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What the hell is that noise? I just had that dryer fixed.
What is going on why wont this door open?
Alan, there is nothing wrong with your dryer
Who is that?
You will find this hard to believe. I am a communicator from the future. I have to tell
you something important.
Ok, this is not funny. Is this D'Arcy Norman? Who are you ?
You can call me "R2"
Yeah, that is original. You look a bit like my harmon Kardon woofer
Well, that design was rather futuristic... But I have something important to tell you,
and I do not have enough power to transmit too much longer. But we do borrow your cultural
metaphors as needed.
I dont have time for this crap...
Sigh, the people from the past never believe us, I always have to offer proof.
Okay, in a few minutes you are going to get a call that wioll change your life.
I am going to change you, wait til I pry this thing---
(phone rings)
Hi this is Alan. who? .... MacArthur?
Yeah right, nice prank call, Jim Groom ......
Uh yeah, that's me.... yeah, I wrote that............
you what? are you serious? .......
what do I need to do? Okay! Well thank you very much, I am... well, knocked over.
Okay, Mr From the Future, you got my attention.
So you got notified of your MacArthur Prize, nice. You will do some great things withythat
time and freedom.
Yeah... yeah! Yeah!
So it is imperative you use this oportunity to continue to spread the ideas about openness,
more of your stories.
But you need to awaken people to what is possible via open education and sharing of knowledge.
Well heck, I've ben doing that for like 18 years...
But if you, and others I am communicating with do not, the future I know will not be.
So tell me about it.
From my time, the natural reflex is to share whatever we create. It is the norm. As you
noted a few months back in your blog, despite the number of great flickr photos under creative
commons, it is a fraction of the total.
And that is different in your time?
Indeed. Our saying is, if it is not shared, it does not exist.
But most people feel like they are giving up their value, and what you describe sounds
like communism, not a successful bit of history.
We are not idiots from the future.
We are a capitalist society and innovators are rewarded.
But in between now and my time, you are going to face real challenges of limited resources,
water, food, energy.
If you do not figure out a way of leveraging your strengths together, your way of life
is doomed.
But why education? Shouldnt you be whispering in the shitehouse?
Because this is where you can break a toehold in society, make the concept of open sharing,
reuse, the natural way of thinking.
When the crises come, your minds will be in a state that can use the same approaches.
It seems daunting.
But you are on the right track. Just keep pushing the message.
It's not about destroying schools or universities, but its about helping them go about their
mission in away that takes advantage of abumdances of information; the success by hoarding it
is already showing signs of strain.
But the future you are in is good, we will got there.
It is by no means guaranteed.
At this point, i fact, our best forecasts suggest your society only stands a 37% chance
of reaching our state of utopian society.
It is time to ratchet things up, so I am one of many communicators sent to stir things
up.
Allright, I guess I have a few things to do, and now with this award, the way to give it
my full effort.
Thanks for dropping by R2, but can you please go? I have to finish drying my clothes.
Ffffff hmmmmm hmmmmm hmmmmm