I have to say, between this video and this one (http://blog.apigee.com/detail/full_talk_and_slides_darwins_finches_20th_century_business_and_apis_evolve/) geeks have become very interesting to me, both as users and producers of design tools.

BTW, in gratitude to Fish I made him this t-shirt: http://www.cafepress.com/nerdsareuserstoo.598205822

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There was a king who had a wicked son. Having no hope that he would change for the better, the father condemned the son to death. He gave him a month to prepare.

The month went by, and the father summoned the son. To his surprise he saw that the young man was noticeably changed: his face was thin and drawn, and his whole body looked as if it had suffered.

“How is it that such a transformation has come over you, my son?” the father asked.

“My father and my lord,” replied the son, “how could I not have change when each passing day brought me closer to death?”

“Good, my son,” remarked the king. “Since you have evidently come to your senses, I shall pardon you. However, you must maintain this vigilant disposition of soul for the rest of your life.”

“Father,” replied the son, “that’s impossible. How can I withstand the countless seductions and temptations?”

Then the king ordered that a vessel be brought, full of oil, and he told his son:

“Take this vessel and carry it along all the streets of the city. Following you will be two soldiers with sharp swords. If you spill so much as a single drop they will cut off your head.”

The son obeyed. With light, careful steps, he walked along all the streets, the soldiers accompanying him, and he did not spill a drop.

When he returned to the castle, the father asked,

“My son, what did you see as you were walking through the city?”

“I saw nothing.”

“What do you mean, ‘nothing’?” said the king. “Today is a holiday; you must have seen the booths with all kinds of trinkets, many carriages, people animals…”

“I didn’t notice any of that,” said the son. “All my attention was focused on the oil in the vessel. I was afraid to spill a drop and thereby lose my life.”

“Quite right, my son,” said the king. “Keep this lesson in mind for the rest of you life. Be as vigilant over your soul as you were today over the oil in the vessel. Turn your thoughts away from what will soon pass away, and keep them focused on what is eternal. You will be followed not by armed soldiers but by death to which we are brought closer by every day. Be very careful to guard your soul from all ruinous temptations.”

The son obeyed his father, and lived happily.

Watch, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong. (I Cor. 16:13).

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“I saw nothing.”

With people presenting diabolical tripe like this as an example of religious sentiment, is it any wonder people hate “religion”?

4. Relationship. Let’s agree to put this issue on hold and see if reflection and experience bring us closer in the future. Our relationship is more important than this singular difference of opinion.

Not exactly you’re point, I know, but just sayin’.

I’m also a huge Anti-fan of the term User Experience, as a ‘user’ is by definition the subject of an object, when the perspective needed is the reverse. As well, experiences are bigger than the entities involved in them, so to single out one entity is not relevant. A more relevant terminology is “Experience Design”.

For me, the relevant answers are not in ‘chaos theory’ — which is only half of the paradox, but in ‘complexity theory’ — which embraces the paradox of chaos and order. Not to say that there aren’t some brilliant thinkers in that realm who laid the groundwork for ‘complexity theory’ to emerge.

All problems are wicked — we just tend to (as would be necessary) simplify them enough to solve a portion of the problem. I, on the other hand, am often blinded by the obvious larger considerations and have trouble focusing on the ‘good enough for now’ solutions (particularly when they cost a lot and will take a lot of time to create).

It is no accident that aggressive ideologues frequently argue the practical value of subjecting prisoners to physical duress as a means to more effective interrogation. The way the debate is framed — interrogation is a means to get truthful answers to questions; torture is primarily about physical violence; do the physical means justify the end — misrepresents the purpose of torture.

The real purpose of torture is to annihilate a reality that exists as an unknown unknown in the mind and potential actions of the prisoner. Maybe some realities do deserve to be annihilated by whatever means are available and expedient… but this is a different debate, and not one most torture advocates are intellectually prepared to have. In fact, this way of framing the torture question could even be one they would prefer to annihilate than to entertain.