realise that mind management is the essence of life management?
Stop being a prisoner of your past, become an architect of your future.
I _had_ resigned myself to acting the way adults were supposed to act. The mind is a wonderful servant, but a terrible master. Personal dedication to a cause greater than oneself. Where is my natural energy and vitality? Too much worry caused a schism. Worry created a leak of mental energy and potential. My creativity, optimism and motivation was drained, leaving me exhausted. *Take the road less travelled*. I am taking the time to think. I am trying to discover my real reason for being here. Do I have the courage to act on it? Content and intent. Energy in thought. Your thoughts are your most prized possessions. True nobility lies in being superior to your former self. It doesn’t matter what others say to you or about you, it matters what you say to yourself. The purpose of life is a life of purpose. You will not find true joy in sleeping, relaxing or idling. Spirited, joyful and curious.
Never be reluctant to ask the most basic of questions no matter how stupid or irrelevant you may think they are. If they spring to mind and are unanswered, then ask! I really like this as I have thought and believed in this for a long time. Others will benefit too. Assumptions are the mother of all evil. Assumptions are the mother of all fuck ups.
Do the things you have always wanted to do but didn’t because you tricked yourself in to believing that you were too young, too old, too rich or too poor. No regrets. Grab it by the balls. What shall you do with this one wild and precious wonderful life? Fear is a mental monster you have created, a negative stream of consciousness. There is already vast reserves of knowledge available for our use. Every answer to every problem you have ever faced is in print. I need to be closer to nature. Overall reduce your needs (materialism, food, pleasure), your perceived needs.
Failure is not having the courage to try, nothing more, nothing less.
Don’t race against others, race against yourself. If you don’t take the time to control your thoughts, they will control you. I am more than I appear to be, all the worlds strength and power rests inside me.
The death of permanence, the rise of impermanence. Am I adapting myself out of a troubled existance? We must come to know and embrace transcience. Why are we so hurried? What are we racing toward? Do I want to live faster? No. Early adopter or stuck in the mud. Why are we not drawing from the wisdom of the ages? Is it still relevant? Is affecting “mass education” the way to try and influence the future for the better? Does the ecclectic internet facilitate self-learning more easily? What avenues would I have embarked upon should I have had the internet at such formative stages?
How does one take calculated risks without enumerating the negative, thus allowing objective negative thoughts in to ones head? Contrasted with only allowing positive thoughts. Can you ignore the pain, misery and suffering in the world? We all either subtract from or add to the future. What learning and inputs have brought me to this point? When did man become a virus?
It’s the stepping in to the unknown that’s the hard part. If an outcome is already known, there is no challenge. The bigger the void, the greater the risk, the greater the reward. The road less traveled is the inner road. I have been coasting. Why are people so taken with the gaze of a baby? Does it reflect the potential? Does it reflect the desire for nurture? Does it reflect the lack of worry? Pathways, patterns and habits do not facilitate growth. Neuroscience, neural pathways, feedback loops. Search wider and wider, absorb new inputs. Rates of change outstripping the generational divide. No time to educate new race. No time for them to mature. When time is divided up in to smaller and smaller pieces and travels even faster, when will we find the infinite again in the moment? How much faster can we go before we burn out? Incentives, rewards, challenges. ‘Thin slicing’ refers to the ability of our subconscious to find patterns in situations and behaviours based on very narrow slices of experience. ‘overwhelmed by the task of counting negativity’.
“lives based on having are less free than lives based either on doing or being”
In life, no one told us what to expect. Why do we let the media and advertising industry dictate our expectations. Stop the world I want to get off.
There has to be a maximum threshold for information absorption in humans. What is the maximum?
Monday, November 23, 2009
Maybe
A work colleague modified a chain email , I really like it!
"Maybe... life just is and you make of it what you will. Maybe being kind and generous is more genuine if it isn't driven by a fear of retribution or the promise of reward. Maybe you don't have to fear a vengeful deity to be good.
Maybe the experience from mistakes and failures is actually the foundation of all knowledge and the building blocks for success.
Maybe the people who raised and educated us were only human like us. Maybe they didn't have the same resources and experience we have today. Maybe we can step back and form our own opinions based on what we observe rather than just what we're told. Maybe we can still trust the wisdom of others, but verify what we're told and come to our own conclusions. Maybe we should embrace new knowledge and readjust our perception of the world on a daily basis. Maybe we should question who we trust. Maybe our knowledge is influenced by our beliefs. Maybe it shouldn't be. Maybe right and wrong isn't so black and white.
Maybe we don't know everything. Maybe we can't. Maybe the universe can be awe inspiring, beautiful and overwhelming without having to believe in magic. Maybe if we can't explain something it is simply unknown rather than evidence of the supernatural. Maybe discarding new evidence and sticking with our beliefs makes us the closed minded ones. Maybe praying for and finding a convenient car park won't result in a mother's unanswered prayers for her dying son. Maybe the correlation between events is just a coincidence rather than divine intervention. Maybe the small chance of an amazing coincidence is more awe inspiring than fate dictating our lives beyond our control.
