wake the sleepers?

Imagine an iron house without windows, absolutely indestructible, with many people fast asleep inside who will soon die of suffocation. But you know since they will die in their sleep, they will not feel the pain of death. Now if you cry aloud to waken a few of the lighter sleepers, making those unfortunate few suffer the agony of irrevocable death, do you think you are doing them a good turn?

Lu Xun

via Alexis Ohanian

how is the internet changing the way we think?

It's The Edge Question for 2010.

Slashdot has a related story: Tech Tools Fostering Mini Generation Gaps. "People two, three or four years apart are having completely different experiences with technology".

a good question

"What does it mean to a society when a whole generation is raised as criminals?"

preface to Remix - Lawrence Lessig

a question of personal progress

Do you think you are the way that you are because it's your nature (and environment) or is it because of the work you (or others) have done on yourself?

To put it another way--

When (if?) you see progress in yourself, do you have specific methods you used that you attribute that progress to? If so, what are they? and- do you think these methods are specific to you (your personality, genetics, etc.) or do you think they are principles or methods that could be used by others?

Update: if you answer this question, let me know in the comments and I'll link to your answer from this post.