Posts by chikara@qoto.org
(DIR) Post #9pjmpjKF6mDoskdn9c by chikara@qoto.org
2019-12-07T22:55:12Z
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WATER-FILLED BOTTLES + LIGHT.In the images below, Japanese ukiyo-e woodblocks are being carved using traditional methods, including the lighting.A glass flask full of water hangs between the woodblock and a light bulb. When the light from the bulb hits the flask it is refracted in all directions and eliminates shadows from the surface of the woodblock, enabling the artisan to see the finest of lines. -- see Brigitte Koyama-Richard, "Modern-day Artisans Carry On the “Ukiyo-e” Tradition." Nippon. March 6, 2014. https://www.nippon.com/en/views/b02306/modern-day-artisans-carry-on-the-ukiyo-e-tradition.html.QUESTION? I wonder how the many uses of optics and lighting technology developed in Japan? My best guess is that the use of a water-filled glass globe to affect light was introduced to Japan by the Dutch..QOTO = Question Others to Teach Ourselves?
(DIR) Post #9pjn0NbQDK7kh9kpYu by chikara@qoto.org
2019-12-07T22:53:59Z
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WATER-FILLED BOTTLES + LIGHT.SPOTLIGHT. In the 1700s, spherical glass bottles filled with water were used to focus candlelight for fine work such as lace making and surgery. -- see "Water sphere lens" https://www.exploratorium.edu/snacks/water-sphere-lens; and see Brian Lemin, "The Great Deception, Lace-makers lamps"https://www2.cs.arizona.edu/patterns/weaving/webdocs/lb_lamps.pdf. DIFFUSED LIGHT. In a modern-day emergency, a clear plastic bottle filled with water can be used to diffuse light -- converting a flash light into a lantern which illuminates an area instead of just one spot -- see "Plastic Bottle Lantern" https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/radio/bosaiweb/craft/craft_20.html.Sometimes I come across curious tidbits -- like this -- when I'm actively searching for something else. And I'm posting this just in case others might be interested, too..QUESTION? I wonder how the many uses of optics and lighting technology developed worldwide? My best guess is that the genesis of this story is probably in Europe..QOTO = Question Others to Teach Ourselves?
(DIR) Post #9plSP1hP4ugZHTNpAG by chikara@qoto.org
2019-12-08T19:16:38Z
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MECHANICAL ENGINEERING HERITAGE OF JAPAN.The Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers (JSME) (日本機械学会 Nihon Kikai Gakkai) established Japan's Mechanical Engineering Heritage (MEH) program in 2007. -- see JSME, "About 'Mechanical Engineering Heritage'" https://www.jsme.or.jp/kikaiisan/index-e.html#section2.The MEH listings highlight machines, related systems, factories, specification documents, textbooks, and other items that have had a significant impact on the development of mechanical engineering in Japan. JSME acts to preserve these historical artifacts. Each listed item is assigned a MEH number. -- see Wikipedia "Mechanical Engineering Heritage (Japan)." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mechanical_Engineering_Heritage_(Japan)#Collection_2.The MEH list includes the apparatus first installed in 1870 in the Kashinozaki Lighthouse in Wakayama Prefecture. -- see Wikipedia "Kashinozaki Lighthouse" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kashinozaki_Lighthouse; and see Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers (JSME), "Mechanical Engineering Heritage No. 83." https://www.jsme.or.jp/kikaiisan/heritage_083_en.html.The light rotating system support pedestal and the rotating gear box at Kashinozaki are shown below..QUESTION: The fact that historical artifacts can help us to understand the process of technology transfer begs a few questions -- for example, what else could be or should be added to this list in Japan? Or what should be preserved in other countries where this kind of program doesn't exist? .QOTO = Question Others to Teach Ourselves?