Maybe you mold your perception of the world around you to your own experience. Maybe you are solely responsible for your own interpretation of that experience. Maybe you are important. Maybe the world you live in is of your own making. Maybe your right to your beliefs doesn't grant your beliefs immunity to criticism. Maybe your beliefs can result in untold misery to others. Maybe the misery you find yourself in is yours to change. Maybe your success is your reward. Maybe you don't have to thank the universe for the results of your own hard work. Maybe luck is just a combination of chance and your ability to play the hand you're dealt.
Maybe we won't live forever. Maybe we should do something with the days we have left. Maybe nothing is predestined. Maybe fate won't drop prosperity or love in our laps. Maybe we need to make it happen.
Maybe you are responsible for your own happiness.
Tristan"
Original -> MAYBE
Maybe. . we were supposed to meet the
wrong people before meeting the right
one so that, when we finally meet the
right person, we will know how to be
grateful for that gift.
Maybe . . . when the door of happiness
closes, another opens; but, often
times, we look so long at the closed
door that we don't even see the new
one which has been opened for us.
Maybe . . . it is true that we don't
know what we have until we lose it,
but it is also true that we don't know
what we have been missing until it
arrives.
Maybe . . . the happiest of people
don't necessarily have the best of
everything; they just make the most of
everything that comes along their way.
Maybe . . . the brightest future will
always be based on a forgotten past;
after all, you can't go on
successfully in life until you let go
of your past mistakes, failures and
heartaches.
Maybe . . . you should dream what you
want to dream; go where you want to
go, be what you want to be, because
you have only one life and one chance
to do all the things you dream of, and
want to do.
Maybe . . . there are moments in life
when you miss someone -- a parent, a
spouse, a friend, a child -- so much
that you just want to pick them from
your dreams and hug them for real, so
that once they are around you
appreciate them more.
Maybe . . . the best kind of friend is
the kind you can sit on a porch and
swing with, never say a word, and then
walk away feeling like it was the best
conversation you've ever had.
Maybe . . you should always try to put
yourself in others' shoes. If you feel
that something could hurt you, it
probably will hurt the other person,
too.
Maybe . . you should do something nice
for someone every single day, even if
it is simply to leave them alone.
Maybe . giving someone all your love
is never an assurance that they will
love you back. Don't expect love in
return; just wait for it to grow in
their heart; but, if it doesn't, be
content that it grew in yours.
Maybe . . . happiness waits for all
those who cry, all those who hurt, all
those who have searched, and all those
who have tried, for only they can
appreciate the importance of all the
people who have touched their lives.
Maybe . . . you shouldn't go for
looks; they can deceive; don't go for
wealth; even that fades away. Go for
someone who makes you smile, because
it takes only a smile to make a dark
day seem bright. Find the one that
makes your heart smile.
Maybe . . you should hope for enough
happiness to make you sweet, enough
trials to make you strong, enough
sorrow to keep you human, and enough
hope to make you happy
Maybe . . . you should try to live
your life to the fullest because when
you were born, you were crying and
everyone around you was smiling but
when you die, you can be the one who
is smiling and everyone around you
crying.
Maybe . . . you could send this message
to those people who mean something to
you, to those who have touched your
life, to those who can and do make you
smile when you really need it, to
those who make you see the brighter
side of things when you are really
down, and to all those whom you want
to know that you appreciate them and
their friendship.
And if you don't, don't worry; nothing
bad will happen to you. You will just
miss out on the opportunity to perhaps
brighten someone's day."
"Maybe... life just is and you make of it what you will. Maybe being kind and generous is more genuine if it isn't driven by a fear of retribution or the promise of reward. Maybe you don't have to fear a vengeful deity to be good.
Maybe the experience from mistakes and failures is actually the foundation of all knowledge and the building blocks for success.
Maybe the people who raised and educated us were only human like us. Maybe they didn't have the same resources and experience we have today. Maybe we can step back and form our own opinions based on what we observe rather than just what we're told. Maybe we can still trust the wisdom of others, but verify what we're told and come to our own conclusions. Maybe we should embrace new knowledge and readjust our perception of the world on a daily basis. Maybe we should question who we trust. Maybe our knowledge is influenced by our beliefs. Maybe it shouldn't be. Maybe right and wrong isn't so black and white.
