I noticed on mamamusings an entry with this quote.

This struck me as very interesting. I mean the content is on a public server, on a public network, published with public protocols. Yet it is private.

This illustrates a couple of things for me.

• Everyone has a different definition of blogs and blogging.
• The “publicness” of a blog is related to the whims and/or legitimate concerns of the blog owner / administrator.

P.S.

In the comments to this entry, Liz points out that “Yes, it’s public in that it’s made available publicly. But the writing space itself is not public, any more than my personal web page is a public forum.” I agree. For instance I would hate for people to post comments with links to obscene material or hate filled writing.
(And thanks for the comment Liz, it’s only my third so far, but who is counting.)

So blogging is public in terms of distribution and consumption, but not public in terms of the content. It’s also probably not a forum for name calling, public debate, or vigorous protest. [O.K. It might be a place for name calling, but only at the decree of the owner / administrator, see Dave Winer for details.]

Perhaps blogs are public like shopping malls are public. I mean anyone can go their, but you can’t hold a protest inside of one, unless the mall owner sanctions it.

The tension between public and private is very interesting to me.

Of course, a blog could fulfill other purposes. As I have noted before, it could be for fiction, non-fiction, journalism, op-ed, serious research. See “Blogging is a Container.”

When I am an old woman I shall wear purple
With a red hat which doesn’t go and doesn’t suit me.

I have always enjoyed the spunk and pizzazz that goes with this poem by Jenny Joseph.

Today while I was out enjoying the weather at Como Park, in St. Paul, MN I ran into a bunch of women with purple clothes and read hats. I had to take their pictures.

I believe this to be a group of women who meet regularily and who have been featured in the local paper a while ago. I can’t find their web site it they have one.

When I am an old man I plan to tell rambling stories, travel on greyhound busses and frighten small children with my teeth. I also plan to wear an aftershave that smells offensive.

I recently noticed that I my digital camera, has taken over 2100 photos. I got this camera new last October. It works fine. I think the focus is a little flaky indoors, but mostly it’s ok.

I started thinking about how much 2100 photos would have cost me if I had used a traditional film camera.

2100 frames ÷ 36 = 58 rolls of 36 exposures
58 X $6 = $348

Now this camera cost about $400 last year, including extra rechargeable batteries and a larger memory card.

Now you might argue that I wouldn’t have taken so many photo’s had I not been using a digital camera where I can delete them so quickly. You would definitely be correct. However, there are a lot of great photo’s that I might have missed had I not snapped so many.

I gotta say this kind of calculation sure takes the sting out of wanting to upgrade my digital camera every two years.

The “six degrees” of separation meme has always been interesting to me. Blogging gives an interesting portal into this phenomena.

Check out myelin: blogging ecosystem.

Also Recommended Reading .

For those of you unfamiliar with the United Stated Constitution, the quote above is the fourth ammendment to the Constitution, which is part of the Bill of Rights. The Bill of Rights was adopted shortly after the Constitution in 1789. The Preamble to the Bill of Rights states the following by way of explanation.

So in my words the first ten Ammendments exist to prevent government from abusing it’s power.

There is a significant problem however, that has arisen in our modern world. My “papers, and effects” are no longer simply stored in my house in a locked box. My papers and effects are in banks, brokerage houses, insurance companies, doctor’s offices, distant web servers, and employers files. Each of those institutions may decide to turn over my person information, papers, or effects without a warrant if they choose. The government might simply just ask for your records.

I would even argue that companies may have incentive to turn over your private information to the government. The governement is a powerful entity, most companies wouldn’t want to pay legal fees in protecting a customers rights, especially when it could result in additional government scrutiny or regulation, or loss of favorable government contracts.

It goes along with a thought I have had recently about corporate influence in the modern U.S. It seems to me that the Constitution, Bill of Rights, and subsequent Ammendments do a pretty good job of protecting us from the government, but offer no protection from corporate corruption, and even less from the alliance between business and government.