(DIR) Post #9pleb1BpznxScv6SQa by chikara@qoto.org
2019-12-08T21:27:38Z
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@design_RG What I'm doing is experimental. The subjects of my posts are unlike anything else I see. .Yes, I can use CW in the way you propose. This is what I wrote: "STEM ≥ technology heritage".Looking ahead, my best guess is that there would be little to no interest in a post about a Meiji era lighthouse at Shimonoseki which has been highlighted as a UNESCO World Heritage site -- see Wikipedia "Sites of Japan’s Meiji Industrial Revolution: Iron and Steel, Shipbuilding and Coal Mining" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sites_of_Japan%27s_Meiji_Industrial_Revolution:_Iron_and_Steel,_Shipbuilding_and_Coal_Mining.I'm not especially interested in lighthouses, but this kind of superficial research creates a minimal foundation for my plan to look a little bit more closely at just one of the o-yatoi gaikokujin. ."In addition to building lighthouses—the reason for his deployment to Japan from Edinburgh—Brunton drew the first detailed maps of Yokohama; planned its sewage, street, gas light and telegraph systems; and built its first iron bridge, for which he received an audience with the emperor, in 1871." -- see British Chamber of Commerce in Japan, "Scotland and Yokohama sign joint action pact," July 27, 2018. https://bccjapan.com/news/scotland-and-yokohama-sign-joint-action-pact/.Technology transfer in the Meiji era produces consequences that are easy to grasp..The undated image below shows Honcho-dori in Yokohama, I'm guessing the poles on the street are for a telegraph line -- and if so, then Brunton designed and supervised their placement. .Also, I think I see a gas light. If so, this is Brunton's work, too. So, I'm guessing the street scene is from sometime after 1871..QUESTION: Does superficial research into technology transfer in Japan in 1868-1912 suggest ways to parse the subject in current conditions -- for example, what does compare-and-contrast tell us about the expansion of cell phones and online banking in India? Or what about Chinese harbor infrastructure projects in Sri Lanka and/or Pakistan?. QOTO = Question Others to Teach Ourselves?
(DIR) Post #9plhhL8x1QgI6xSWOW by chikara@qoto.org
2019-12-08T22:10:36Z
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@freemo I don't understand what you're writing about. Please try again using different words.
(DIR) Post #9pp4KVfEcYzGV4WQRk by chikara@qoto.org
2019-12-10T07:35:48Z
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#art #ukiyo-e #pigment #chemistry #chemie #metallurgy #metallurgie Nihonga 日本画 are Japanese-style paintings made with traditional Japanese artistic conventions, techniques and materials. -- see Wikipedia "Nihonga" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nihonga; see also JAANUS (Japanese Architecture and Art Net Users System), "Nihonga" http://www.aisf.or.jp/~jaanus/deta/n/nihonga.htm EDO PERIOD, 1600-1868. A thriving art market developed in Edo during the years that Japan was ruled by the Tokugawa Shogunate (1600-1868). In the Edo period, sellers of paints for artists were limited in what they could provide. The colors and composition of paints were mixtures of indigenous materials. The use of traditional pigments had developed over the course of centuries. -- see "A Nihonga Painter in Yanaka,," NHK World. March 19, 2019. https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/tv/tokyoeye2020/episode_20190306.html• Iwa-enogu 岩絵具. Mineral pigment colors are produced by finely grinding natural minerals. Pigments can also be roasted to change their color. Nikawa glue is used as an adhesive. -- see JAANUS, "Iwa-enougu" http://www.aisf.or.jp/~jaanus/deta/i/iwaenogu.htm• Suihi-enogu: Soil or clay is finely ground to make hues of yellow or red in hue. Nikawa glue is used as an adhesive. -- see Yamatane Museum of Art, "What is Nihonga?"http://www.yamatane-museum.jp/english/nihonga/ • Gofun 胡粉. The color white is made from natural oyster shells. Nikawa glue is used as an adhesive. -- see JAANUS, "Gofun" http://www.aisf.or.jp/~jaanus/deta/g/gofun.htm• Senryō : Dyes or coloring materials derived from animal or plant matter are used. -- see Yamatane, "What is Nihonga?"http://www.yamatane-museum.jp/english/nihonga/ • Nikawa 膠. A gelatin glue or adhesive is made boiling and extracting protein from skins and bones of animals and fish, it has long been used as an adhesive. Since the pigments used in nihonga have no adhesive strength, the use of nikawa is needed to fix them to the surface of the painting. -- see JAANUS, "Nikawa" http://www.aisf.or.jp/~jaanus/deta/n/nikawa.htmMEIJI PERIOD, 1868-1912. The art market in metropolitan Tokyo continued to expand after it became the Imperial capitol. Sellers of artist paints could offer "new" colors which only became possible because of use of imported materials which had been embargoed for 200+ years.SUMMARY: Traditional Japanese artist paints continue to be manufactured and sold today; and there is an international market for these Nihonga pigments.QUESTION: There may not be much interest in this topic now, but I would guess that this may change over time -- what do you think?.QOTO = Question Others to Teach Ourselves?