Maybe we don't know everything. Maybe we can't. Maybe the universe can be awe inspiring, beautiful and overwhelming without having to believe in magic. Maybe if we can't explain something it is simply unknown rather than evidence of the supernatural. Maybe discarding new evidence and sticking with our beliefs makes us the closed minded ones. Maybe praying for and finding a convenient car park won't result in a mother's unanswered prayers for her dying son. Maybe the correlation between events is just a coincidence rather than divine intervention. Maybe the small chance of an amazing coincidence is more awe inspiring than fate dictating our lives beyond our control.
Maybe you mold your perception of the world around you to your own experience. Maybe you are solely responsible for your own interpretation of that experience. Maybe you are important. Maybe the world you live in is of your own making. Maybe your right to your beliefs doesn't grant your beliefs immunity to criticism. Maybe your beliefs can result in untold misery to others. Maybe the misery you find yourself in is yours to change. Maybe your success is your reward. Maybe you don't have to thank the universe for the results of your own hard work. Maybe luck is just a combination of chance and your ability to play the hand you're dealt.
Maybe we won't live forever. Maybe we should do something with the days we have left. Maybe nothing is predestined. Maybe fate won't drop prosperity or love in our laps. Maybe we need to make it happen.
Maybe you are responsible for your own happiness.
Tristan"
Original -> MAYBE
Maybe. . we were supposed to meet the
wrong people before meeting the right
one so that, when we finally meet the
right person, we will know how to be
grateful for that gift.
Maybe . . . when the door of happiness
closes, another opens; but, often
times, we look so long at the closed
door that we don't even see the new
one which has been opened for us.
Maybe . . . it is true that we don't
know what we have until we lose it,
but it is also true that we don't know
what we have been missing until it
arrives.
Maybe . . . the happiest of people
don't necessarily have the best of
everything; they just make the most of
everything that comes along their way.
Maybe . . . the brightest future will
always be based on a forgotten past;
after all, you can't go on
successfully in life until you let go
of your past mistakes, failures and
heartaches.
Maybe . . . you should dream what you
want to dream; go where you want to
go, be what you want to be, because
you have only one life and one chance
to do all the things you dream of, and
want to do.
Maybe . . . there are moments in life
when you miss someone -- a parent, a
spouse, a friend, a child -- so much
that you just want to pick them from
your dreams and hug them for real, so
that once they are around you
appreciate them more.
Maybe . . . the best kind of friend is
the kind you can sit on a porch and
swing with, never say a word, and then
walk away feeling like it was the best
conversation you've ever had.
Maybe . . you should always try to put
yourself in others' shoes. If you feel
that something could hurt you, it
probably will hurt the other person,
too.
Maybe . . you should do something nice
for someone every single day, even if
it is simply to leave them alone.
Maybe . giving someone all your love
is never an assurance that they will
love you back. Don't expect love in
return; just wait for it to grow in
their heart; but, if it doesn't, be
content that it grew in yours.
Maybe . . . happiness waits for all
those who cry, all those who hurt, all
those who have searched, and all those
who have tried, for only they can
appreciate the importance of all the
people who have touched their lives.
Maybe . . . you shouldn't go for
looks; they can deceive; don't go for
wealth; even that fades away. Go for
someone who makes you smile, because
it takes only a smile to make a dark
day seem bright. Find the one that
makes your heart smile.
Maybe . . you should hope for enough
happiness to make you sweet, enough
trials to make you strong, enough
sorrow to keep you human, and enough
hope to make you happy
Maybe . . . you should try to live
your life to the fullest because when
you were born, you were crying and
everyone around you was smiling but
when you die, you can be the one who
is smiling and everyone around you
crying.
Maybe . . . you could send this message
to those people who mean something to
you, to those who have touched your
life, to those who can and do make you
smile when you really need it, to
those who make you see the brighter
side of things when you are really
down, and to all those whom you want
to know that you appreciate them and
their friendship.
And if you don't, don't worry; nothing
bad will happen to you. You will just
miss out on the opportunity to perhaps
brighten someone's day."
Sunday, November 08, 2009
MyNewSig
--
Regards,
Donal x xxxxxx +61(0)xxx xxx xxx
xxx xxx xxxxx
- Facilitate decision making. Don't presume anything.
- Add value to email trails. One recipient, less cc'ing.
- Bring the pertinent facts to the top when forwarding.
- Call on the phone, don't clog my inbox/tasklist.
- Link me to files and use version control, don't attach!
Regards,
Donal x xxxxxx +61(0)xxx xxx xxx
xxx xxx xxxxx
- Facilitate decision making. Don't presume anything.
- Add value to email trails. One recipient, less cc'ing.
- Bring the pertinent facts to the top when forwarding.
- Call on the phone, don't clog my inbox/tasklist.
- Link me to files and use version control, don't attach!
Wednesday, November 04, 2009
Troubleshooting-101
Social:
* TRUST BUT VERIFY. Information Technology is supposed to be rational. Humans are not rational. Verify both.
* You may hear people talking but don't listen to them, they will pollute your mind. Ask to see EVERYTHING for yourself.
