The Future Boy Blog

The Universe of Search

2007-07-12T12:51:04-07:00

Think Google knows how to organize the Internet? Someone, someday, is going to come up with a more compelling visual version of search, and computer scientist Jonathan Harris might just be that man. In this astounding TED talk just posted online, Harris not only groups the entire Web world by its emotions, but for an encore launches Universe, an astonishingly visual online app where search terms float around you like clouds of constellations. In an instant, everything recorded about a given search term -- say, your company name -- unfurls like energy from a supernova. Check it out:

Burning Backlash 2.0: A Younger Person Responds

2007-07-12T01:28:32-07:00

Dear Larry and Marian,

Thanks for your letter of July 3, and thanks again for the thought-provoking interviews you gave me back in May. I thoroughly enjoyed our discussions, which is why I quoted you both as extensively in this story as just about anyone in my ten years of feature writing. I was sorry to read that you felt my story could have done with more "addition and subtraction", but to be honest, I doubt many subjects in the history of journalism ever felt differently. This is the nature of the beast. People get interviewed for stories, then the interviews are clipped and condensed into quotes and paraphrases. Even a full transcript of an interview rarely does much justice to the complex human beings under examination. We are vast, we contain multitudes.

That said, you raise some important points, and I welcome the opportunity to respond to each one.

1) The story attempts to be about both change and conflict at the same time, and yet there is no conflict. I had to smile when I read this in your letter, coming as it did a week or so into the still-burning firestorms of outrage on the e-Playa and Tribe message boards, not to mention the regional email lists. Yes, I quoted one anonymous source to prove this conflict, but s/he was very representative of other Burners I spoke to who were already aware of the Green Pavilion plan. S/he put it most succinctly, and given that s/he is part of the crew building the Man that will stand right next to that Pavilion, it should hardly be surprising that s/he requested anonymity.

2) Larry Harvey is not a recluse. Indeed, and I didn't actually say he was. I used the adjective "reclusive," a characteristic I personally consider a compliment. I am frequently reclusive, thoughtful, bookish, introverted; I am not a recluse, since I ultimately seek out the company of others. Since I was told by members of the Burning Man organization that Larry has only ever used his office a handful of times, and that he often required repeated calls over many days to get a response -- a fact borne out by my own experience and that of our fact-checker -- I thought "reclusive" was fair enough. It's a pretty large leap from that one adjective to "an addled Howard Hughes."

3) Larry Harvey has been writing checks for years. I'm delighted to hear it. But your letter deftly sidesteps the fact that it was a direct quote from Marian Goodell claiming he didn't have a bank account until a few years ago, and I believe she personally confirmed this with our fact-checker -- along with all her other quotes. 4) Burning Man is an organization that reaches decisions by consensus; the article made no mention of the other four board members. Quite true, and I wish it had been otherwise. I did interview the wonderful Will Roger, but had to cut his quote for reasons of space. Had I the article to do again, I would make more mention of the board, or "Borg" as it's widely known in the Burning Man community. The more I talk to Burners in the wake of the article, the more consensus I find on the following point: however fine its individual minds, the Borg as a whole is an unresponsive, non-transparent, and fundamentally undemocratic entity. It may reach decisions by consensus, but it's the consensus of oligarchy. Surely an organization as community-spirited as Burning Man ought to have some kind of elected representation? Certainly, the fact that it doesn't belongs in any business study on this for-profit company. I don't mean to dwell on Burning Man's few sour notes (neither here nor in the story, which many readers considered a positive portrayal). I have been enriched and awakened by every week I spent on the Playa, and I'm ultimately optimistic about the event's future. I personally think the Green Tech Pavilion is a fascinating experiment, marred only by the lack of prior consultation with the community. Still, just like the solar-power entrepreneur in my story, I'm curious to see what happens at the intersection of art and technology, and I hope those startup CEOs get the same rousing reception as any newbie. And just like Will Roger, whose quote this was, I have this wish: that somewhere in that intersection, somewhere in those interactions between veteran Burner and newbie green energy guy, comes an idea that can help save the world from its looming environmental apocalypse. Yours sincerely, Future Boy

The Burning Backlash

2007-07-10T15:58:42-07:00

That Burning Man feature I wrote is still sparking lots of healthy debate on Burner sites like the e-Playa, Laughing Squid and Tribe. I've never seen Burners get so fired up about a single story; apparently word of it even reached the DPW crew out in the desert currently building the Man itself, though they have no Internet access. It also brought the following letter from the two members of the Borg that I quoted extensively, Larry and Marian. I'll post it here unexpurgated, then blog my response tomorrow.

