quarta-feira, 18 de outubro de 2006

ClustrMaps™ & NeoCounters…

No, this is no business company I might be trying to advertise. I would never be good at such a job… It's just a point of departure I've found for some reflections of a different kind on being a worldwide blogger.

It's quite a unique feeling knowing that you're connected to the whole world.
Honest it is. It may seem tacky to say it this way, and perhaps it is indeed, but as a common human being you only realise the true meaning of such an abstraction when you get evidence of the phenomenon. You don't believe it until you see it. As old as mankind…

So a map and a counter have been giving me enough to think about. Looking at the map I see dots almost everywhere. What can this possibly mean?
First of all, the connection is an obvious reality, regardless of any doubts I might still have. Millions cross the cyberspace at any hour, day or night, searching for each other, hoping perhaps to find a consoling word, an instant of amusement, a soul mate, or a reason of any kind to go on believing in themselves, in others, in life. (Often it's much less serious, I know…)

Taking a closer look I see dots where I never thought I would see any. Not for a reason in particular, no. I suddenly realise I'm still depending on last century's thinking categories, all of them relating to time and space. "If one doesn't travel so often or so easily to such remote places, how come they show up on the map?!" Quite silly, isn't it? Well, I'm not thinking exactly this way, but I guess I'm not that far from it either…

Asia and Oceania would still be a certain kind of mythical places – some Shangri-La or El Dorado: New Zealand, Australia, Japan, China, Taiwan, Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand…

I can't help wondering what those visitors expect to find here, what they think about the blog, about me, what makes them come back and – last but not least – why they come and go so silently. Some are occasional visitors, definitely, people who come across the blog just to find out it's not their cup of tea at all. But I mean those who keep coming, over and over again. Always silently… Not a word…

Central and South America may be a slightly different case. People may just want to take a look out of pure curiosity, I'd say. Brazil is dotted all over, but my contacts are, as far as I know, in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. As to all others I haven't a single clue…

Africa is a whole mystery in a certain sense; in another, however, there's no mystery about it at all. A few countries apart, Africa has still a long way to run before taking its due place in the cyberspace. So much is still such top priority that just the thought of being connected to the rest of the world may seem a futile exercise… I wonder whether it truly is.

North America and Europe are the best saved for last. Here too, however, my reflections follow the same path as before: many of those dots are silent places, either in the USA, Canada or Europe. Flags have been being displayed day after day, but their true meaning in this context can only be one and one alone: people just come and go. Well, I guess that's exactly what mankind has always been about anyway, cyberspace or no cyberspace.

One last note: it's quite possible, or almost certain, that most people don't like what they see or read. That's okay with me as well. I've never claimed I was here to please both Greeks and Trojans, have I?

10 comentários:

Anónimo disse...

Realmente, Ric, a história não se repete. Se quisermos até apurar um pouco isso, poderíamos falar em singularidade da rede causal de um fato, e não necessariamente em singularidade do fato histórico, como diria Maraval. Colocando o homem e os fatos -- ou, um pouco mais sofisticadamente, na tendência de Maraval -- a rede causal como um produto de um tempo, de um lugar específico, chego então ao que eu sustentei em meu comentário: será que com o homem de hoje, pelo menos no caso do Brasil (até porque não tenho subsídios para falar de outros lugares), não cairíamos na coisa do "se dá bem quem é amiguinho do governo"? Entende-me?

Mas é inegável que a situação em que se encontra essa imensa parcela do planeta, na miséria absoluta, é indigno, desumano. No Rio de Janeiro mesmo, Cidade Maravilhosa, capital cultural do Brasil, em determinados pontos é possível encontrar uma indigna pobreza, como diríamos aqui, de África (esta merecia um comentário à parte. Então, não vou nem entrar na questão...). Muitos cariocas não conhecem essa pobreza. A maior parte dos estrangeiros quando vem ao Rio também não a conhecem.

É isso aí!
Um grande abraço!
=)

RIC disse...

Bom amigo Lê! Creio que para mosso «governo intelectual» convirá separar águas: uma coisa é a prática política dos homens (que deixa sempre muito a desejar); outra, é a questão ideológica, do domínio da filosofia política, da ética e da história. Os meus interesses residem neste segundo domínio, não no primeiro. É certo que problemas tão graves como a miséria mundial ou, a outra escala, a extrema pobreza das favelas do Rio, não poderão ser eliminados apenas com belas teorias e profundos pensamentos. Mas se deixarmos de acreditar nas potencialidades (e capacidades) do Homem para o Bem, vamos acreditar em quê?... E, parece-me óbvio, quanto menos acreditarmos, mais o mundo se afundará.
Quanto aos estrangeiros que vão ao Rio, eles sabem sim o que se passa... Mas não é nada com eles... É problema de outro país, onde eles estão apenas para gozar umas boas férias. Esta parece-me ser a verdade, pelo muito que já vi, ouvi, li e pensei...
Um grande abraço para ti também!
:-)

Bruce disse...