* Only have
** device/infrastructure administrators
** one infrastructure architect
** and one application architect on a call at any time. (Anything else wastes money and mindshare!)
* Don't let anyone try a scattergun or consensus approach. In fact, don't allow any additional functions/capabilities on the call that are not technical or 100% required. More often than not the Project Manager is not required once the call starts
** Talk is most likely conjecture if it starts with "my understanding is", "I believe", "assume", "presume", etc.
* Explain you have to capture and share for audit purposes. Then capture and share.
* Always go back to first principles, including proving it's plugged in and switched on.
* Always ask to see the data/empirical evidence.
* Always get fresh data from the administrators, not stale logs.
* Never assume the admin knows how to use their tools.
Technical:
* Identify your application behaviour, if no one knows, end the call. AppFlowNow
* Ask for logs, if none, turn them on sparingly
* Separate your platform and application stacks
** the application stack is totally different from the platform/network stack
** the platform/network stack is totally different from the application stack
Warning:
All code contains bugs and every file can have configuration errors.
Humans write code, humans are fallible, code is fallible.
Testing:
* A failed application test proves absolutely nothing.
* Only a raw network test proves a data path exists.
* application stacks use many modules and functions to create messages
* application stacks may be their own protocols or use existing protocols
* application stacks can call on TCP/IP stacks on the host operating system or platform and uses device drivers to construct IP packets (or in the case of FC FC_frames etc)
* network stacks have many tunable parameters depending upon the platform
Build a matrix and diagram and use it! Make stuff or source stuff!
* build a flow diagram to contextualise relationships
* collaborate on the matrix/diagram centrally
* allow ICMP echo_request and echo_reply ICMPNow on all project flows
Identify your flows:
* end-to-end
* point-to-point
* point-to-multipoint
* mesh
Verify your endpoints and codebase(s)
* clients/servers
* Does arp complete?
* default gateway
* interface IP AND Subnet Mask
* client route table(s)
* operating system and patch levels
* device driver versions
* check the buglists for your versions, sometimes it's not a new bug nor unique (sometimes it is!)
Idenfity all your interim infrastructure nodes:
* local switch (layer 2, MAC/CAM table)
* default gateway (layer 3, FW/Router/LB)
* transit nodes (FW/Switch-Router/LB/Optimiser/IPS)
* operating system and patch levels
Verify the policies and configuration on all nodes:
* in-path
* pick one example flow and dissect it step by step
* check routes and routing on all devices
* go hop by hop
* TRUST BUT VERIFY. Information Technology is supposed to be rational. Humans are not rational. Verify both.
* You may hear people talking but don't listen to them, they will pollute your mind. Ask to see EVERYTHING for yourself.
* Only have
** device/infrastructure administrators
** one infrastructure architect
** and one application architect on a call at any time. (Anything else wastes money and mindshare!)
* Don't let anyone try a scattergun or consensus approach. In fact, don't allow any additional functions/capabilities on the call that are not technical or 100% required. More often than not the Project Manager is not required once the call starts
** Talk is most likely conjecture if it starts with "my understanding is", "I believe", "assume", "presume", etc.
* Explain you have to capture and share for audit purposes. Then capture and share.
* Always go back to first principles, including proving it's plugged in and switched on.
* Always ask to see the data/empirical evidence.
* Always get fresh data from the administrators, not stale logs.
* Never assume the admin knows how to use their tools.
Technical:
* Identify your application behaviour, if no one knows, end the call. AppFlowNow
* Ask for logs, if none, turn them on sparingly
* Separate your platform and application stacks
** the application stack is totally different from the platform/network stack
** the platform/network stack is totally different from the application stack
Warning:
All code contains bugs and every file can have configuration errors.
Humans write code, humans are fallible, code is fallible.
Testing:
* A failed application test proves absolutely nothing.
* Only a raw network test proves a data path exists.
* application stacks use many modules and functions to create messages
* application stacks may be their own protocols or use existing protocols
* application stacks can call on TCP/IP stacks on the host operating system or platform and uses device drivers to construct IP packets (or in the case of FC FC_frames etc)
* network stacks have many tunable parameters depending upon the platform
Build a matrix and diagram and use it! Make stuff or source stuff!
* build a flow diagram to contextualise relationships
* collaborate on the matrix/diagram centrally
* allow ICMP echo_request and echo_reply ICMPNow on all project flows
Identify your flows:
* end-to-end
* point-to-point
* point-to-multipoint
* mesh
Verify your endpoints and codebase(s)
* clients/servers
* Does arp complete?
* default gateway
* interface IP AND Subnet Mask
* client route table(s)
* operating system and patch levels
* device driver versions
* check the buglists for your versions, sometimes it's not a new bug nor unique (sometimes it is!)
