computing augmented travel

In order to have a happy, relaxing and successful trip, we need to manage a lot of information from diverse channels of resources. The process of traveling involves a lot of decision makings, attraction appreciations, and planning, all of which are very information intensive processes. The decision could be where to go, where to stay, how to transport, what to bring, what to wear, what events are interesting to attend, and etc. We need to learn the introductions of different places, find out the news such as whether a certain place is open or closed, we need to pay attention to the weather conditions, read feedbacks from other travelers, find out whether there are suitable restaurants and etc. How toursits manage to obtain all these information? How are these kinds of information supposed to flow from the sources such as the park administrations and other tourists? Who will check in information? How and where should we check out information? Usually all the information is distributed in different brochures, forms, books, websites, and etc. I want to understand the tourists' behaviors and how information technology can ease the decision making process. One important thing is that the decision making process doesn't need to be rational and should also be emotional. For example, how can information be presented that users can feel it and immediately make decisions. However, most of the information so far is textual, and with maps sometimes. For example, when I was in Yosemite last time, we wanted to hike for a while. However, which trail to take is hard to pick. The visitor center gave us a table listing all the trails, with information regarding how long the hiking will take, how to get the entrance of the trail, and what attractions are there on each trail, and how difficult the trails are. However, I need to read them, understand them, and make decisions. But if I don't know so well about those attractions, it is hard for me to make decisions. How can the information presented that we can feel how interesting the trail is? Whether augmented reality can help that situations?

focusing on "process"

I found out that I was always fascinated by how things are formed, how ideas are shaped, how activities are motivated and executed. In short, I am obsessed by the process, the change, the event, and the activity. I believe everything is associated, and in order to have insightful analysis, we should use some kind of Actor-Network theory to examine the connections, to identifies the underlying forces, to analyze the ways these forces work together, and find the machinsims used for collaborations, fights and negotiations between these forces, thus finally keep the process going and get things transformed. I believe the power of contrast. In terms of Chinese traditional Yin Yang philosophy, I think it is important that we should identify the Yin factors as well as Yang factors, that is to find the negative forces as well as the positive forces, and be always aware that things can go wrong, and things can be done differently.

With these recognitions, I want to take the experience as the unit of analysis. The concept of experience here is similiar to the concept of process, program and activity, such as vacationing/tourism, Ph.D. or Master programs in universities, design process/prototyping, appearing and disappearing of disciplines, and etc. Since I have decided to focus on the process as the unit of analysis, and since everything is changing, all of sudden I was opened up to a wide range of possibilities to explore. Are they relevant while they obviously appear to be so diverse? Are there any underlying general principles? Are there similiar machinisms behind these processes? Are there similiar approaches to these phenomena? These are questions I don't know but am very curious about.

During each event, process, and experience, there will always be unexpectations, weird things, and misfits, to which I believe we should pay considerable attention to make sense of what's going on. News is important resource for me to find those unexpected, significant and strange phenomena around our everyday life, and I did find huge interesting topics from reading news paper in the past week.

Take tourism as an example. Here are some questions can be asked about that: Why do people would like to go traveling? The reason could be a mixture of personal, economical, social, and cultural reasons. It could be that people are stressed out from their work, so tourism is to balance the stressful work and get relaxed (kind of conform to Yin-Yang operation ). It could be from a personal curiosity, or interests of exploration, discovering, experiencing, and changing. It could be as an accessory to other activities like business trip, family reunion, celebration of milestones in life such as marriage or retiring, and attending some big events like conferences. It could be that a war keeps people from traveling for a while, and when the war is over, people can't wait to go abroad. It could be that the government want to encourage economy, and arrange a national vacation for a whole country. It could be that the competition of the tourism industry results in a lot of business promotion activities, which simulate the desire to travel. So the personal interest, time available, goverment regulation, economic conditions, cost, and quality of traveling (people certainly don't want to go the places packed with people) could all be important factors that contribute to the idea of taking a tour. It is interesting fo find out how the activity of traveling could be all connected to these underlying reasons. The alternative of traveling could be other leisure activities, such as reading, movie watching, party, and etc. It is an issue of vacationing, and it would be interesting to see how technology plays a role to let people know the commercial information from travel agencies or park administrations, how different the activity patterns are of vacationing over different countries. I believe to identify these different underlying reasons are important to understand tourists's activity patterns which certainly includes how they use technology in the whole process. For example, if the vacation is given by the goverment of the whole country, keep aware of the traveling flow is important to ensure the quality of vacation. If the traveling is from personal curiosity trying to broaden knowledge, then it is very possible that the travlers would like to check out historical information and geographical information from various sources, including websites, before, during and after the traveling. So all these will affect the activity and technology design.

