[iDC] Strategic usage of folksonomies: a case study

[Myron Turner]

Simon,

Thank you for putting us on to your article. Like Eugenio, I found it 
moving and evocative. While reading it I couldn't help but wonder 
whether you were familiar with David Abram's "The Spell of the 
Sensuous", which explores ways in which language is other than just an 
attachment to alphabetic literacy. He is speaking from an ecological 
standpoint, but nevertheless your argument that the "written word" 
cannot be taken as "the ultimate source of knowledge/power" is 
particularly relevant to his thesis. I guess I thought about Abram 
because you refer to the kinds of knowledge acquired in non-alphabetic 
cultures like the aborigine of Australia, which is one of Abram's 
interests as well. His work has come in for some criticism from 
specialists. And I'm not qualified to judge the dispute. But even after 
10 years, the poetry of the book continues to leave its mark. And that, 
too, I believe, would appeal to you.

Best,

Myron

P.S.
Thank you also for the reference to John Cayley's "Translation", with 
which you illustrate some of your points; it has an almost hypnotic 
appeal: http://collection.eliterature.org/1/works/cayley__translation.html

Simon Biggs wrote:
> Hi Eugenio
>
> This is a brilliant essay. Thanks for posting it. It is clearly 
> written and exposes with detailed data the semiotic evolution of a 
> folksonomy in process. Have you thought of how this might relate to 
> other discourses, such as Ortiz’s concept of transculturation or 
> Garcia’s pluriliteracy? There are also clear links to the notion of 
> transliteracy as well. I think I remember us discussing some of these 
> issues when we were in India?
>
> I have a recent paper that addresses some of this at 
> http://hosted.simonbiggs.easynet.co.uk/texts/trans.htm
 

_____________________
Myron Turner
http://www.room535.org
http://www.mturner.org
http://net18reaching.org/cityscapes

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