Idenfity all your interim infrastructure nodes:
* local switch (layer 2, MAC/CAM table)
* default gateway (layer 3, FW/Router/LB)
* transit nodes (FW/Switch-Router/LB/Optimiser/IPS)
* operating system and patch levels
Verify the policies and configuration on all nodes:
* in-path
* pick one example flow and dissect it step by step
* check routes and routing on all devices
* go hop by hop
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Voting quickie
My response to a query about electronic voting to a family member:
Anonymity, trust, transitive trust and identity. The bane of my life
in IT. I agree in that if there is a boundary e.g. entry point that you
can control, then once authenticated and subsequently authorized to perform
an action/event, then the accounting should only count and not record
the authentication details (except the number of events), and the
authorisation should only record that a party of type A *was* authorised
to cast a vote, and hadn't done so before.
I would have more faith in a system run by humans with physical bags
of votes, than a system run by humans with bags of bits that represent
votes. The time, space and economics e.g. physics of digital voting
represent an order of magnitude more complexity and potential design
issues than the previous version.
We put our trust in representatives e.g. humans along the way and I
for one have more trust in humans when less things can go wrong and
there is literally more visibility in the units, tokens etc..
... Just when you think people are starting to "get it" shit like this
gets posted in professional journals.
I would however like you to think about micro-voting and technology
facilitating faster and more frequent decision making by the electorate
on a wide range of topics including electing where their tax dollars go :)
Anonymity, trust, transitive trust and identity. The bane of my life
in IT. I agree in that if there is a boundary e.g. entry point that you
can control, then once authenticated and subsequently authorized to perform
an action/event, then the accounting should only count and not record
the authentication details (except the number of events), and the
authorisation should only record that a party of type A *was* authorised
to cast a vote, and hadn't done so before.
I would have more faith in a system run by humans with physical bags
of votes, than a system run by humans with bags of bits that represent
votes. The time, space and economics e.g. physics of digital voting
represent an order of magnitude more complexity and potential design
issues than the previous version.
We put our trust in representatives e.g. humans along the way and I
for one have more trust in humans when less things can go wrong and
there is literally more visibility in the units, tokens etc..
... Just when you think people are starting to "get it" shit like this
gets posted in professional journals.
I would however like you to think about micro-voting and technology
facilitating faster and more frequent decision making by the electorate
on a wide range of topics including electing where their tax dollars go :)
Monday, August 03, 2009
Welcome to the future, now and now and now...
Videos: http://www.edge.org/3rd_culture/church_venter09/church_venter09_index.html
INTRODUCTION: APE AND ESSENCE
By George Dyson
Sixty-one years ago Aldous Huxley published his lesser-known masterpiece, Ape and Essence, set in the Los Angeles of 2108. After a nuclear war (in the year 2008) devastates humanity's ability to reproduce high-fidelity copies of itself, a reversion to sub-human existence had been the result. A small group of scientists from New Zealand, spared from the catastrophe, arrives, a century later, to take notes. The story is presented, in keeping with the Hollywood location, in the form of a film script.
On July 24, 2009, a small group of scientists, entrepreneurs, cultural impresarios and journalists that included architects of the some of the leading transformative companies of our time (Microsoft, Google, Facebook, PayPal), arrived at the Andaz Hotel on Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood, to be offered a glimpse, guided by George Church and Craig Venter, of a future far stranger than Mr. Huxley had been able to imagine in 1948.
In this future — whose underpinnings, as Drs. Church and Venter demonstrated, are here already— life as we know it is transformed not by the error catastrophe of radiation damage to our genetic processes, but by the far greater upheaval caused by discovering how to read genetic sequences directly into computers, where the code can be replicated exactly, manipulated freely, and translated back into living organisms by writing the other way. "We can program these cells as if they were an extension of the computer," George Church announced, and proceeded to explain just how much progress has already been made.
The first day's lectures took place at Elon Musk's SpaceX rocket laboratories — where the latest Merlin and Kestrel engines (built with the loving care devoted to finely-tuned musical instruments) are unchanged, in principle, from those that Theodore von Karman was building at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in 1948. The technology of biology, however, has completely changed.
Approaching Beverly Hills along Sunset Boulevard from Santa Monica, the first indications that you are nearing the destination are people encamped at the side of the road announcing "Star Maps" for sale. Beverly Hills is a surprisingly diverse community of interwoven lives, families, and livelihoods, and a Star Map offers only a rough approximation of where a few select people have their homes.
Synthetic Genomics is still at the Star Map stage. But it is becoming Google Earth much faster than most people think.
GEORGE DYSON, a historian among futurists, is the author of Baidarka; Project Orion; and Darwin Among the Machines.