Next question would be, how do they plan their trip? What information do they need to plan? How do they find that information? How do they decide where to go, how to go, where to stay? Are they informed enough before they make decision? What technologies to they use to get these information? What kind of things will they do online such as airline tickets booking, finding interesting places to go , hotel reservation, and whether checking? Do they use online forums more often? Do they use official forums more often? Are the plannings distributed to different members of the traveling group? Will they ask travel agents for information? What resources are available for them to figure out the plan and to make decisions? How the online or offline information systems could be designed more helpful, how they can complete each other?

In the process of traveling, what technologies do they use, digital cameras, mobile phones, vedios, GPS? What roles do these technologies play in the experience of traveling? Do they use cell phones a lot among group members, or beyond group members? What do they use cell phones for? How do they use wireless connections available during the travel, for work, for checking emails, for next day's itinerary or for reading news?

After the travel, what do they do to retrospect the traveling? By playing with pictures? By writing blogs? By telling stories? What information would they disclose to others?

(Still more questions to ask, but I have to stop for today because it is too late. To be continued..)

Am I a 'Taoist'?

Seems everything comes together. I just had a conversation about religions with one of our group members over lunch today. When she asked me whether I had any religion, my answer was NO. Then I was wondering what religion was for? Why do people need religions? I think I have never identified any religions as my faiths, but I don't think I have no faith. I think I become more and more strongly believe something or suspect other things. Since I was fascinated with all these changes, processes, activites, events, experiences, for some reason, I ran into this traditional Chinese philosophy - Yin-Yang theory, and then the Taoism, which is all about changes and how the opposing forces Ying and Yang, work to cause the changes. I was obsessed with the Taoist beliefs, and suddenly I identified that Taosim was the faith I'd like to follow. As "Taoism started as a combination of psychology and philosophy but evolved into a religious faith", I guess that was the "religion" I have then!

It is all amazing that the typical symbol of Taoism has been around me since forever(You know, I was born and grew up in China), but I didn't recognize its significance until now, and in a country other than China. All the doctrines in Taoism are full of wisdoms. I am so proud of being a Chinese.

"Taoism takes the doctrine of yin and yang, and includes it in its own theory of change. Yin originally meant "shady, secret, dark, mysterious, cold." It thus could mean the shaded, north side of a mountain or the shaded, south bank of a river. Yang in turn meant "clear, bright, the sun, heat," the opposite of yin and so the lit, south side of a mountain or the lit, north bank of a river. From these basic opposites, a complete system of opposites was elaborated. Yin represents everything about the world that is dark, hidden, passive, receptive, yielding, cool, soft, and feminine. Yang represents everything about the world that is illuminated, evident, active, aggressive, controlling, hot, hard, and masculine. Everything in the world can be identified with either yin or yang. Earth is the ultimate yin object. Heaven is the ultimate yang object. Of the two basic Chinese "Ways," Confucianism is identified with the yang aspect, Taoism with the yin aspect.

Although it is correct to see yin as feminine and yang as masculine, everything in the world is really a mixture of the two, which means that female beings may actually be mostly yang and male beings may actually be mostly yin. Because of that, things that we might expect to be female or male because they clearly represent yin or yang, may turn out to be the opposite instead. Each force contains the seed of the other"

These two forces coexist in everything, and can't be independently identified. There is no "good" without "bad". There is no "energy" without "rest". There is no "calm" without "excited". I am fascinate about how this view of world can explain so many things. That is why "contrast" plays such an important role for us to make sense of things, because one thing is meaningless without its opposite, and all things develop and progress from the interactions of these two opposing forces. This thought is all relevant to the "negative space", or "backchannel". I feel this the essence of life.

