SEAFWEBS for NU
1
Larry Victor
GLOSSARY
seaf =
Support/Enable/Augment/Facilitate2
reeee –
Relevant/Effective/Efficient/Enjoyable/Elegant3
galdee =
grow/adapt/learn/develop/evolve/emerge4
sem = Semiotic Structure5
org = organ/organism/organization/team (living holon)6
SEAFING7
Seafing is a process occuring when
one org is in relationship with other orgs, such that the seafed
org is supported, enabled, augmented, facilitated, or in many other labeled
ways helped or assisted in doing (or doing better or more reeee)
than it would if it were not being seafed.8
A special term "seaf"
(seafing, seafed) has been
coined to designate a fully comprehensive field of relationships potential to
the org being seafed as provided by the orgs doing
the seafing.
Many different aspects of seafing can be
employed, in different mixes and variations, depending on circumstances. Four
aspects were selected to form the original acronym SEAF, which have unique
features -- which if only one of these aspects were involved in seafing, the full potential of seafing
may not be realized. The four terms or
aspects in SEAF do not exhaust the potentials of seafing.9
Support
- more passive, providing foundation, providing resources, a safety net, often
emotional support but not providing explicit assistance.10
Enable - helping
getting started and keeping underway, more interventional than support.11
Augment
- providing the tools and scaffolding, sometimes direct assistance.12
Facilitate
- help clear away obstacles and point out opportunities, see that tools and
help are available when needed, provide spot training as needed.13
The "org" in the definition may be an
individual person, a group, team or crew, a web of teams (some which may take
on further relationships and become communities of teams). All of these are generalized as
"orgs". "Org" can
extend to larger holons, such as societies and webs of societies. All are orgs and all can be seafed. A social org
may be seafed by an individual person, or a team, or
a web of teams; just as an individual person may be seafed
by a specific team prepared for seafing that
individual -- as specific teams may be seafed by
specific webs of teams.14
Ken Wilber has begun using Arthur
Koestler's term "holon" to refer to what I am calling orgs. An org is a holon - in that it is a level of
organization within a holarchy of organizations -- from elementary particles to
galaxies. However, I shall restrict the
use of org to holons that are living systems, that are animate. I tend also to view holon as referring more
to the level (of a system) linking its components (and subsystems) to its
environments -- more the "form".
When I use org I focus primarily on the "substance" of the
system at that level in the holarchy. Of
course, both form and substance are aspects primitive to our cognitive systems
and these finer distinctions will not be important most of the time. Also, they are my (Larry Victor's)
idiosyncratic distinctions that seafs his
comprehension. Did I just use seaf in a sense where the seafer
was not an org?15
I use the term "seafnet"
to label all the orgs (and their seafing processes)
involved in seafing.
It is a view of humankind through a filter that highlights seafing
processes. In most instances of seafing, only a few orgs are explicitly involved, and the
others remain in potential context. I
will call those orgs active in any seafing
performance a seafweb.16
I am still working on a distinction I find useful, if
vague at this time, which I currently label by the two terms web and net. In metaphor, webs are wet, nets
are dry. A seafweb is a actual active web of orgs seafing -- even if we don't know where or when. A seafnet is an abstract concept of possible nets of orgs seafing. This
distinction also exists between my use of the terms social and societal: social is wet, societal is dry. My use of "wet" comes from the
characterization of "life" by Hildegard of Bingen
(1098-1179) as wet, moist, green and juicy.