INTRODUCTION: APE AND ESSENCE
By George Dyson
Sixty-one years ago Aldous Huxley published his lesser-known masterpiece, Ape and Essence, set in the Los Angeles of 2108. After a nuclear war (in the year 2008) devastates humanity's ability to reproduce high-fidelity copies of itself, a reversion to sub-human existence had been the result. A small group of scientists from New Zealand, spared from the catastrophe, arrives, a century later, to take notes. The story is presented, in keeping with the Hollywood location, in the form of a film script.
On July 24, 2009, a small group of scientists, entrepreneurs, cultural impresarios and journalists that included architects of the some of the leading transformative companies of our time (Microsoft, Google, Facebook, PayPal), arrived at the Andaz Hotel on Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood, to be offered a glimpse, guided by George Church and Craig Venter, of a future far stranger than Mr. Huxley had been able to imagine in 1948.
In this future — whose underpinnings, as Drs. Church and Venter demonstrated, are here already— life as we know it is transformed not by the error catastrophe of radiation damage to our genetic processes, but by the far greater upheaval caused by discovering how to read genetic sequences directly into computers, where the code can be replicated exactly, manipulated freely, and translated back into living organisms by writing the other way. "We can program these cells as if they were an extension of the computer," George Church announced, and proceeded to explain just how much progress has already been made.
The first day's lectures took place at Elon Musk's SpaceX rocket laboratories — where the latest Merlin and Kestrel engines (built with the loving care devoted to finely-tuned musical instruments) are unchanged, in principle, from those that Theodore von Karman was building at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in 1948. The technology of biology, however, has completely changed.
Approaching Beverly Hills along Sunset Boulevard from Santa Monica, the first indications that you are nearing the destination are people encamped at the side of the road announcing "Star Maps" for sale. Beverly Hills is a surprisingly diverse community of interwoven lives, families, and livelihoods, and a Star Map offers only a rough approximation of where a few select people have their homes.
Synthetic Genomics is still at the Star Map stage. But it is becoming Google Earth much faster than most people think.
GEORGE DYSON, a historian among futurists, is the author of Baidarka; Project Orion; and Darwin Among the Machines.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
SecurityShapes
Click here for larger image.
Commentary:
Please help me pin the tail on the other donkeys re:green and red icons?
Somewhere below architecture, policy, ontology, taxonomy but above distinct methods/controls? Predicated on an existing trust, zone,domain model. Prescriptive but not restrictive. A hitch-hikers guide to data-flow security!
Can this help empower the guys on the ground to make decisions and know when to escalate something to the security team?
I kinda wanted this to be a cheat sheet for Ops/BAU engineers. Something pragmatic rather than a magic 8ball for PMs and Solution "Architects" too.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Flu piece for AUSDAVOS
A few years ago I woke up hungover in a Vegas hotel room and wandered
down stairs to my conference, a conference cum cheerleading session
for which I had no real want or need. We had RFID(Radio Frequency
IDentification) tracking chips in our badges so managers could track
who went to what sessions. Technology was facilitating people
"management" akin to factory farmed battery hens. With these
micro-metrics available to our respective "managers" where was the
leadership, the humanity? I dumped my tracking chip early, pretended I
had lost it, and headed back to the pool to drink more silver rock
margaritas with my new buddies.
That was 2006. That person is gone, and springing forth from the
fertile scarred and charred earth, there is now a small green shoot; a
concept, an entity, a mission. We’ve decided that it is time to use
technology to facilitate humanity, not to constrain it. It is time to
enable the human mesh for the sake of all humans, plants and animals,
and not for profiteering. Accountability and humanity are lost in
organisational abstractions, out-sourcing, out-tasking and
off-shoring. Rather than pushing humans farther away, it's time to
bring us all closer together.
Time has indeed sped up. We are currently trying to shoehorn a new
"emergence supporting" fuzzy framework in to old legal cooperative
structures. It's hard to explain how once enough nodes or entities are
logically connected together, the new entity both mirrors the atomic
entities and creates a totally new previously unseen entity (the whole
being greater than the sum of its parts). This is nature, this is
interconnectedness, this is biomimicry.. or is it already just nature?
So what have we actually done? In 2009 we deployed free internet mesh
wireless networks to events that spread human awareness, including the
popular Future Summit and Trampoline events held in Melbourne,
Australia We continue to do so today, facilitating and helping those
who need it most. NodeCity also rebrokered a single internet
connection to provide wireless access across a temporary village built
for the displaced citizens of Flowerdale who had lost their homes in
the Victorian ‘Black Saturday’ bushfires this year.
We provide non-profit focused IT professional services, enterprise
computing and infrastructure to anyone who really needs it at a fair
and equitable price (if not gratis for good causes when feasible!).