(DIR) Post #9pp5Ykm5KyARNB58tc by chikara@qoto.org
2019-12-10T03:56:32Z
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#art #ukiyo-e #pigment #chemistry #chemie #metallurgy #metallurgie@design_RG The black-and-white cat in this 1850 ukiyo-e looks interesting -- a real trouble-maker.UTAGAWA SCHOOL. Cats were a frequent subject for many Edo period artists, including those known collectively as the Utagawa school. -- see Google image search for "utagawa kunisada cat" https://www.google.com/search?newwindow=1&sxsrf=ACYBGNQbwBxtT_OyGr9ucjKlOPAkZJKxUw:1575944326696&q=utagawa+kunisada+cat&tbm=isch&source=univ&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj51ZyOgqrmAhWtTt8KHbnwDhIQ4216BAgKEDs&biw=1920&bih=920Three popular artists were known by the same name, which makes it a bit confusing for us; but think about it -- this "branding" strategy would have been a good marketing tactic in the competitive art market in Edo in the early 19th century: • Utagawa Kunisada (1786 - 1865) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kunisada• Utagawa Kunisada II (1823 - 1880) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utagawa_Kunisada_II• Utagawa Kunisada III (1848-1920) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utagawa_Kunisada_III According to the Wikipedia Commons page where I found our cat, the artist for this speicific print was Utagawa Kunisada -- but which one? ACCIDENTAL DISCOVERY. If you're interested, I found our bad-tempered cat by accident. I was searching for poetry I might want to give as a Christmas present. And my the gift-giving research plan included trying to find an image of the poet to go along with the poem.So, yesterday I was looking for Bunya no Yasuhide. -- see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fun%27ya_no_YasuhideAnd if you look closely at our image, you'll see that the woman with a curious cat has her own ukiyo-e print on the wall in the background -- and it's a portrait of the poet I was looking for ... ANALYSIS. I guess we could say that Google's search engine worked well this time?QUESTION: What is the STEM-focused rationale which explains the many toots about cats in our QOTO venue?.QOTO = Question Others to Teach Ourselves?
