I put the "H" in "ADD"...
Topic: by Lenny
One.The computer is not a machine that manufactures thought (as some naive Artificial Intelligence fans believe) but an electronic micro-mirror which reflects back processed clusters of electronic thought signals. The computer can be programmed to help the individual become a thought-maker, spinning out dozens of new ideas an hour. Computers encourage us to change our thoughts.I just might have ADD. If, in fact, it exists at all. Some folks see ADD as a "disease" that can be cured with a magick pill (amphetamine sulfate), and some folks don't recognize ADD's existence at all. And if that is your view, you're probably right. It doesn't exist...
In my humble estimation ADD seems to be a constellation of behaviors, some biological, some behavioral, that one may or may not manifest at a particular time. I have read compelling arguments both for and against the very existence of ADD and both for and against specific treatments (the use of amphetamine, for example, is controversial). The more I read about this topic the more I am of the opinion that all these people are defining ADD different ways. But they all want to call it "ADD" (or "ADHD").
For a compelling argument that ADD is a biological disorder (or, rather, that several possible disorders that have been lumped together as ADD) check out Dr. Amen's excellent book
Healing ADD. For an equally compelling view of ADD as a behavior that one can adjust to, check out Thom Hartman's
Healing ADD.
See what I mean? These people can't agree on what they're comlaining about and they can't even think of an original name for their books!
Two. I simply cannot imagine living before computers.
When composing music I create sound parts (beats, synth patterns, guitar parts and the like) and assemble them, cut and paste style, on the computer screen. It's the only way that really makes sense to me.
If I am reading something, and I really want to digest it I need to outline it in Microsoft Word. It's almost as if I need things to keep one part of my mind occupied while another part handles the data. Or perhaps it is because my mouse hand is tied to my left brain, much as the laryngeal muscles are tied to thought (when humans think, their vocal chords move ever so slightly, so that you are in effect talking to yourself).
I write and compose music (just two examples) much differently than I would without these tools. The idea of cut and paste (whether with literature or with sampling) is completely natural to me.
Posted by mediafaction
at 12:01 AM EDT
Updated: Monday, 29 November 2004 10:06 AM EST