Taoism, itself as one force as opposing to Confucian, coexist with confucian in Chinese history, and could coexist in individual."In China, and some other areas in Asia, the social ethics and moral teachings of Confucius are blended with the Taoist communion with nature and Buddhist concepts of the afterlife, to form a set of complementary, peacefully co-existent and ecumenical religions. "

The coexistence of these two forces and the operation between them is where the complexity, or the richness of life is from. However, whether these two forces can form a harmony of life is something we should query into.

Then I found these words - "Taoism is not a religion, nor a philosophy. It is a "Way" of life. It is a River. The Tao is the natural order of things. It is a force that flows through every living and sentient object, as well as through the entire universe. When the Tao is in balance it is possible to find perfect happiness. " Ok, I agree, I don't think it is a religion. I still have not religion, but I have the faith of life which could be identified with Taoism. It reminds me of an article i read today, which is about a director called Shell. He said "When you have the cast, the sets, the lights," he says, "an opera takes on its own life". It seems he also has Taoism spirit. "I am not oe of those directors who marches in with a set of plans. Go wherever you want, and when you'redone, I'll look at it and make suggestions, adjustment." It seems, everything has its own life. Leave it alone, and it will grow, but of course, it needs adjustment and suggestions.

"The most common graphic representation of Taoist theology is the circular Yin Yang figure. It represents the balance of opposites in the universe. When they are equally present, all is calm. When one is outweighed by the other, there is confusion and disarray. The Yin and Yang are a model that the faithful follow, an aid that allows each person to contemplate the state of his or her lives. " It is kind of relevant to "sense making".

"Taoism is a religio-philosophical tradition that has, along with Confucianism, has shaped Chinese life for more than 2,000 years. The Taoist heritage, with its emphasis on individual freedom and spontaneity, laissez-faire government and social primitivism, mystical experience, and techniques of self-transformation, represents in many ways the antithesis to Confucian concern with individual moral duties, community standards, and governmental responsibilities. " Sadly enough, I didn't feel its influence in contemporary China as important as past.

Here I just want to quote more:
"But the original source of Taoism is said to be the ancient I Ching, The Book Of Changes. "
"The order and harmony of nature, they said, was far more stable and enduring than either the power of the state or the civilized institutions constructed by human learning. Healthy human life could flourish only in accord with Dao -- nature, simplicity, a free-and-easy approach to life. The early Taoists taught the art of living and surviving by conforming with the natural way of things; they called their approach to action wuwei (wu-wei -- lit. no-action), action modeled on nature.
Their sages were wise, but not in the way the Confucian teacher was wise, learned and a moral paragon. Zhuangzi's sages were often artisans, butchers or woodcarvers. The lowly artisans understood the secret of art and the art of living. To be skillful and creative, they had to have inner spiritual concentration and put aside concern with externals, such as monetary rewards, fame, and praise. Art, like life, followed the creative path of nature, not the values of human society. "

"Tea with Hitchcok"

I read an artical about this master of suspense - Hitchcock titled as "Tea with Hitchcock". The story behind this interesting title is: "Hitchcock liked to have tea with his family and frequent collaborators in the garden with their dogs. They could have tea for a few hours by themselves, because he always felt it was a wonderful way to talk about everything, over food." When I read these lines, I was wondering what is the myth with tea or food that can make people talk for hours. That also reminds me that Japanese take tea time so seriously, that they will rinse their hands and mouth meaning purifying themselves before they enter a tea house. What is so special with tea in Japan? Another story about tea takes place in the South of China, where people would spend a half or a whole day to have 'morning tea' with their friends, although, during their 'morning tea' time, they do not just drink tea but also eat various snackers. But anyway, this activity is surely more than just drinking and eating. How come drinking and eating become such an identified cultural phenomenon?

"I have always been uncommonly unattractive. Worse yet, I have always known it. The feeling has been with me so long, I can't imagine what it would be like not to feel that way... Until I met Alma. I never understood what women wanted. I only knew it wasn't me." It struck me that how much pains Hitchcock's looking had brought to him. He must have gone through some very unhappy times. Fortunately, this special experience constructively turned him into a very creative person. "Actually he said that in a way his looks were a help to him because if he would have been good looking, maybe he wouldn't have devleoped his artistic interests. He might have found somebody before Alma and made some terrible mistake in life, so he felt that he owed a lot to the way he looked. he said he didn't feel inside like the person he looked like on the outside, and that looking in mirrors remained throughout his life a little bit of a shock." "As a very young man he was happy to go and sit at a table at his favorite restaurant alone. It didn't bother him because he was an interior person who could amuse himself with his own thoughts..." I was amazed how a person's outside looking can so greatly shape a person's inside personality.