Sent on behalf of Marian Goodell and Larry Harvey

To the Editor:

Eric Sevareid once observed that there are two kinds of news stories: stories about change and stories about conflict. Chris Taylor, author of 'Burning Man grows up' (July 1, 2007), apparently tried for a 'twofer'. Not content to write a story about Burning Man's efforts to address global warming and our invitation to businesses, inventors and entrepreneurs to display their products in a non-commercial context, he attempts to summon up a tale of conflict where none has existed. Citing the fears of 'some' unspecified attendees, and quoting a single anonymous source, he suggests that 'if the corporate experiment triggers a drop in attendance, Burning Man could find itself in debt for a fourth, and perhaps final time.' This is spurious. Our art theme in 2007, The Green Man, has generated phenomenal enthusiasm, and we expect record attendance. Furthermore, a caption in Mr. Taylor's article states, 'Harvey and Goodell believe the suits and burners can peacefully coexist.' No such conflict has ever existed. Business people have always been a part of our community. It's just not likely that they'll wear their business suits while they participate in Burning Man.

Other statements also need to be corrected. Larry Harvey is not a recluse, as the article states, though he did choose to invite Mr. Taylor to interview him at his home, which may have created a misimpression, nor is the business side of Burning Man conducted in his absence. He is the executive director of Black Rock City LLC and chairs all of Burning Man's senior staff meetings. The idea that Larry is uninvolved in Burning Man's affairs may also stem from another misapprehension. The author cites a placard supposedly posted above the office door of Larry's colleague, Marian Goodell. It reads, 'Larry Harvey Does Not Exist.' The room in question is actually Larry's office and serves as the conference room for Burning Man's board of directors. Furthermore, this message was authored by Harvey. It is a joke intended to remind everyone that Burning Man could not exist without the many generous gifts that participants contribute to our event each year. Finally, it is not true that Larry 'didn't even have a bank account until a couple years ago.' Larry Harvey is 59. He is remarkably proficient at check writing. Indeed, Mr. Harvey was negotiating the mysteries of banking at a time when younger people, such as Mr. Taylor, were endeavoring to learn addition and subtraction.

We sincerely thank Chris Taylor for his article. Much of what he wrote is quite informative. However, had he added and subtracted better in his writing, he might have produced a more accurate account. The quotations attributed to Marian Goodell are a conflation of sundry statements, clipped and stretched, then glued together by mere supposition. The article thus conveys the impression that Mr. Harvey is a kind of addled Howard Hughes. Ms. Goodell, in this account, could be taken for every conservative's nightmare vision of Hillary Clinton. These are not characterizations; they are cartoons. They may help to hype a story, but are distortions of reality.

To be charitable, part of Mr. Taylor's misinterpretation of our roles may be due to naiveté. At every level of governance, our organization's decisions are arrived at by consensus. This is the single, most important lesson that other business organizations might take from Burning Man. It is an antidote for the abuse of power and lack of communication that is too often present in more hierarchic business models. It means that Larry Harvey and Marian Goodell, while assuming great responsibilities, are personally accountable to others, including our four fellow board members Harley Dubois, Will Roger, Crimson Rose and Michael Michael who were left out of Mr. Taylor's article. Domineering CEOs and peremptory prophets are not a part of our business philosophy.

Sincerely,

Larry Harvey
Marian Goodell

In the Future, All Buildings Will Rotate

2007-06-29T16:27:08-07:00

Sick of working in a boring old office block that just sits there and doesn't go anywhere? Tired of that same old view? So am I, and so is Dynamic Architecture, an Italian company that has designed an awe-inspiring new kind of tower. Each floor slowly rotates 360 degrees on its own axis, powered by -- wait for it -- wind turbines between the floors. Yes, you read that right: it's cool and green. (And for those commiting suicide, it finally answers the age-old question of whether you die before you hit the ground: those turbines will slice you in two before you get to the next floor).

Dynamic Architecture's first project, an apartment building in the oil-rich, novelty-happy country of Dubai, will produce an energy surplus to the tune of $7 million, according to the company. Just four of its 44 vast inter-floor turbines will be needed to power the 200 apartments in the building, meaning the company can sell the rest back to the state. With the resulting profits, perhaps the company should buy vertigo medication for its tenants.

Biosphere 2.0

2007-06-29T14:41:52-07:00

Step right up, folks, because now you can rent your very own biosphere. Biosphere 2, that is, the Arizona-based facility that mimics every biome on the planet -- jungle, grassland, ocean and so on -- within a hermetically-sealed 300,000-square-ft space. The University of Arizona saved Biosphere 2 from the hands of real estate developers this month, and is now offering to lease it to anyone who wants to study the effects of climate change. This is a pretty cool idea, and it's surprising that we got this far into the global warming crisis without coming up with it. Think you've got an excellent plan for carbon sequestration? Try it out in a miniature version of Earth before applying it to the real thing.

The $200 million Biosphere 2 has had a strange history since its construction in 1989. Originally designed as an experiment in space colonization: imagine this facility was plopped down on Mars, and had to be entirely self-sustaining, crops and humans and all, for two years. But it lost a lot of credibility when extra oxygen had to be pumped in to save the seven human inhabitants. Why? Because carbon dioxide in the Biosphere 2 atmosphere was reaching dangerously high levels. Lemons for space colonization; lemonade for our current climate crisis.

