6A: Cybernetics And Me

[mhfowler]

When I mentioned "doing cybernetics on myself"

I was thinking of times where I change my environment to try to influence my behavior - instead of viewing my self as a static entity, considering my self and my environment interacting as a system

some examples:

• I am pretty into "Getting Things Done" methodology (http://gettingthingsdone.com/), I don't follow it exactly but I use notes in certain ways where I view "me, my notes, and my system for taking and retrieving notes" as a system
• I've done a variety of experiments with blocking access to my phone in different ways
  --- tried having a friend child-block my phone and only they knew the pin
  --- I use a "redirector" chrome extension, which redirects me from facebook newsfeed to the events page, I've also used killnewsfeed in the past
  --- when I sit down to work, I hide my phone out of sight, often underneath a pillow

Maybe we could talk about how people use systems in their lives? Hmm what readings could be relevant

Also definitely some gray area on what is a system (could I analyze all my relations with my environment as a system?)... but my initial feeling is that some types of logic I employ is more at a systems level (finding a gym buddy so that I go to the gym more) and some is more one-off (deciding to read a book because the cover looks interesting)

not sure if there are also other directions to take "Cybernetics And Me" but this is the angle I was thinking about

[mhfowler]

suggested readings based on this topic:

1. Getting Things Done (http://transhumanism-russia.ru/documents/books/gtd/Getting_Things_Done_-_The_Art_Of_Stress-Free_Productivity.pdf)

(1) capturing all the things that need to get done—now, later,
someday, big, little, or in between—into a logical and trusted system
outside of your head and off your mind; and (2) disciplining
yourself to make front-end decisions about all of the "inputs" you let into your life so that you will always have a plan for "next actions" that you can implement or renegotiate at any moment

2. Memento (the movie: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0209144/)
   the main character in Memento is trying to get where they are going without being able to trust their memory... developing systems to accommodate for their mind's failings (e.g. tattoos)... can we see this as a form of cybernetic logic? How could similar types of logic be applied to our mental abilities?

These could be highly optional... neither is very scholarly in themselves but could be interesting to talk about

[mhfowler]

some other relevant ideas/sub-topics:

todo-list management software:
jira, trello, gcal

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mise_en_place
^ another suggested reading... 1 paragraph wikipedia article...

Mise en place is a French culinary phrase which means "putting in place" or "everything in its place." It refers to the set up required before cooking, and is often used in professional kitchens to refer to organizing and arranging the ingredients (e.g., cuts of meat, relishes, sauces, par-cooked items, spices, freshly chopped vegetables, and other components) that a cook will require for the menu items that are expected to be prepared during a shift.[1]
The practice also applies in home kitchens.[2][3]
The term has also been used outside of cooking: psychologists Weisberg et al. used the phrase to refer to "how one's stance towards a given environment places constraints on what one feels able to do within that environment, and how these assessments and predispositions impact the process of preparing to act." They used the term in a study of how a school became safer after security measures — like metal detectors and bars on the windows — were removed, leading to the unexpected outcome

a draft of a list of questions we could do as a 5 minute workshop in small groups:

1. do you use any processes in your life?
2. what are the triggers to initiate these processes? to what level are the processes formalized?
3. do you ever store information into your environment (like memento)? how do you do it?
4. do you ever treat your future self as an unreliable actor and try to influence it?
5. have you ever tried to create a process for yourself which you gave up on following?
6. have you ever created a good system?
7. create a cybernetic system to enact as a group for a few minutes

[frnsys]

i think this'd be great!

also don't worry about things not being "scholarly" enough :)

[dantaeyoung]

Hi everyone! @mhfowler and I are organizing the next session of Cybernetics Reading Club (theme: Cybernetics and Me).
We’ll be sending out readings and links later, but please fill out this when2meet to figure out a meeting time! http://www.when2meet.com/?6005958-xaOrO

[dantaeyoung]

Also! To synchronize us on communication platforms:
You might have gotten this message

• via this Github
• from a comment on the Learning Gardens Slack (#cybernetics-club channel)
• through an email from the Cybernetics-Club google group