While I believe in mostly free markets and capitalism, you will note it is easier to put a person to death than for a corporation to be dissolved even when it’s crimes are just as serious. If you are anti-government regulation just go back and study the meat industry of the turn of the century. Corporations want to profit, they don’t have consumers inherent rights in mind.

A good example of the dangers posed by this alliance between governement and business is the state of video surveillance. Today we will are living in a constant state of video surveillance, not by the government but by private entities. If you don’t believe me, then count the number of cameras you pass by on your way to work. How would you feel if you knew your every movement was captured and put into a file, that would be used against you later. It’s not all that hard to connect the private cameras into a larger network now. (Add in the fact that it is trivial for a person to modify these digital images, if you want a real fright.) In a few years shared video surveillance will be the norm. Shades of
1984, by George Orwell.

It’s almost unfathomable to me that today in the U.S. you must show your papers to move about the country and we are under constant surveillance, but you freely travel from France to what was East Germany without interference.

Now perhaps you think video surveillance is no big deal. After all you don’t do anything wrong right? Try and go into a department store with your video camera on and see what happens. Is the department store doing something wrong?

O.K., you say, “What should be done?” Well the first thing I would like to see if corporations to voluntarily state in their privacy statements whether they will turn over your personal information to the government without a warrant. Then I could do business with companies that are “IV Ammendment friendly”.

One more thing, I want my library to be “IV Ammendment friendly” as well. One aspect of the
“Patriot Act” allows the FBI to get a FISA warrant and get your library records to see what you are reading. The library is then prohibited from telling you that your records were requested. This has prompted some libraries to begin purging their records on a hourly basis so that their are no records to request. I admire this kind of thinking. Check out these new library posters.

NARA Exhibit on the “Charters of Freedom”.

My favorite sailing book has to be
Desperate Voyage, by John Caldwell.

This book tells the harrowing story of a novice sailor who sets off from Panama to be re-united with his bride following WWII. His mis-adventures are phenomenal. You will never forget his battle with the shark or his adventures in cuisine. I can’t believe he lives to tell the story.

The first two-thirds of the book are stronger, but it’s still a fun read.

If you like sailing and adventure you will enjoy this book.

I recently finished First You Have to Row a Little Boat: Reflections on Life & Living, by Richard Bode.

If you are looking for a technical manual on sailing this isn’t the book.

If you are looking for a thoughtful book on how to navigate life through the metaphor of sailing this is a great book. In the book it’s almost as if the act of sailing becomes a parable or meditation on life. I personally like these kinds of books. The book is not so preachy that it the book has the answers to lifes vexing questions, but it has an interesting way of framing the questions and suggesting paths.

I heartily recommend this book to any sailor or person who loves the romance of the water and can stand light philosophical reading.

Pinned Hiker cuts off arm

The national news has covered this story pretty extensively. A climber got an arm pinned under a largish rock, and after running out of water he took the grisly option of cutting off hiw own arm rather than face death from exposure and dehydration.

Swiss Army Cybertool Pocket Knife

I had wondered about this conceptually ever since reading Mike Turner’s story in BackPacker magazine. (The article can also be found on the author’s web site, www.jeffrennicke.com)

Mike’s story is haunting as he gets both legs pinned under a very large boulder four days into a nine day solo trip. When his body is found it is weeks too late. While reading the story I kept wondering if back-country amputation would give a person a fighting chance. While I doubt it would have work in Mike Turner’s case, given the fact that he was in the middle a large wilderness area and he had both legs pinned it seems to have worked for Aron Ralston.

Mike Turners story is especially haunting as he left behind photographs and some thoughtful diary entries. Mike was a pastor, and judging from the article led an examined life full of faith and love for his family.

My backpacking friends jokingly worry about me performing a pre-emptive amputation, just in case a limb gets pinned. Ne fears there. I don’t plan to go on any true solo trips until I am in better shape and have a lot more experience under my belt.

If you haven’t read about my latest wilderness adventure, please check out “Hiking around Snowbank Lake, BWCA”.