I don't apply the negative connotations that Hildegard did toward
"dryness" - as mathematics is as dry as it is divine. My knowledge of Hildegard is via Matthew Fox,
specifically his "Illuminations of Hildegard of Bingen".17
A problem I still have in terminology is when the
specific wet web is known, and we refer to it in its uniqueness -- as I did
above in specific reference to Hildegard of Bingen --
and when I might refer to those orgs at the time of Hildegard, but where a
unique one has not been singled out. Who did Hildegard seaf
and by whom was she seafed?18
Seafing, in my mind, is related to the concept/process of
"mutual aide" examined by biologist Peter Kropotkin
in his book of essays with the same name.19
The book, Mutual
Aide: A Factor of Evolution (1902) is now available for $2 in PDF
download for Adobe, from Amazon. Whereas seafing
among humans, as I use it, is explicitly intentional, Kropotkin
in the late 19th century challenged Darwin's emphasis on competition as the
primary driving force for evolution, proposing that mutual aide (natural seafing among life forms) was an equally relevant
process. Seafing
within families, whatever the species, significantly contributed to
survival. More attention to seafing, today among diverse humans, may be one key to our
own species survival. Followers of Kropotkin and others, countering the exploitation of
Darwinian competition as "Social Darwinism" in defense of the
practices in the Industrial Revolution and the rise of Capitalism, created an
alternative social perspective based on mutual aide, and it was called
"Anarchism" (the title of another book by Kropotkin). Anarchism (which claimed that human system
organization didn't require power structures of bosses for viability and
stability) was a far more dangerous challenge to Capitalism than Communism. Thus, with masterful deception, the very
term, "anarchism" was -- for the public and most intellectuals, alike
-- turned into its opposite (disorder and chaos) and criminally identified with
nihilists and terrorists of the period.
The trial and execution of Sacco and Vancetti was a
publicity campaign to kill and bury the concept of Anarchism as the social
application of the biological principle of mutual aide. The controversy continues.20
I was personally motivated to explore and expand the
concept of seafing after reading The Support
Economy by Zuboff and Maxmim. My first essay
can be found on my website. This is a work in progress. Zuboff saw "support" (which I
expanded to seaf) as a viable new domain of economic
activity in the future. I agree, but
with the addition that viable seafwebs will seaf us from our dangerous econo-centric trap, which I
imply in the shift in my essay's title from "Economy" to
"Society".21
As implied in the above, seafing
already exists. Corporations hire consultant teams to seaf
them out of their difficulties. Outsourcing may even be viewed as a seafing process. Humanitarian organizations have a long
history of seafing.
Parents seaf, teachers seaf.
Most professionals seaf. Health care is seafing. Many authors write to seaf,
if indirectly. So, what is different beyond that we might need more of it -- as
Zuboff and Maxmin suggest?22
Seafing amplifies a
person's potentials: seafing actualizes potentials.
[expand]23
Collaboration is a type of seafing.
[expand]24
Individual differences and the reeee
of seafing. [expand]25
Can there be too
much seafing? Children can be pampered and overly protected
from those "failures" necessary to learn how to succeed when
challenged.26
I am fighting against using negative language. To not
succeed in every attempt should not be negative, and should not be called
"failures". Learning why we didn't first succeed is a powerful and
essential type of learning. We wouldn't
want seafing to be so overwhelming that we were not
permitted "to fail" - and forced to avoid learning by "trial and
error".27
There is a significant real story.
A teacher is attempting to seaf learners about
strategy. The teacher picks a number
between 0 and 100, writes it down but doesn't let any learners see. Then the learners are asked to design a
strategy for discovering the number with the least number of questions that can
be answered by a YES or NO. No guesses,
such as "Is the number 43?".
The strategy to be discovered is bracketing. In its ideal form, the first question should
be "Is the number greater than 50?" or "Is the number less than
50?" Suppose the number is 74. If the first question were asked, the teacher
would answer YES, and the class would cheer - they got it right! However, if the second question were asked
first, and the teacher would answer NO, the class would moan and exhibit
negative emotions - they had failed.
BUT, in either case, the learners learned the same thing, the number was
greater than 50. They could then bracket
if further. The significance of this
very real phenomena is that we react with negative emotion when we fail, or
seem to fail, in achieving an objective -- even when the "failure" is
imaginary.28
Is this a learned response, or is
it wired in through our 29
Is it possible that the human
species has not been around long enough for effective parenting strategies to
have been discovered and incorporated into our biological inheritance? I would speculate the answer is YES - which
implies that we cannot base our life strategy on any "natural instincts
for parenting" -- or for any other seafing
practices in human social systems. What
has emerged in different cultures has worked well enough statistically to
insure survival (in some circumstances), and there is much to learn by
researching contemporary practices of seafing. But,
our future survival may depend on going beyond this illusionary dependence on
the "natural".30
Toddling -- As adults we need to learn to toddle
again. [expand].31
Reeee seafing must be deep; actually seafing
must consider all levels. Seafing can include creating safe challenges where lack of
immediate success is expected, and the learning being seafed
is the development of strategies in navigating complex challenges.32
Should children be permitted to act
such as to risk injury or death? Should adults? Much of this is related to
longevity expectations and the anticipated quality of a long life in a healthy seafing environment.