(DIR) Post #9ppHM3ACr3hG5h4cGO by chikara@qoto.org
2019-12-10T15:34:23Z
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@design_RG What I've been doing is inelegant, but it works.Bullets are cut-and-paste inserts -- see "Bullet (typography)" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bullet_(typography)This cut-and-paste process works well for other typographical symbols or glyphs. The copy-paste strategy is similar to what I do when inserting Asian text into a paragraph of European language prose. I haven't tried Unicode in our QOTO context. -- see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bullet_(typography)#In_Unicode
(DIR) Post #9pxmHiG8izEUNK8zIG by chikara@qoto.org
2019-12-14T05:49:58Z
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#art #ukiyo-e #pigment #volcanology #volcanologie #skyWHY IS THE SKY PINK IN 'THE GREAT WAVE"?Although the color has now faded in many of the woodblock prints Hokusai made and sold in the 1830s, art historians confirm that the sky was originally pink in initial prints of "The Great Wave."We can't know why the artist selected pink, but we do know that Hokusai researched available literature and illustrations before working on his own pictures. -- see "Rare Hokusai woodblock is themed on 1707 Mt. Fuji eruption" (Akihiro Tanaka & Yoshito Watari). Asahi Shimbun. May 6, 2019. http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201905060011.htmlThe pink sky may be intended to suggest dawn. -- see Metropolitan Museum of Art, "Dawn at Isawa in Kai Province," 1930-32. https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/56349Or maybe science provides another valid explanation?VOLCANIC ASH IN ATMOSPHERE. In 1829, Klyuchevskaya Sopka erupted on the Kamchatka peninsula. -- see Wikipedia "List of large volcanic eruptions in the 19th century" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_large_volcanic_eruptions_of_the_19th_century; and see "Volcanos of Kamchatka" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volcanoes_of_KamchatkaThe magnitude of this Klyuchevskaya eruption was much like the 2011 eruption of Grímsvötn in Iceland. -- see "List of large volcanic eruptions in the 21st century" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_large_volcanic_eruptions_in_the_21st_centuryLike the paintings of J.M.W. Turner after the 1815 eruption of Mt. Tambora, Hokusai's pink skies may simply depict the presence of volcanic ash and dust in the atmosphere. -- see "How Paintings of Sunsets Immortalize Past Volcanic Eruptions" (Sarah Zielinski). Smithsonian. March 25, 2014. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/how-paintings-sunsets-immortalize-past-volcanic-eruptions-180950254/Skies more polluted by volcanic ash scatter sunlight more, so they appear redder. -- see "How 19th century art is painting a picture of Earth's polluted past: Turner's sunsets reveal volcanic ash and gas in the sky" (Sarah Griffiths). Daily Mail. 25 March 2014. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2588838/How-19th-century-art-painting-picture-Earths-polluted-past-Turners-sunsets-reveal-volcanic-ash-gas-sky.htmlWHAT A GREAT ARTIST SEES? Red-to-green ratios measured in paintings by great masters correlate well with the amount of volcanic aerosols in the atmosphere, regardless of the painters and of the school of painting. -- see Zerefos, C.S. et al. "Further evidence of important environmental information content in red-to-green ratios as depicted in paintings by great masters," Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 2014 14:6, 2016, pp. 2987-3015. https://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/14/2987/2014/,DOI = 10.5194/acp-14-2987-2014; and see below, compare Hokusai with J.M.W. Turner's "Sea and Sky," c.1820–30. https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/turner-sea-and-sky-d25433.QUESTION: Does the pink sky of Hokusai suggest plausibly accurate and useful environmental observation?.QOTO = Question Others to Teach Ourselves?