It is this ability to access information, ideas, and to communicate
with vast pools of other people and systems outside of your normal
physical range which is so powerful. This is why we think NodeCity is
such an important project to commit to. The ability to organise is
amplified and accelerated, both locally and remotely. Dissemination of
information provides alternatives and increased numbers of options,
which facilitates real human potential. The main question however is,
are values transmitted in the same way as raw data? Does increased
information actually inform and provoke critical thought, improve
quality and benefit the world or does it detract from it? Maybe we are
seeing the next step in our shared evolution. We are a new type of
node based city, and we are going to answer the only way we can.
down stairs to my conference, a conference cum cheerleading session
for which I had no real want or need. We had RFID(Radio Frequency
IDentification) tracking chips in our badges so managers could track
who went to what sessions. Technology was facilitating people
"management" akin to factory farmed battery hens. With these
micro-metrics available to our respective "managers" where was the
leadership, the humanity? I dumped my tracking chip early, pretended I
had lost it, and headed back to the pool to drink more silver rock
margaritas with my new buddies.
That was 2006. That person is gone, and springing forth from the
fertile scarred and charred earth, there is now a small green shoot; a
concept, an entity, a mission. We’ve decided that it is time to use
technology to facilitate humanity, not to constrain it. It is time to
enable the human mesh for the sake of all humans, plants and animals,
and not for profiteering. Accountability and humanity are lost in
organisational abstractions, out-sourcing, out-tasking and
off-shoring. Rather than pushing humans farther away, it's time to
bring us all closer together.
Time has indeed sped up. We are currently trying to shoehorn a new
"emergence supporting" fuzzy framework in to old legal cooperative
structures. It's hard to explain how once enough nodes or entities are
logically connected together, the new entity both mirrors the atomic
entities and creates a totally new previously unseen entity (the whole
being greater than the sum of its parts). This is nature, this is
interconnectedness, this is biomimicry.. or is it already just nature?
So what have we actually done? In 2009 we deployed free internet mesh
wireless networks to events that spread human awareness, including the
popular Future Summit and Trampoline events held in Melbourne,
Australia We continue to do so today, facilitating and helping those
who need it most. NodeCity also rebrokered a single internet
connection to provide wireless access across a temporary village built
for the displaced citizens of Flowerdale who had lost their homes in
the Victorian ‘Black Saturday’ bushfires this year.
We provide non-profit focused IT professional services, enterprise
computing and infrastructure to anyone who really needs it at a fair
and equitable price (if not gratis for good causes when feasible!).
It is this ability to access information, ideas, and to communicate
with vast pools of other people and systems outside of your normal
physical range which is so powerful. This is why we think NodeCity is
such an important project to commit to. The ability to organise is
amplified and accelerated, both locally and remotely. Dissemination of
information provides alternatives and increased numbers of options,
which facilitates real human potential. The main question however is,
are values transmitted in the same way as raw data? Does increased
information actually inform and provoke critical thought, improve
quality and benefit the world or does it detract from it? Maybe we are
seeing the next step in our shared evolution. We are a new type of
node based city, and we are going to answer the only way we can.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Friday, May 22, 2009
Wednesday, May 06, 2009
What is nodecity
Nodecity was always going to be a community; a part of the greater network of beings and entities. Essentially, interconnectedness realised and respected.
With a mixture of technological advances, instrumentation and cooperation (through efforts like http://smartenergygroups.com/), Nodecity will be both a physical and virtual destination to learn about balanced living. Nodecity will utilise philosophies (both borrowed and evolving) from permaculture, meditation, and technology, to demonstrate a different way of living.
Currently we are looking at soil maps, climate, and building regulations around Australia. We will be looking for funding and grants to build an earthship centre and business plan around our model (including providing low footprint devices and service packages to individuals and groups wishing to utlise the internet more effectively and responsibly).
This is not about eco-tourism, it is about eco-living, learning and connecting.
Non prescriptive, explorative.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Thursday, April 16, 2009
IT-in-a-box
Message passing.
Inter process communication.
Spawning processes. Process lifecycle.
Information management.
Trust, privacy, identity. Non-repudiation.
Superorganism inputs, processes, outputs.
Node inputs, processes, outputs.
Symbiotic entity node+interface+human.
Symbiotic entity human-node+network+human-node.
Symbiotic entity human-node+network+auto-node.
Symbiotic entity auto-node+network+human-node.
Flows.
Go to (Message passing)
Inter process communication.
Spawning processes. Process lifecycle.
Information management.
Trust, privacy, identity. Non-repudiation.
Superorganism inputs, processes, outputs.
Node inputs, processes, outputs.
Symbiotic entity node+interface+human.
Symbiotic entity human-node+network+human-node.
Symbiotic entity human-node+network+auto-node.
Symbiotic entity auto-node+network+human-node.
Flows.
Go to (Message passing)
Monday, April 13, 2009
Sunday, April 12, 2009
DNS for dynamic geo-location
Using DNS as a covert channel to do lookups against non-existant A records, which are in fact your latitude and longitude coordinates!
