I’m speaking at a couple of events over the next few weeks

14.14, Monday 8 Aug 2022

Actual physical in-person events! Speaking IRL!

The Conference, Malmö, Sweden (23–24 Aug)

I’m part of the group session How to Use a Computer which aims to

reintroduce ourselves to our computers, in order to welcome the exotic feelings of joy, wonder, and empathy that comes from interacting with the machine and each other.

I’m going to (briefly) trace a path from the instant gratification of the search box through to a more collaborative vision of human-machine interaction, by way of algorithms and Pac-Man.

The conference program looks great. I’m especially looking forward to the Spatial Computer session on Tuesday (VR, AR, metaverse, and other superimposed realities) and the two talks on Wednesday morning around ecological thinking. Intrigued by this: What would nature say if it had a vote in your next board meeting?

The full program is on the website: The Conference 2022. Tickets are still available.

dConstruct, Brighton, UK (9 Sept)

I spoke at dConstruct way back in 2007 and I’m delighted to be back for this one-off. (Back then I built my own handheld gadget to control zooming-user-interface slides using a hacked wiimote. It was far too much stress. I’m just going to use Keynote this time.)

I’m going to talk generally around tools for togetherness which is my new framing for my long-running territory of general curiosity: how can we be together online, what we can do there, what it does to us, what are the design considerations, etc.

It riffs off Howard Rheingold’s 1980s coinage “tools for thought” (from his book of that name) which carries us from Engelbart’s perspective that led to the invention of the PC through to the fluorescence of new epistemic tools that we’re seeing today.

I’m one of eight speakers – there’s a robotic artist, a neuroscientist, and a calligrapher. It should be an excellent day.

The conference website: dConstruct 2022. Tickets are still available.


Come say hi if you’re also at either thing.

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