(DIR) Post #9py388o6rc6D2M3SLo by chikara@qoto.org
2019-12-14T21:07:23Z
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@design_RG If I may, I'd like to ask you to do something for me. Is it possible for me to ask you to delete the adjective "scholarly" from your post about me.Thank you for your kind words and good intentions, but the word "scholarly" functions like an albatross around my neck. -- see Wikipedia 'Albatross (metaphor)" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albatross_(metaphor)What's worse, if I allow your use of this term to go unchallenged, I'm guessing it could affect the way someone might think about what I write. Is it unreasonable to worry that something to do with the word "scholarly" could perversely discourage the feedback I want to engender?SOCIAL MEDIA VENUE. Am I wrong to think QOTO defines itself as a social media venue? I guess it's not obvious enough that my intent in each of my posts is social. Think about it: In each post, I'm only working though a half-baked idea sparked by something small. And I'm looking for any kind of feedback that might help me find ways to move outside the box of my own thinking.OUTSIDE-THE-BOX QUESTIONS. With each post, I'm sharing a work-in-progress, asking questions with a bit of a STEM-related twist. And I'm bringing together a few hyperlinks that establish a wider foundation for more outside-the-box questions.NOT RIGOROUS. Yes, my posts reveal that I understand a little bit about the scholarly method. -- see Wikipedia "Scholarly method" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scholarly_methodBut no, the superficial strategy in each of my short posts is not focused on something quite apart from academic rigor. Instead, my objectives are speculative, provocative, catalytic and/or responsive. For example,A. I posted an image and wrote a few words about an 1850 cat because your avatar is a cat and I've noticed others writing about cats an posting cat images -- see https://qoto.org/@chikara/103281471775508141B. When I created a post about traditional pigments used in Japanese woodblock prints, I had three ideas in mind -- none "scholarly" • to establish a STEM-focused context for that other ukiyo-e images of cats• to establish a STEM-focused context for my post about Prussian blue• to spark further questions and research about related topics I hadn't thought about before -- and maybe my work would spark unanticipated consequencesRESTATEMENT: The structure of what I want to do is too fragile, It can't support the burden of a "scholarly" label. And worse, it may inhibit responsive posts..QUESTION: Is QOTO flexible enough to allow me to define what I want and what I do not want to do?.QOTO = Question Others to Teach Ourselves?• to inspire responses like yours
(DIR) Post #9py3NW8cP1lBjvyn7w by chikara@qoto.org
2019-12-14T21:10:10Z
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@design_RG If I may, I'd like to ask you to do something for me. Is it possible for me to ask you to delete the adjective "scholarly" from your post about me.Thank you for your kind words and good intentions, but the word "scholarly" functions like an albatross around my neck. -- see Wikipedia 'Albatross (metaphor)" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albatross_(metaphor)What's worse, if I allow your use of this term to go unchallenged, I'm guessing it could affect the way someone might think about what I write. Is it unreasonable to worry that something to do with the word "scholarly" could perversely discourage the feedback I want to engender?SOCIAL MEDIA VENUE. Am I wrong to think QOTO defines itself as a social media venue? I guess it's not obvious enough that my intent in each of my posts is social. Think about it: In each post, I'm only working though a half-baked idea sparked by something small. And I'm looking for any kind of feedback that might help me find ways to move outside the box of my own thinking.OUTSIDE-THE-BOX QUESTIONS. With each post, I'm sharing a work-in-progress, asking questions with a bit of a STEM-related twist. And I'm bringing together a few hyperlinks that establish a wider foundation for more outside-the-box questions.NOT RIGOROUS. Yes, my posts reveal that I understand a little bit about the scholarly method. -- see Wikipedia "Scholarly method" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scholarly_methodNo, the superficial strategy in each of my short posts is not focused on academic rigor. Instead, my objectives are speculative, provocative, catalytic and/or responsive. For example,A. I posted an image and wrote a few words about an 1850 cat because your avatar is a cat and I've noticed others writing about cats an posting cat images -- see https://qoto.org/@chikara/103281471775508141B. When I created a post about traditional pigments used in Japanese woodblock prints, I had three ideas in mind -- none "scholarly" • to establish a STEM-focused context for that other ukiyo-e images of cats• to establish a STEM-focused context for my post about Prussian blue• to spark further questions and research about related topics I hadn't thought about before -- and maybe my work would spark unanticipated consequencesRESTATEMENT: The structure of what I want to do is too fragile, It can't support the burden of a "scholarly" label. And worse, it may inhibit responsive posts..QUESTION: Is QOTO flexible enough to allow me to define what I want and what I do not want to do?.QOTO = Question Others to Teach Ourselves?• to inspire responses like yours