The answer also depends on later advanced methods of life saving and
body repair. Is it important that a
person experience trauma so as to gain a respect for it? Is "hitting the bottom" a
necessary life experience for learning to "really" respect life? [expand]33
Depth seafing. [expand]34
Wealthy people can hire people to do many of everyday
chores, which gives them leisure. What seafing can be applied to what they do and accomplish with
this leisure time? Competent managers
will have employees to do tasks to meet business objectives. We can imagine a person designing systems of
tasks, but having no one to perform them -- and the tasks were well beyond the
capacity of that person, and they may not have the competencies to perform most
of the tasks. In our modern world there is a distorted and unjust distribution
of seafing. Wealth and power control the distribution
of seafing, the architecture of the seafnet.35
THE IDEAL SEAFNET36
Imagine two related databases. One contains all the seafing
needs of all orgs. The other contains
all the seafing competencies of all orgs. The ideal seafnet
would optimally merge the databases - matching seafing
needs with seafing competencies. Cyberspace has the
potential of making this ideal a
practical reality. However, there will
necessarily be a few stages from the current matching of seafing
needs with seafing competencies and the ideal.37
CONTEMPORARY SEAFING38
Contemporary seafing is
primitive and grossly inadequate to need, both immediate need and forecasted
need. There is no blame for this, seafing is a process emergent in life - from its beginning
in mutual aide and symbiosis to many striking and creative exemplar in human
history.39
There are so many things needing doing on our planet,
to relieve the suffering and poverty and to create a better world where there
are no sources for unnecessary suffering and poverty. There are so many projects
and tasks calling to be performed, which would engage the reeee
attention of people. There is a vast abundance waiting there to be
created. But the mindset of an
econo-centric world that believes that one must be paid to do something, and
that money is scarce (it isn't for those with the power to create money)
paralyze whole populations.40
Seafing is essential
and those in power have gained a monopoly on contemporary seafwebs
for galdeeing fundamental change. The vast majority
have to scramble to create inadequate seafwebs for
the collateral damage victims of corporate success, leaving them no time to
create their own seafwebs for galdeeing
the uplifting of the whole population - not only beyond poverty - but to
harvest the vast potential abundance created by the labor of the multitude.41
SEAFWEBS FOR IDEA GENERATORS42
As persons galdee, they sometimes broaden their perspectives; they
imagine projects involving the coordinated activity of many producing great value.
But, they have too many good ideas to follow up themselves. So they are
usually forced to be highly selective, which often leaves valuable ideas
unattended - some critical to the overall synergy. 43
Some people galdee
themselves into idea generators, generating ideas about viable projects orders
of magnitude beyond what they could produce -- unless they were seafed by highly competent seafwebs.
