Operation: Tabula Rasa

My inbox has been filling up with questions…Questions of all kinds after my last enigmatic post. I can assure you there is a flurry of activity going on behind the scenes as we prepare for Operation: Tabula Rasa.

Tabula rasa, which is Latin for scraped tablet or clean slate, refers to the epistemological thesis that individual human beings are born with no innate or built-in mental content, in a word, “blank”, and that their entire resource of knowledge is built up gradually from their experiences and sensory perceptions of the outside world.

Proponents of tabula rasa favor “nurture” in the nature versus nurture debate. Coming from a medical background I like the concept of “nuture”.

Moving on to Computer Models

In computer science, tabula rasa refers to the development of autonomous agents which are provided with a mechanism to reason and plan toward their goal, but no “built-in” knowledge-base of their environment. They are thus truly a “blank slate”.

In reality autonomous agents are provided with an initial data-set or knowledge-base, but this should not be immutable or it will hamper autonomy and heuristic ability. Even if the data-set is empty, it can usually be argued that there is an in-built bias in the reasoning and planning mechanisms. Either intentionally or unintentionally placed there by the human designer, it thus negates the true spirit of tabula rasa.

Alignment for the Winds

With those little tidbits, and there are more, I ask that everyone be patient during this brief transition period. It is one of the more difficult set of acrobatics performed by Revenews and collaborators. With an overall goal of inclusion, dynamic movement, and ultimately an alignment where the winds of change are against all of our backs instead of having to brace for them or worse- fight against them.

With the winds of change behind a boat- a boat will move forward far faster and with less effort. The striking out of my text is a good example of the winds of change, thinking beta, feedback, communication and learning. Without the advice of an experienced hand it is easy to make faulty analogies, assumptions, conclusions or stay “status quo”.

I would be remiss not to add this per Pat Grady and his comments. I am not a sailor, but the logic makes sense.

“sailing faster ~40 degrees into the wind is a result of higher relative wind speed then making the most of lift that results from the winglike shape of the sail. in this way, in smaller boats (and windsurfboards), it’s easy to go much faster than the speed of the wind. i’ve gone ~27 knots into a ~20 knot wind before. downwind, with drag and all, you could go roughly 14 knots top speed. so 27 / 14 means you can go nearly twice as fast into the wind, than with it. sailboats will tac into the wind, alternating 40 degrees into either side of the headwind - so you’re not sailing face into it, but offset from it some.

facing changes head on will get you through them twice as fast. and wayne, everyone who follows your work knows you’re that kind of person. so your analogy needed a sailor’s tweak, that’s all - it’s still true.

Logically the chances of discovering new land are greatly increased…provided you have the right boat and the right sails.

While waiting you may check into- Empiricism and for more reading try some research into John Locke’s (1632-1704) An Essay Concerning Human Understanding written in 1689…

So stand by and keep your thoughts in Beta- and we will take the winds of change no matter what direction they may come.

Changes Made: 03.30.07

• We Support New York Affiliates

  

• Subscribe to ReveNews

  • Get ReveNews Updates in Your Reader
  • Get ReveNews Updates in Your Email

• The Latest Comments

  • Jonathan (Trust) on When you should Drop an Advertiser
  • Carsten Cumbrowski on When you should Drop an Advertiser
  • Frank Carrasco on What Are You Doing?
  • Brian Littleton on Hydra Responds
  • Pat Grady on When you should Drop an Advertiser
  • CT Moore on Using Video to Increase Conversions
  • Devin Mills on Using Video to Increase Conversions
  • Ben Edelman on Hydra Responds
  • Niche Traffic on Reason #4837 Why This Industry Needs an Association
  • Angel Djambazov on Hydra Responds

• ReveNews Readers

• Archives

  Select Month October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006 August 2006 July 2006 June 2006 May 2006 April 2006 March 2006 February 2006 January 2006 December 2005 November 2005 October 2005 September 2005 August 2005 July 2005 June 2005 May 2005 April 2005 March 2005 February 2005 January 2005 December 2004 November 2004 October 2004 September 2004 August 2004 July 2004 June 2004

• ScratchBack Widget