Let us impact the material world

xiangfu xiangfu at openmoko.org
Fri Jun 27 16:57:56 CEST 2008


maybe a lot of people don't understand the OPENMOKO(personal think).
they just think it's a free mobile, a open source project like others.
i will Translate this mail to Chinese. let them know what the NEO be.
 (i can't write article like this : )

Wolfgang talked to me about john meada.
Unfortunately, I check the Internet, in China there is only one book,
 <the laws of simplicity>. i saw the book.
I like NEO, because it is free of mobile phones, is a linux phone.
then i met Wolfgang, I feel the NEO is more than a phone.
the idear of neo is a artifact. the neo is a kind of life style.

Sean Moss-Pultz wrote:
> Dear Community
>
> I am in Columbia. Drinking local coffee (yes Paola your coffee is the 
> best in the world) and thinking with the early morning clarity only 
> those blessed with jag-lag can understand.
>
> Yesterday was an amazing day. After a morning walk around the government
> buildings and many beautiful museums of Bogota, we went up into the
> mountainous region of Monserrate. To get to the top of this cityscape 
> icon and pilgrimage destination you have three choices: A gravity 
> defying train, a somewhat stable cable car, or climbing. Pilgrims prefer 
> the latter; but, perhaps due to the long delays of FreeRunner, my sense 
> of urgency even here was overwhelming, I chose the cable car.
>
> For almost two years now I have told the story of Openmoko. Ascending 
> that mountain provided me with a brief moment where, like my new view of 
> Bogota, I was able to look at things from the outside. A moment long 
> enough to rethink the way in which I told our story. I realized that 
> evangelizing the impact of digital technologies is not enough. We must 
> take charge of them. The story of Openmoko needs to be a story of us 
> changing our "open source reality". For this is the opportunity 
> presented to us now.
>
> Think: The collapse of so many hi tech companies on our stock exchanges 
> has humbled many. Creators within the digital world -- no matter how 
> novel and exciting -- will have no value unless they impact the material 
> world directly.
>
> So this is my call to all of us today. Our work must begin to impact the
> material world. We have the tools. We have the knowledge. We must use 
> our knowledge to transcend the digital world.
>
> People use heroes as touchstones to help them surmount their challenges. 
> John Maeda has been a hero of mine ever since I first discovered my love 
> for combining art and computers. I encourage you all to learn more about 
> this incredibly creative person. His "Laws of Simplicity" would be a 
> good place to start. For projects like ours, these are indeed guiding 
> lights.
>
> Let me share one of his "laws" with you today; it's the tenth one:
>
>     "Simplicity is about subtracting the obvious, and adding the
>      meaningful."
>
> Hardly a day goes by for me without thinking about this elegant idea.
> The smart phone has become too complex. Our challenge is to make it 
> simple and wise.
>
> Yes I am well aware of the distance between us and this goal. The 
> complexity of our system pains me as much as I'm sure it pains you. But 
> starting today, I hope we can become more conscious and more focused on 
> simplicity and wisdom.
>
> We have been hard at work subtracting the obvious from our current
> architectures. Our new framework initiative
> (http://wiki.openmoko.org/wiki/OpenmokoFramework), is all about 
> simplicity achieved through a complexity of thought and design. But 
> Maeda insists that we must add meaning. Removing the obvious is not 
> enough. So then, what meaningful for a smart phone? What exactly can we 
> add that hasn't been added before?
>
> Today let me share two concepts. The first stems from a genre of design 
> called "reactive graphics". Pressed to come up with an explanation of 
> how this differs from interactive graphics, I would say the following: 
> Reactive design engages the viewer at an almost instinctual level, 
> rather than just the communication level found in interactive designs. 
> This has a profound effect on how an individual views technology. 
> "Reactivity" is, in my opinion, the key ingredient for making computers 
> feel more human. All living organisms react. When our Neos begin to 
> react to the environment around them, they will feel more alive to 
> normal people. This is comforting. This is a simple way for us to impact 
> the material world.
>
> Meeting interesting people with creative ideas is perhaps the most 
> rewarding part of my job. Last night, while fighting off the 
> less-than-helpful side of jet-lag, I had an great conversation with my 
> new Columbian friend, Offray, about how Openmoko can better impact our 
> daily lives. The Neo, to him, is a social cognition node -- an artifact
> -- where we can balance the power of the individual with that of the 
> group within the mobile world.
>
> Here comes the second concept: Artifacts, he explained, have values 
> embedded within, but sometimes they are not explicit. Our challenge, he 
> said, is how to make this explicit.
>
> Start with things people are familiar with and find new ways to make 
> them more qualitative, says Offray. Take SMS, he continues, instead of 
> just plain text, why not send special compressed messages, readable only 
> by Neos. We can use these as enablers to change mobile ecosystems. Hack 
> their network to embed more freedoms for normal people. Add more 
> meaning. Transform our Neo into an artifact.
>
> These are only two concepts. Many more exist. Together, we must start a
> conscious exploration of simple ways to impact the material world around 
> us. Exactly where this will lead us is unclear. But we must begin.
>
> Whenever I talk publicly about Openmoko, or so it seems, the following
> question is asked: How can you compete again the giants of this 
> industry? For most of us, I'd like to think, the answer is obvious.
> Instead of answering, I usually return their question: How can they 
> compete against us?
>
> Openmoko is the collective creation of amateurs working on exactly what 
> we love. They are professions, some doing what they love, most working 
> towards the next paycheck.
>
> At certain times, the amateur has a distinct advantage over the 
> professional. A professional knows what they can deliver, and rarely 
> goes beyond it. An amateur has no concept of their limitations and 
> usually goes well beyond them. Experience teaches us our limits. When we 
> have learned that and become complacent, we are finished, because our 
> work can be calculated and measured. Our work ceases to be a weapon.
>
> Now is such a time. Let us ignore limitations. Let us create new
> technologies that breed new ways of thinking. Let us impact the material 
> world.
>
> Thousands of FreeRunners have been loaded into planes and fired around 
> the world. Many of our distributors have already begun shipping. In 
> about another week, Steve and Harry will announce the opening of our own 
> webshop.
>
> I plan to start a new blog, sharing stories of how our Neos impact the 
> material world. If you have something you would like to share, please 
> email me directly. I would love to weave your ideas in our collective story.
>
> Thank you, from the the bottom of my heart, for all your incredible 
> support and patience. I know the delays have been long. But now we are 
> ready. Let us run free and impact the material world.
>
>
> Sincerely,
>
>
> Sean (one very excited amateur)
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
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