They often galdee reeee
improvement in idea generation - quickly leaving behind any possibility of
personally actualizing their emergent potentials.44
Corporations may employ and nurture idea generators,
and if they are adequately recognized by the CEO and business management, the seafing competencies of the corporation may be focused on
some of their ideas. Most entrepreneurs
generate a few viable ideas and are able to attract investment capital that
enables them to attempt being seafed. Occasionally they are moderately successful.45
Persons and other orgs obsessed by power can often
gain wealth sufficient to buy the seafing talents of
persons willing to assist spreading their power and control. Military
establishments are powerful seafwebs. One effective way of moving people in desired
ways is influencing their constructed worlds, so that they
"naturally" do as the controllers desire. There is a bevy of professional seafers of mind manipulating -- or, as Noam
Chomsky calls "manufacturing consent".46
Most creative persons are seafed
to public attention. A few, like Madonna, have the business smarts in addition
to artistic, musical, atheletic, or technological
gifts. But most who are successful are either seafed
by exploiters or are fortunate to attract seafers who
have their interest at heart.47
I believe that in many instances, quality seafing of idea generators could be profitable in our
contemporary economy as well as contributing to a Nu Strategy.48
SEAFWEBS FOR THOSE MOST IN NEED TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE GALDEE OF NU49
The literature is full of reports of creative and
intelligent persons who see partly through the fog of the matrix and make
reasonable proposals. Even if on final analysis each proposal would be found
lacking, their being attempted (and we learning from this) would be a powerful
force for human uplift. Yet, few are
ever seafed in any reeee
way. The business perspective expects
those with ideas to entrepreneur it "on their own" -- which, of
course, selects out only those entrepreneurs with small and often useless
projects. There have been many exceptions
- and these have been the rare cases where a team emerges that mutually seafs itself to economic success.50
To create NU, to seed and nurture a galdeeing emergence of a viable, sustainable global human
system (in the midst of contemporary decay) is a truly monumental
undertaking. There are persons, sometimes
called "generalists", who envision larger patterns and potential
synergies. They are aware of the many
other component ideas generated by a growing multitude and experimentally
imagine how these ideas may reinforce each other (synergize).51
If one looks at this vision from a practical
perspective, examining the actual tasks that need to be performed, the learning
and training involved, the dialog, deliberation, and decision-making called
for, the need for seafwebs becomes obvious. None of the individuals have the time and
competencies to do what they are expected to do in this model. But, embed them in a viable seafweb -- which is also a nu educational process that
prepares everyone for their galdeeing future in an
emergent NU Strategy -- the practical reality becomes very evident.52
DAVID, THE BLUNT 53
We need to distinguish our seafwebs
from those other idea generators who join with us (and have their own seafwebs). Our
joining, or collaboration, itself needs seafing.54
However, we must not assume seafers may not also be valuable idea generators. And idea
generators should be encouraged to seaf, as seafing is a powerful means of learning, and building
viable relationships.55
What will those who participate in seafwebs gain? Some may seaf as a
means of employment. Others may seaf as a means of
personal reeee galdee
(training and learning). Others may seaf because of
their belief that they are contributing to a worthy cause/venture for humanity
and 56
I, personally, need three categories of seafwebs. One
category would work with my physical tools and software; some could eventually
be done remotely, but most will involve sysops and others equipped to assist me
in realtime. This category would also
include those who search for new tools potentially useful to me, call them to
my attention and assist me in deciding whether to use the tools, and then seaf my learning to use the tools. The second category would seaf
my sem production and other work in cyberspace. The
third category would seaf my personal galdee, making it more reeee -
helping me break old habits and create new habits. This third category would
also seaf my collaboration and relationships with
others.57
Question. Does cyberspace include what is on my hard
drive and CDs in storage - or only what is accessible online? Does cyberspace include print documents?58
IF our contemporary economy doesn't
collapse, I believe that a seafing strategy of me
could generate considerable profits - and at the same time be relevant to a NU
Strategy. I have used the metaphor of my mind as a mountain containing veins of
raw ore - and a few nuggets. But its value comes only after processing and
creating second order markets. I believe
there are a number of big seller books in my archives waiting to be seafed by teams of co-authors, publishers and promoters.59
David, what do you fantasize for your seafwebs?60
We may be able to make manifest our personal seafwebs in the context of creating a seafweb
system for many other idea generators (also in need of personal seafwebs).61
This may be seafed
by creating a medium for idea generators to dialog & deliberate on their seafing needs.62