(DIR) Post #9py3ZpkxHums3mmgJU by chikara@qoto.org
2019-12-14T21:12:24Z
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@design_RG If I may, I'd like to ask you to do something for me. Is it possible for me to ask you to delete the adjective "scholarly" from your post about me.Thank you for your kind words and good intentions, but the word "scholarly" functions like an albatross around my neck. -- see Wikipedia 'Albatross (metaphor)" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albatross_(metaphor)What's worse, if I allow your use of this term to go unchallenged, I'm guessing it could affect the way someone might think about what I write. Is it unreasonable to worry that something to do with the word "scholarly" could perversely discourage the feedback I want to engender?SOCIAL MEDIA VENUE. Am I wrong to think QOTO defines itself as a social media venue? I guess it's not obvious enough that my intent in each of my posts is social. Think about it: In each post, I'm only working though a half-baked idea sparked by something small. And I'm looking for any kind of feedback that might help me find ways to move outside the box of my own thinking.OUTSIDE-THE-BOX QUESTIONS. With each post, I'm sharing a work-in-progress, asking questions with a bit of a STEM-related twist. And I'm bringing together a few hyperlinks that establish a wider foundation for more outside-the-box questions.NOT RIGOROUS. Yes, my posts reveal that I understand a little bit about the scholarly method. -- see Wikipedia "Scholarly method" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scholarly_methodNo, the superficial strategy in each of my short posts is not focused on academic rigor. Instead, my objectives are speculative, provocative, catalytic and/or responsive. For example,A. I posted an image and wrote a few words about an 1850 cat because your avatar is a cat and I've noticed others writing about cats an posting cat images -- see https://qoto.org/@chikara/103281471775508141B. When I created a post about traditional pigments used in Japanese woodblock prints, I had three ideas in mind -- none "scholarly" • to establish a STEM-focused context for other ukiyo-e images of cats• to establish a STEM-focused context for a projected post about Prussian blue• to spark further questions and research about related topics I hadn't thought about before -- and maybe my work would spark unanticipated consequencesRESTATEMENT: The structure of what I want to do is too fragile, It can't support the burden of a "scholarly" label. And worse, it may inhibit responsive posts..QUESTION: Is QOTO flexible enough to allow me to define what I want and what I do not want to do?.QOTO = Question Others to Teach Ourselves?• to inspire responses like yours
(DIR) Post #9pyIK1pg7UpUC0umpc by chikara@qoto.org
2019-12-14T23:57:34Z
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@arteteco @freemo @realcaseyrollins @design_RG @mngrif @Surasanji @evaristusArteteco used a red flag word -- harassment.🚩My experience persuades me that the word "harassment" has no place in the vocabulary of a moderator. There are other words and phrases which can be used with precision.For administrators of QOTO, one of the costs of doing business is -- or should be -- the loss of this shorthand label because it's a loaded term. BENEFIT OF DOUBT. It's easy to grasp how the default benefit of doubt in most other contexts lies -- or should lie -- with the person who feels somehow harassed or bullied. But I'm troubled when the President of the United States claims to be harassed, bullied, abused, treated unfairly. There is an asymmetric power relationship which skews my assessment of complains we heard regularly from Donald Trump.And I'm troubled when any Mastodon administrator posts any variant of the verb "to harass."🚩 To me clear, this isn't about specific facts or perceived factoids. It's about tactics.UMBRAGE. As a rhetorical tactic, Presidential candidate Trump often found cause to feel umbrage. -- see Webster definition: "a feeling of pique or resentment at some often fancied slight or insult."And Trump then labeled whatever annoys him as "harassment." And then he repeats his complaint over and over -- dismissing, distracting and overwhelming all other topics.As President, this Trumpian pattern continues. And I've learned the hard way that the umbrage gambit works well for Trump in American politics. Also, I've observed that it works here in QOTO.And I'm troubled when any Mastodon administrator uses any synonym of the noun "umbrage" as a tactic.🚩BOTTOM LINE. I see no evidence of umbrage in the words of @arteteco; and I cant yet parse how this has happened in his prose. I think this is an example of what I want to see but I don't understand what I'm reading. This is a nuanced POV I feel clearly, but I don't have words to explain my feeling that I'm seeing something good. .QUESTION: Is QOTO flexible enough to embrace complaint and its opposite in the same post?.QOTO = Question Others to Teach Ourselves?
