Designing Freedom by Stafford Beer
a fascinating account of the potential of #cybernetics from the 1973 edition of CBC Massey Lectures
listen to the original on https://archive.org/details/DesigningFreedom_CBC_Lectures
thanks @internetarchive!
or read it transcribed on https://monoskop.org/images/e/e3/Beer_Stafford_Designing_Freedom.pdf
thanks @monoskop!
[posted to @technology]
Thanks for the tip, @liaizon
https://monoskop.org/images/e/e3/Beer_Stafford_Designing_Freedom.pdf
I read more of the part you quoted down-thread, about systems needing some centralized and some decentralized features. And I agree.
I have been pushing decentralization in several recent Fedi threads, but that’s situational.
We started developing economic network software centralized, and then discovered the needs for network members to have their own agency. so some decent. But also to be coordinated, so some cent.
@technology
@bhaugen @technology I think this point is really fascinating. The idea that really what is needed is a *balance* or equilibrium between centralization and decentralization and that is really whats being fought for.
@liaizon
Agreed. It would also be interesting to tease out some of the details in Fedi-related systems, as Stafford Beer does in his own systems.
That would be a longer conversation…
@technology
@bhaugen @technology I really highly recommend listening to Beer’s whole lecture linked above if you have a spare 3 hours sometime. I would love to discuss it more, it feels very relevant to the current time
@liaizon 3 hours is hard to spare these days. Maybe we can pick away at them as bedtime podcasts, at the risk of falling asleep…
I’ll read more of that text, though. I can speed-read to some extent, at least much faster than listening to somebody talk.
@technology
@bhaugen @liaizon @technology I started listening, found the diction and timbre of Beers very enjoyabe! Hope to be able to listen to em all