I need to start with myself. As I
formulate my own seafing needs I may begin to seaf myself. Often I don't seaf
myself because I haven't worked out the process so it can be interesting and
successful. Once I have experimented
with seafing myself it may be easier to attract seafing teams to take over some of those tasks.63
Initially, those participating idea
generators may experiment by forming seafing teams
for each other; giving ourselves a boost and momentum for creating an expanding
seafweb system.64
SEAFING SYNERGY65
World literature is a Tower of Babel. Researchers and
developers don't have the time (nor interest) to explore the growing literature
(as well as relevant, but not recent, material) - they are far too busy moving
in their little closed disciplines.66
It astounds me on reading relevant books on a topic to
see other important persons also working in that domain totally ignored.67
ASIDE. I first
encountered this in 1963, working in the Columbia University library on the
interaction of the geomagnetic field and the aurora - the topic of my eventual
dissertation: Correlations Between
Auroral and Geomagnetic Micropulsations. I found two independent trees of research
articles, one that originated in Russian literature but which contained many
non-Russian authors. I could find no cross references between these two trees
of reported research.68
Given the complex dynamics, it is virtually
impossible to expect people working within their narrow disciplines to devote
the requisite time to explore the diversity of other disciplines that may
provide information to significantly effect the direction of their research or
development. Such interactions do happen
occasionally and usually by accident - and significant advances in both
disciplines is often the result.69
From my generalist survey of recorded knowledge, from
my perspective of Ignorance, I can identify many potential synergies of high
significance - yet where it is unlikely that they will ever occur if not
explicitly seafed.70
Seafwebs for synergy
would not only need to identify possible inter-disciplinary relationships with
potential synergy, but to also develop seafing
strategies to approach and gain the attention of key players in the respective
disciplines and seaf their interaction in ways that
don't immediately threaten the viability of their respective disciplines. However, if the synergy takes, significant
changes can be expected.71
A variant of this are Mediation Seafwebs
that assist in translating and interpreting the work of specialized disciplines
so that what may be valuable to those outside the discipline is
comprehensible. This will often call for
multiple versions. Popularization of
science is big business but we should question whether the popularizations
contribute to synergy.72
For example. I
have two PhDs, in physics and educational psychology, am familiar with systems
science and have read many books in diverse scientific fields. Yet, the general
scientific journals such as SCIENCE
and NATURE often leave me
cold. Most articles are written for
people at the fringe of a discipline who will already have mastered the
vocabulary and idiosyncratic labeling. I know that there are ideas and patterns
of knowledge embedded in the articles that I would find both interesting and
useful, but they are usually inaccessible to me.73
It would be useful to have relevant articles
translated into a neutral general systems vocabulary. These articles wouldn't
prepare the reader to better comprehend the "real" articles without
first learning the specialized nomenclature, but they would greatly enhance the
populations comprehension of our best knowledge of "how the world
works".74
Consider a very simple example that
always causes me trouble. In 75
What I propose here, is that when
the technical names are not important, they might be substituted by names that
imply a relationship; such as A with B and C with D. Part of this issue relates to the vast
diversity of individual differences in cognitive processes, including memory. My lack of visual imagery makes even simple
mental arithmetic very difficult or impossible. My grades in 7th and 8th grade
math plummeted to Cs and Ds as I tried to hold "word problems" in my
mind. My performance in math leaped to an A when Algebra gave me a concrete
means to represent the word problems so I could see them with my eyes and not
have to depend on my non-existent visual imagery.76
Another aside. There is much useful quantitative information
about the world that when spoken in sentences goes over the heads of most
people, including myself. Simple graphical or diagrammatic representations can
make them clear for all. But, for some
reason most people are conditioned to turn off their minds when presented with
graphs or diagrams Ross Perot, whatever
else can be said about him, attempted to apply this technique in his bid for
the presidency. Unfortunately he used
old fashioned charts and not well designed presentations using computer
graphics. Animation can greatly seaf the
comprehension of graphs and diagrams.77
For example, population growth may
be confusing when one hears numbers, but a simple graph of world population
over the past 4,000 years shows a sharp, right angle turn upwards about a
century or two ago. Graphs also
illustrate clearly the difference between a continued growth in population and
a decrease in the rate of population growth.
The new product Google Earth may provide NES [NU Educational Services]
with places for scripts to guide people in comprehending trends. [I have yet to
explore Google Earth in any detail].