(DIR) Post #9pyIUoX1ucQ87uKq92 by chikara@qoto.org
2019-12-14T23:59:33Z
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@arteteco @freemo @realcaseyrollins @design_RG @mngrif @Surasanji @evaristusArteteco used a red flag word -- harassment.🚩My experience persuades me that the word "harassment" has no place in the vocabulary of a QOTO moderator. There are other words and phrases which can be used to make the same point with better precision.For administrators of QOTO, one of the costs of doing business is -- or should be -- the loss of this shorthand label because it's a loaded term. BENEFIT OF DOUBT. It's easy to grasp how the default benefit of doubt in most other contexts lies -- or should lie -- with the person who feels somehow harassed or bullied. But I'm troubled when the President of the United States claims to be harassed, bullied, abused, treated unfairly. There is an asymmetric power relationship which skews my assessment of complains we have heard regularly from Donald Trump.And I'm troubled when any Mastodon administrator posts any variant of the verb "to harass."🚩 To me clear, this isn't about specific facts or perceived factoids. It's about tactics.UMBRAGE. As a rhetorical tactic, Presidential candidate Trump often found cause to feel umbrage. -- see Webster definition: "a feeling of pique or resentment at some often fancied slight or insult."And Trump then labeled whatever annoys him as "harassment." And then he repeats his complaint over and over -- dismissing, distracting and overwhelming all other topics.As President, this Trumpian pattern continues. And I've learned the hard way that the umbrage gambit works well for Trump in American politics. Also, I've observed that it works here in QOTO.And I'm troubled when any Mastodon administrator uses any synonym of the noun "umbrage" as a tactic.🚩BOTTOM LINE. I see no evidence of umbrage in the words of @arteteco; and I cant yet parse how this has happened in his prose. I think this is an example of what I want to see but I don't understand what I'm reading. This is a nuanced POV I feel clearly, but I don't have words to explain my feeling that I'm seeing something good. .QUESTION: Is QOTO flexible enough to embrace complaint and its opposite in the same post?.QOTO = Question Others to Teach Ourselves?
(DIR) Post #9pyJMmY7UzQXcEZxNw by chikara@qoto.org
2019-12-15T00:09:16Z
0 likes, 1 repeats
@arteteco @freemo @realcaseyrollins @design_RG @mngrif @Surasanji @evaristusArteteco used a red flag word -- harassment.🚩My experience persuades me that the word "harassment" has no place in the vocabulary of a QOTO moderator. There are other words and phrases which can be used to make the same point with better precision.For administrators of QOTO, one of the costs of doing business is -- or should be -- the loss of this shorthand label because it's a loaded term. BENEFIT OF DOUBT. It's easy to grasp how the default benefit of doubt in most other contexts lies -- or should lie -- with the person who feels somehow harassed or bullied. But I'm troubled when the President of the United States claims to be harassed, bullied, abused, treated unfairly. There is an asymmetric power relationship which skews my assessment of complains we have heard regularly from Donald Trump.And I'm troubled when any Mastodon administrator posts any variant of the verb "to harass."🚩 To me clear, this isn't about specific facts or perceived factoids. It's about tactics.UMBRAGE. As a rhetorical tactic, Presidential candidate Trump often found cause to feel umbrage. -- see Webster definition: "a feeling of pique or resentment at some often fancied slight or insult."As President, this Trumpian pattern continues.Trump labels whatever annoys him as "harassment." And he repeats his complaint over and over -- dismissing, distracting and overwhelming all other topics.The umbrage tactic works well for Trump in American politics. And I've observed that it works here in QOTO. I'm troubled when any synonym of the noun "umbrage" is used as a tactic by any Mastodon administrator.🚩BOTTOM LINE. I see no evidence of umbrage in the words of @arteteco; and I can't yet parse how this has happened in his prose. I think his post is an example of what I want to see but I don't understand what I'm reading. This is a nuanced POV. I feel what I feel clearly, but I don't have words to explain my mpression that I'm seeing something good. .QUESTION: Is QOTO flexible enough to embrace complaint and its opposite in the same post?.QOTO = Question Others to Teach Ourselves?
