Who ordered the scrambled brains?

This section of the site is a repository of my writings, both practical and conceptual. The name alludes to the influence technology has on (my) life. These writings are located here as opposed to the main blog because they have intrinsically lasting, rather than temporal, value.

HOWTOs

Sure. It’s empty now. But in the near future I hope to populate this page with a plethora of practical personal computing pedagogy. More precisely, I intend to do document how I’ve leveraged existing technology to enhance my daily. In doing so, I always highly prioritize the following values:

1. Sharing (i.e. use of Free software)
2. Security (e.g. data protection; preventing unpriveleged access)
3. Privacy (i.e. respecting the user)
4. Intuitive/Logical Design and Aesthetics

I don’t prioritize performance because I am the only user on my server, and performance has much less moral content than the values listed above. This documentation will be in the form traditional to the open-source community, step-by-step guides called HOWTOs. Perhaps I’ll expound upon these in articles some day. (I’m actually a little curious myself as to why I hold design and aesthetics in such high regard.)

• HOWTO Setup a Server
• HOWTO Stay in College Indefinately
• Emulate .Mac Using Free Software
  • HOWTO Setup Decentralized Calendaring Using Apache WebDAV and Sunbird
  • HOWTO Setup Calendar Sharing Using phpicalendar and Apache
  • HOWTO Setup Decentralized Address Book Using OpenLDAP and Thunderbird
  • HOWTO Setup Decentralized File Storage Using Apache WebDAV - Emulates iDisk
  • HOWTO Setup Bookmark Synchronization Using Apache WebDAV
• HOWTO Setup OpenVPN - useful for sharing Windows folders across the Internet, playing fee-based computer games on virtual LANs
• HOWTO Secure a Wirless LAN Using OpenVPN
• HOWTO Setup IM-Based Answering Machine
• HOWTO Maximize the Long-Term Reliability of Your Data (memtest86+, RAM, RAID, backups, UPS)

Articles

I’ll admit it: this is where I struggle with taking myself too seriously. I’m sure a lot of these ideas for explication will end up in the blog. Please keep in mind these are merely my personal opinions. Although they may be normative, they are also up for criticism. I love informed argumentation.

• Ideas Regarding Fast-Changing IPs
• Ideas Regarding Intuitive Human-Computer Interaction (UIs) - meta-tagging; SVG/unlimited screen space; data-storage; object orientation; screen tactility; notification systems - email, IM, auditory, bidirectional - input, the nature of such
• Comments on Ethically Paramount Technologies of the Future - genetics, nanotechnology, neurotechnology, cloning - evolution of value society places on individual life over time
• Comments on Conservative Idealogy
• Comments on Liberal Idealogy
• Governmental Reforms - deliberative theories
• Overview of Ethics in Technology - Free vs proprietary; copyright law; patent law; privacy; aesthetics as access
• Social Effects Capitalism/Consumerism
• Ideas on World Peace - causes of war, evolution of war into economy/trade
• Morally Recommendable Software and Technologies (xml/css)
• Implications of LyX
• Generic Information Organization as Infinite-Dimensional Web - Is there an algorithm that determines the optimal way to sort all information?
• Relevance of Standards Bodies
• How to Develop a Theory - Modeling
• Problems with the Education System - social, curricular
• Any Life Left for Thin Clients? Or Just Thick Clients and Obese Servers? Role of Computers in Home
• AIM Proxy Server
• A dozen or so more…

Follow me on Twitter for the latest updates, and make sure to check out my community opinion startup, Blocvox.