"Romantic obsession has always obsessed me," Hitchcock said,"Obsessions of all kinds are interesting, but for me, romantic obsession is the most fascinating". I believe great masters all grow some kinds of obsession!

David Harvey's lecture

Thanks for my advisor's information, I didn't miss David Harvey's lecture on our campus this week. Although at the first, I was very doubtful about how geography could have anything to do with Information Technology, or the social or culture, I was impressed by his perspective about various issues of the world on the first day(It was a three day lecture). It is very informative, insightful, profound, imaginative, and critical. He touched all these general issues concerning humanities, which is certainly what we should understand to make computers really work for people. This level of concern about humanity is much more profound than just make computers more efficient.

During the lecture, a audience asked him who started cultural geography(actually that's what I want to ask too. obviousely, he is also confused by the name Cosmopolitan Geographies, or Geographical Ontologies, or Freedom Geographies). His answer was if you can say intelligent things, who cares what discipline that is. I feel this is kind of trend in contemporary academia, that people are less concerned about which discipline the study is. we are trying to work across boundaries, and make insightful studies. It seems it was like before middle ages, scientists could be artisit, and etc. There are intellectuals but not field experts. The division of disciplines sometimes cause reductionism, and since more and more fields are interconnected, reductionism will become obstacles to the truth. Shall we advocate holistic thinking? Architeture is not just about a building, but also compatible with the enironment, view, energy, comfort, urban and etc. I believe that should become true to for the IT field. Maybe we could be experts in every field, but we should have this holistic thinking when we approach issues.

Starting from Geography, David has wide ranging enquiries from politics, nature, economics, and human natures. Facing the globalization, he shows his concerns about what is freedom, what is justice, how the globalization should work, and whether freedom is gained just for some group but at the cost of another group. Is there absolute justice or freedom? Surely, the answer is no. Facing the globalization and the growing interdependence, who is able to stand for the global benefits. How things are going to work out? According to my observation, the advancement of technology, the release of labors, and the imperialism have profoundly caused inequality. The widens the gap between classes. I observed in the previous years in China more and more workers were laid off from manufacture industries, and can only become cheap labors for capitalists. Although overall, seems more people are becoming wealthier, still more and more people are becoming poorer, and the machinism of this pattern seems to reproduce itself.

What struck me most was his distinction of the concept of time and space in terms of "absolute", "relative", and "relational". He explained this concept by analogy of "use value", "exchange value", and "representational value". It is from more concrete to more abstract. "Absolute" is the reality, the world, and the practice. "relative" is about who see it, so it is relative to the person who perceive it. "relational" is after the things are represented, it has its own form of existence, and it is tranfered. They are immaterial, but they are objective. Like thoughts, they exist in our mind. You can't see, can't touch, but they exist in our mind objectively. I feel what IT has big impacts is in the relational level.

He mentions process philosophy several times. Obviously process philosophy has a big impact on his thinking. Process philosophy stresses that the nature and reality is best understood in terms of processes rather than things, and things are just stabilized existences. In process philosophy, recipes are more important than particular cookings, because according to the former, you can reproduce the later. So what we should concern is the process that makes the product, rather than the final products. In the same way, the realy and culture are ongoing productions of certain processes.

So we are all in the process. I am in the process of some projects, in the process of getting my Ph.D. degree, in the process of a meeting. The problem is where to find the transitional point.Where is the closure? Where is the beginning? To answer these questions, we should not ignore negative aspects of things such as resistence and conflicts. Rubbing two rockes to make fires. We should always have this critical thinking, examine all the sides of problem, assemble things in different ways and to find new forms of existence. We should all try to make new kind of fires.

We are in the process of transformation, and the world is in the process of transformation. How we can transform ourselves depends on how we can transfrom the world, and how we can trasnform the world depends on how we can transform ourselves. It seems the fragmentation of cities, the reforced class power is resulted from the "let market do it". Where is the outrage then?