(DIR) Post #9pyPei61OTuIk3Mt3g by chikara@qoto.org
2019-12-15T01:19:40Z
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@freemo @realcaseyrollins On Dec 8, you wrote sentences I don't understand: "But we federate with every instance that protects a users right to disengage (a rather strict definition of harassment). Locally we are more strict though."Please explain again using different words.
(DIR) Post #9pyWBmPAzfWpO3Tnc0 by chikara@qoto.org
2019-12-15T02:32:51Z
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@freemo If I understand correctly, you're saying that QOTO has a policy or position on the subject of harassment. Where can I read this?It appears that if someone -- anyone -- feels he or she is being harassed, it is essential that the complaint is made clear to the the so-called harasser, isn't it? If this simple step is missing, then there's a big logic gap, isn't there? Where can I read this?The only time I've been confronted with a false claim of harassment is HERE in QOTO.The only time I've been forced to endure the consequences of that false accusation of harassment is HERE in QOTO.So this word matters to me.IS THIS AN AXIOM? No question addressed to a Mastodon administrator can be harassment.QUESTION? If a Mastodon administrator claims to be harassed, but there is NO written evidence that the so-called harasser was ever informed, then what has really happened?QUESTION? In response to a question presented to a QOTO moderator, what would be a most appropriate descriptive term for a moderator's responsive complaint of harassment?• responding to tone?• ad hominem?• name-calling? -- see image below, Graham's hierarchy of disagreement; and see"How to Disagree" http://www.paulgraham.com/disagree.htmlHINT: The response I'm looking for is that this isn't going to happen in QOTO..QOTO = Question Others to Teach Ourselves?
(DIR) Post #9pyXgogIgGTFNTqv6O by chikara@qoto.org
2019-12-15T02:49:49Z
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@design_RG I proofread each post as best I can, but there is only very small print in a narrow newspaper-like column on the left of the screen. Then when I post what I think is error-free, the font is larger. Then I see mistakes that were not obvious before. And so, I use the delete and re-write option immediately. Also, this is the way I identify and correct format errors. Isn't this what the QOTO system was designed for everyone to do?
(DIR) Post #9q06MSm07EoTC2Vcpc by chikara@qoto.org
2019-12-15T19:02:57Z
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ADVANCED WEB INTERFACEThe QOTO edit profile options include an "Apperance" webpage. At the top of the page, I see an "Advanced Web Interface" (AWI) option box. I do not understand text which explains, "If you want to make use of your entire screen width, the advanced web interface allows you to configure many different columns to see as much information at the same time as you want: Home, notifications, federated timeline, any number of lists and hashtags."I did click on the AWI box. But the consequences of my action remain unclear. -- see https://qoto.org/@freemo/103101593756636735What next? Have I overlooked an online resource which will help me figure out what I need to know?
(DIR) Post #9qfuYdAXb21sAXy5b6 by chikara@qoto.org
2020-01-04T20:20:19Z
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PERIHELIONTonight something happens in the sky, but there's nothing to see.Q: Did you know that perihelion, the point during the year when the Earth is closest to the Sun, occurs around this date every year? -- see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/January_3In 2020, perihelion takes place tonight --at precisely 2:48 a.m. EST on January 5.-- see https://www.travelandleisure.com/trip-ideas/space-astronomy/what-is-perihelion-day-2020FYI: Graphic below shows 2019-2020