Ric,

I've thought quite often of putting a counter on my blog, but I've decided, at least for now, against doing so. Not just you, but several bloggers that i have read, express frustration that a large number of people stop by your blog without ever leaving a comment. I'm quite sure that if I knew for a fact that this were also the case with my blog, and received the statistics to prove it, I would experience the same frustration. The number of "hits," and their geographical distribution, would not at all be satifying to me. I would just wonder why they have left no comment. So, I decided that the only people who matter to me in this respect are those who have taken the trouble to leave a comment, be it positive or negative.

Gray disse...

I must agree with Bruce, Ric! It is frustrating when knowing how many people stop by and don't leave messages (the point of your post). It is also, dare I say, *impolite* for those who drop by on a regular basis to never add anything to the discussion (be it positive or negative).

It is worth noting, however, that this morning, at 0430 PDT (1130 UTC) I tried to comment here and was frustrated by blogger.com. I received an error stating "Server error 500" and then a "Google error - try again in 30 minutes."

I tried again after breakfast and doing the laundry; but my browser crashed. So, here I am again at 1000 PDT (1700 UTC)! I think it will work now. However, it makes me wonder if others cannot comment due to server error.

Finally, could it be that some are afraid of political or (in some countries) criminal actions for commenting on a gay website? It is just a thought that entered my head. Perhaps. Perhaps not. But food for thought none the less.

RIC disse...

I do understand your arguments, Bruce. To be honest, I'm not that frustrated after all. Map and counter are just instruments helping me realise this is really a worldwide adventure... I do believe I cannot please Greeks and Trojans. Moreover, subjects I deal here with aren't definitely the favourits of the «large majority», which doesn't bother me at all.
In the end, I do prefer it this way.
Thank you very much!

RIC disse...

No, Gray, as I said in my previous response to Bruce, it is not frustrating. (Please, read that very response!)
But I do agree entirely with the content of your 2.nd, 3.rd, and 4.th paragraphs. It has quite often happened exactly the same to me. And - last but not least - a gay blog is a gay blog... Why - and how - should/would take things any differently? I consider myself a realist guy... And then... I do enjoy «The Happy Few Club»... This may sound elitist, but it's exactly how I feel about it...
Thanks a lot for your kind words!

Jack disse...

Hi Ric,

I'm doing good, just a bit weak. It's to be expected. But I slept less today. Just gotta get some strentgh back and I'll be fine.

A lot of people go in stores and don't buy anything. Maybe they don't know what they want. Maybe they're shy.

Who knows, just don't worry about it. I have people from Korea and China. ???

Just keep having fun and talk to us, the ones who comment.

Have fun!?

RIC disse...

Hello Joel! Wonderful to hear from you again! I'm so glad you're feeling better!
Yes, I do agree with you: people go in stores and buy nothing. I'm not worried at all. I just wanted to get some reactions and to put some thoughts «down on paper», so to speak... And I keep enjoying «The Happy Few Club», no doubt about it!
Quick recovery, my friend! :-)

André disse...

É giro teres visitantes de tantos sítios diferentes.
Posso estar a repetir-me, mas acho que a principal razão que leva os ditos visitantes a não deixarem comentários é o facto de que para o fazerem terem de se registar, que, hão-de concordar, é uma grande massada.
Ric, é engraçado seres de linguística, espero não estar a mandar uma grande calinada, mas a linguistíca trata de coisas que têm que ver com gramática (além de outras coisas). É que eu sou como a Agustina, o meu maior amor é a gramática. Aliás um projecto que tenho adiado desde há muito é reler a gramática do Celso Cunha e do Lindley Cintra, que tenho sempre na minha mesa de cabeceira e que vou consultando de vez em quando (menos vezes do que devia).

RIC disse...

... E o resultado está à vista! Pelos primeiros textos teus que li percebi que tens facilidade na construção das frases (sintaxe) e, portanto, na expressão do pensamento.
A linguística «stricto sensu» abarca as várias áreas componentes da gramática e, numa perspectiva mais alargada, de diferentes manifestações e fenómenos da linguagem (aquisição, variação individual, social e geográfica)...
É um mundo.
Quanto à gramática, é preferível que a consultes sempre que te surja uma qualquer dúvida. Ganhas muito mais e é, convenhamos, menos enfadonho...
Sim, concordo, o registo pode ser problemático. O meu primeiro blog foi à vida logo no início porque não dei a devida importância a alguns pormenores.
Mas não me chateia nada que alguns não comentem: pode até ser um favor que me fazem (sem qualquer snobismo)...