I took a tour of Biosphere 2 a couple of years back, when it was being administered by Columbia University. It was a delightful experience, like going around the world (minus the cities) in two hours. If I had the biotech know-how, I'd be locking myself in there with a team of climate scientists right now, perhaps experimenting with this interesting new idea that organically-farmed soil might be good for global warming. And the ever-present threat of rising CO2 levels? That'd be a hell of a good incentive to sort the problem out ASAP.

Chicken Run: From B2 to City Hall in One Easy Step

2007-06-29T14:03:28-07:00

Just days after showing up in the pages of Business 2.0, Burning Man artist Chicken John announces he's running for Mayor of San Francisco. I would not be the one to draw a connection between the two -- that, dear reader, is all in your mind. Chicken created the Cafe Racer, as seen in this splendid photo, which is a 1975 GMC pick-up truck that runs entirely on coffee grounds. (It's basically old-school gasification, that carbon-free, trash-destroying technology we wrote about in January, and that another Burning Man artist, Jim Mason, is using as the basis of his "Mecabolic" art car). The platform of the truck, Chicken explains in the long, rambling email that launches his long-shot attempt to replace incumbent Gavin Newsom, is also the platform of his candidacy. "Party affiliation? I like to party," he writes. "What about the issues? We'll get to that later." Indeed. What better for San Francisco than to have a whole fleet of flatbed trucks running around, dispensing coffee and powering themselves on the proceeds? Talk about the world's best commute. I for one am all for it. Sorry, Gavin.

The Burning Issue

2007-06-28T15:06:15-07:00

My story on the $10 million business known as Burning Man, from the July issue of Business 2.0, is up online as of today at CNN Money. But it's been causing a ruckus for a few days already, since cunning Burners (who are, as the story points out, among the most tech-savvy people in the world) figured out they could read it on the Olive software magazine-reading service. And what did they make of it? For a good cross-section of Burner reactions, read this thread on the Burning Man tribe at Tribe.net, the counterculture's social network of choice. As expected, a few did Chicken Little impersonations at the idea that Burning Man is inviting companies to the event -- but I'm heartened by the fact that many changed their minds once they read the article twice.

Full disclosure here: I'm a Burner myself, I've been going every year bar one since 1999, and I love the event. (That picture of me in silver cowboy hat? Now you know where it came from.) But I also know there are a lot of issues with the Borg, as the private Burning Man company is known; for better or worse, it is a for-profit business with not a lot of external oversight. If my article let a little light into the Borg, and sparked a debate over the direction it's going, so much the better. I'll stand behind every word in it.

America: Leftward Ho!

2007-06-26T23:25:27-07:00

The youth of America is leaning left, a new poll finds. Specifically, the up-and-coming generation is 27 percent liberal, 26 percent conservative. The current population: 20 percent liberal, 32 percent conservative. Does this mean Fox News is on the wrong side of history? It would seem so, unless Fox redoubles its conversation-shifting (some may say "brainwashing") efforts. Does it also mean no more Bush-style administrations? Don't count on it: the young are also more likely than their parents to support what a President does under the catch-all banner of "wartime" -- and 77 percent of them believe America's involvement in Iraq will end happily. Naivete -- something that will always be with us in the future.

Everything You Need to Know About the iPhone in 10 seconds

2007-06-26T23:15:45-07:00

David Pogue's got the first, and pretty much the only iPhone review you need peruse, plus an amusing video review to boot. (Because really, how many more stories can you stand to read about it? That many, huh?) He lays it down with a complete absence of hype and a suitably bemused tone (dare I say it, he's not as ponderous as Mossberg is likely to be tomorrow). And if you're too pressed for time to read the whole review, here it is in a nutshell: yes, it's got all these features cellphone manufacturers should have been thinking about for years; yes, it's got Wifi; yes, the keyboard is a bit weird, yes, AT&T service (especially its EDGE network) truly sucks every bit as much as you thought it might. And there are some silly glitches and omissions that will be updated slowly but surely enough, in time-honored Apple fashion.

In short -- my words, now -- wait patiently for version 2.0 with other network service, unless you're really into $600 status symbols. The iPhone will be revolutionary, and we'll all be using some knock-off version or descendent of it in the future, just not yet. Can we please all talk about something else now?

Who Killed the Radio?

2007-06-26T16:31:30-07:00

Wondering why nearly all the major radio stations on the Internet have gone silent today (except for those of us paying for Rhapsody subscriptions)? Then you didn't read my latest Future Boy column. Check it out, after the jump.

New licensing fees could doom Internet radio, but webcasters are fighting back with a 'Day of Silence.' Business 2.0's Chris Taylor investigates.

By Chris Taylor, Business 2.0 Magazine senior editor

June 26 2007: 10:09 AM EDT

(Business 2.0 Magazine) -- If, like me, you're a fan of Internet radio sites such as Pandora or Live365, you'll have to find something else to listen to Tuesday. Dozens of online broadcasters have stopped playing music, in protest of a new levy the government and the music labels are about to impose.

An overly dramatic gesture? A petulant response to a little extra taxation? Perhaps -- until you discover that the new fee appears to add up to more than the annual revenue of all Internet radio sites put together. That ludicrously high bill could well cripple this promising young industry in its crib.