E.g. my device registers via dynamic DNS to a domain (mine or someones service) and enters its hostname, then subsequently does a lookup against my location+device+[sub]domain. DNS server intelligently sees query and does some stuff below:
So my device asks about a non-existant A record in my subdomain or hosted domain which now happens to contain my coords; such that the DNS server is originally told by my device where I am. The DNS server updates itself to contain a record that now reflects what I asked. Others can now query my location through a DNS resource record. Quick, single packet UDP geo-location.
Now other entities on the internet can a) ask for the IP for my host's A record b) ask for the PTR for my device in that or other subdomain, and the response points to the new 'geo' location data A record.
My latitude and longitude
-037.881721,144.978032
My device called 'bob-001' with IP address 123.123.123.123
My device uses 'dynamic DNS' and registers in a domain with:
bob-001.assets.nodecity.com 123.123.123.123
My DNS server creates the A record and also a sub-domain(no PTR record yet!):
bob-001.assets.nodecity.com 123.123.123.123
.bob-001.geo.assets.nodecity.com
My device asks about the A record:
037881721144978032.bob-001.geo.assets.nodecity.com
My DNS server now knows where I am and also inserts a PTR record for
123.123.123.123.IN.ADDR.PTR. 037881721144978032.bob-001.geo.assets.nodecity.com
Hmmmm.. can also use TXT records and/or oher DNSSEC stuff. PTR idea may not work against RFC1918 address space or devices behind NAT. Maybe just use AXFR for subdomain which could also contain the last X locations for the device....
E.g. my device registers via dynamic DNS to a domain (mine or someones service) and enters its hostname, then subsequently does a lookup against my location+device+[sub]domain. DNS server intelligently sees query and does some stuff below:
So my device asks about a non-existant A record in my subdomain or hosted domain which now happens to contain my coords; such that the DNS server is originally told by my device where I am. The DNS server updates itself to contain a record that now reflects what I asked. Others can now query my location through a DNS resource record. Quick, single packet UDP geo-location.
Now other entities on the internet can a) ask for the IP for my host's A record b) ask for the PTR for my device in that or other subdomain, and the response points to the new 'geo' location data A record.
My latitude and longitude
-037.881721,144.978032
My device called 'bob-001' with IP address 123.123.123.123
My device uses 'dynamic DNS' and registers in a domain with:
bob-001.assets.nodecity.com 123.123.123.123
My DNS server creates the A record and also a sub-domain(no PTR record yet!):
bob-001.assets.nodecity.com 123.123.123.123
.bob-001.geo.assets.nodecity.com
My device asks about the A record:
037881721144978032.bob-001.geo.assets.nodecity.com
My DNS server now knows where I am and also inserts a PTR record for
123.123.123.123.IN.ADDR.PTR. 037881721144978032.bob-001.geo.assets.nodecity.com
Hmmmm.. can also use TXT records and/or oher DNSSEC stuff. PTR idea may not work against RFC1918 address space or devices behind NAT. Maybe just use AXFR for subdomain which could also contain the last X locations for the device....
Friday, April 10, 2009
Thursday, April 09, 2009
Stage 2
When I get back from San Francisco a few things are going to happen.
I am going to spread information and connectedness with http://Nodecity.com/
I have just facilitated 3 conferences.
I am going to buy cheap land and build an earthship and free myself from the system 100% to facilitate true freedom. Shelter, air, water, food, excretion, homeostasis.
This will be my next 5 years. Probably at the base of the tropics, inland somewhat and about 100m above sea level. The islands of self-sustainable communes / gardens are about to take hold. I have a vision and need to engage in something meaningful in this super grid -> it's time to build, teach and play. Otherwise there's no point.
Time to play life like a dance, music, or some nonsensical chatter. The cosmic joke. Time to laugh along, not to be too serious.. but also to take responsiblity for my own survival, only then can one truly be free. Beholden to none. Then one can serve fellow beings and ecosystem. Time to become net neutral, before net positive.
I am going to spread information and connectedness with http://Nodecity.com/
I have just facilitated 3 conferences.
I am going to buy cheap land and build an earthship and free myself from the system 100% to facilitate true freedom. Shelter, air, water, food, excretion, homeostasis.
This will be my next 5 years. Probably at the base of the tropics, inland somewhat and about 100m above sea level. The islands of self-sustainable communes / gardens are about to take hold. I have a vision and need to engage in something meaningful in this super grid -> it's time to build, teach and play. Otherwise there's no point.
Time to play life like a dance, music, or some nonsensical chatter. The cosmic joke. Time to laugh along, not to be too serious.. but also to take responsiblity for my own survival, only then can one truly be free. Beholden to none. Then one can serve fellow beings and ecosystem. Time to become net neutral, before net positive.
Wednesday, April 08, 2009
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