Commentators could use such illustrative graphics on tv
as they talk, rather than showing a talking head or an other visual that may
have emotional content but nothing to assist people in comprehending what is
happening in the world.78
I don't expect TV or cable to start
using this soon, but people commenting via Internet blogs might give it a
try. Seafing
teams for them may help.79
We might also start by seafing
the population's comprehension of the distinction between harmony and synergy,
and the dance between competition and mutual aide.80
TECHNOLOGY SEAFS81
In my use of seafing, I've
been very focused on the contribution of persons, teams and other orgs doing
the seafing. But, the "A" in SEAF, Augment
applies mostly to technological systems and tools. This is what Doug Englebart imagined when he
started to use the term "augment" in this sense - and his invention
of such tools as the mouse, the window, and hypertext illustrates the power of
tools. This is what Bucky
Fuller intended through his patents and what you intend through your SelfHelp Corporations.
The technological tools can be sems and
societal scaffolding as well as physical devices and software.82
Technological tools and infrastructure are needed to seaf the human seafers.83
SEAFWEB "MAKEOVER" CYBERSPACE "TV"84
"Makeover" tv
programs are popular -- a team creates a new house for a family, or gives a
person a new look. Both are instances of
seafing. What other kinds of seafing
services could be provided, where the seafing is
recorded and produced for others to view as edutainment? Such could become popular on tv, but given the ability to download and stream video,
cyberspace could offer many venues.85
If the seafing was
educational for those seafed, those viewing could
also learn and be entertained.86
I envision the recording, editing, and producing of nuets doing things and these become the background context
for NU. Fictional enactments of what we hope to do in the near future could set
the stage and be instructional.87
SEAFWEBS FOR SPECIAL POPULATIONS88
INTRODUCTION89
I believe that seafwebs
will emerge in different populations; but they will also interact with each
other. Below, without further content, I
list a few special populations ripe for seafwebs.90
RETIRED &
ELDERING91
AARP is the second largest org in the USA (next to
the Catholic Church) - 38 million people!
AARP FOR NU92
DISABLED93
PARENTS94
CHILDREN 95
STUDENTS &
TEACHERS96
SPECIAL HEALTH
ISSUES97
SEAFWEBS FOR CYBERSPACE98
Sems (semiotic
structures) are the basic building blocks of cyberspace. It may be easiest to create seafwebs that work through cyberspace than work through f2f
activity; although both are essential.
There are many new tools for collaboration in cyberspace that may give
cyberspace seafwebs a boost. [expand]99
A LOTTERY SEAFWEB100
Humans have a deep fascination with chance, both
intellectually and practically. But, we
don't have accurate statistical senses.101
There are patterns in randomness - the study of which
are mathematical disciplines.102
PARADOX:
the sequence of digits in the expansion
of pi, or any irrational number, is a random distribution. Knowing the first "n" digits lets
you compute the "n+1" digit, but you cannot predict beyond - you can
only compute the next one. And this is a
deterministic mechanical computation. A
deterministic mechanical process generates a sequence of random digits!103
Time is involved, and somewhat in the sense that time
is involved in resolving Zeno's paradox, we can "resolve the
paradox". When each halving step is
done in a halving duration (in Zeno), we enter the limits of the calculus and
we can actually complete the sequence in a finite time. Zeno's paradox arose by
making each halving-in-space done in the same time durations -- and you will
never reach the goal in a finite number of steps. But, when steps are taken both shorter and
faster - we do move forward.104
Structuring
Process is involved, over time, in creating a sequence
of random digits. Processing
Structure is involved, over time, in proving that the sequence meets
the criteria of randomness.105
Gambling appears to be universal. How can we incorporate it in NU -- but in a
positive way?106
Lottery - a small investment periodically given in
expectation to get a bigger, lump reward later - eventually. The investment could be time, attention and
labor; with the reward in kind.107
In lotteries of today the odds are very bad, it is a
stupid investment -- but they may have their psychological benefits: lotteries
may suppress the urge to revolt.108
What if a lottery was designed like a savings system
-- there was a guaranteed reward, but the when and how much are not
predetermined.109
It may be that seafwebs in
some populations may be promoted in the model of a lottery. [ Needs study.]110
SEAFWEB BUSINESSES111
This I present as a challenge; how many ways might seafwebs be profitable businesses?112