May 3 Chat

7:15 PM Rachel has joined

Vincent has joined

7:16 PM Rachel: Hi there

7:17 PM me: are you both there still?

I am sorry I am late. I got carried away with another task

Rachel: it's fine~

7:18 PM me: Vincent, are you there?

7:19 PM Rachel: um........shall we wait for a while?

me: mmm

7:20 PM Rachel: i am reading your post

me: I haven't posted

Must be vincent's

Vincent: hey I'm back

Rachel: oh! Yes

7:21 PM me: welcome vincent

Vincent: :)

7:22 PM so let's start from our idea developments

me: Yes, but I haven't posted yet, I am sorry.

Vincent: that's ok

7:23 PM you can talk about it now

Rachel: I did it in a hurry too

so ...

Vincent: me too

Rachel: need your suggestions

7:24 PM me: did you take those photos, vincent?

Vincent: no, I find them by Google :)

7:25 PM me: O

I really like the photo of the grills

Rachel: quite beautiful~

7:26 PM Vincent: yes it is

but most of grills in Taiwan are ugly

me: he he

I like the part of the grill idea that changes them not from keeping people out, but of connecting people

7:27 PM I like rachel's idea about the door turning into a table

but I am wondering if it would be used

7:28 PM Rachel: i think both ideas can be combined

but sucurity and some other problems need more scussion

discussion

7:30 PM original concept was imagining a scene that neighbors can have one area for more communication

7:31 PM me: I think the challenge—at least in the US—is not that there isn't a place, but that there isn't the time or interest.

we have lost our sense of community—at least in larger cities

7:32 PM Rachel: probably same here in Taiwan

if we can figure some solutions, that would be good

7:34 PM me: right

The trends I see all show people moving toward virtual "communities" where people share interests.

7:35 PM such as forums for clubs, old people, cyclists etc

7:36 PM I am part of a church community, but in the same sense, we all share common values

I think that is what happens when you live in a densely populated area...

(including the virtual world on the web)

7:37 PM ...you start to leave what was once the community—your neighborhood—and spend more time with people that share your perspective and values

Vincent: well It's true

7:38 PM me: and it is hard or strange to just start talking to people that you don't know

7:39 PM perhaps, like the umbrella idea, people could advertise a little about themselves, like "my dog's name is buster" and display that so people could start a conversation about it if they wanted

7:40 PM by displaying something passively, they would be putting themselves out, for other people to see and take interest in

Rachel: oh! something like twitter or blog

7:41 PM me: yeah, and a display. Maybe an LED display that you could wear, like a badge or something

7:42 PM Rachel: i like this idea.

me: or perhaps it could be woven into clothing...

or installed on a backpack

7:43 PM Rachel: um..how can we transform this more to a ren design

me: However, we would need to think about how to keep people from saying mean things on it...or maybe they just would

Vincent: start form the same interest is the way to creat interaction

Rachel: it's possible that it will turn out to be something just to make friends

7:44 PM me: which is good too, right?

Rachel: yes~

7:45 PM Vincent: I don't think to make friends is far away from "REN"

7:46 PM me: ...but maybe it isn't as close as it could be...

Vincent: yeah it's true

me: say more, rachel

7:47 PM Rachel: some websites like facebook or others can share similar ideas

me: what would be different if we were to bring that into real life?

Rachel: but we would not connect it directly to good humanity or ren

7:48 PM so i think if we design this,

Vincent: unless we make them help each other

Rachel: besides of knowing others, some other good principles shall be included

7:49 PM me: right.

Rachel: though i cannot think of some suggestions now~

7:50 PM me: I like the idea of sharing things at the bus stops, rachel.

—like books

7:51 PM But I feel like there needs to be something more that will get people to actually talk to each other.

unless the idea is just to share books...

7:52 PM Rachel: originally i tried to make this bus stop a warm place

7:53 PM book is one basic thing that i thought of...more values are need

me: perhaps magazines, or short articles

maybe poetry?

Rachel: ha

7:54 PM i tried to add something more besides of reading

me: what if bus shelters had poetry on the walls, that changed from day to day

Rachel: that's kind of individual thig

oh~that's pretty ren

me: perhaps you could make a culture where people would talk about the poetry

7:55 PM Rachel: then it will be one site to promote the idea to citizens

not bad

me: one other thing with people in public, at least in the US, there are a lot of people that listen to music instead of talking to people around them.

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Vincent: hmm a lot people walking on the strret with there i-pod

7:57 PM me: ...so they don't talk

7:58 PM Vincent, talk more about the idea of connecting the grills...

7:59 PM Vincent: how about use i-pod to creat interaction

8:00 PM me: Perhaps...

Rachel: link the MP3 player to one public devices...

8:01 PM Vincent: well I just think we can change the grills into a way to communicate with neighbors

me: ....when you are listening to an ipod and you get close to another ipod, your ipod turns off the music and says, go talk to that other person with the ipod

Rachel: but i don't want them to play it loud indeed

Vincent: ha

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me: rachel, you keep leaving.

Vincent: if my i-pod thurns off every time iI get close people

8:02 PM me: then you stay away?

ha ha

Vincent: I'll go vrazy

crazy

8:03 PM maybe it's a signal or vibration?

me: that's interesting

it would be just a subtle reminder to be nice

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8:04 PM me: rachel, you there?

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8:05 PM Vincent: umm

me: rachel, are you haveing internet problems?

Vincent: hello Rachel :)

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Vincent: It seems to be yes

me: hmm

8:06 PM the subtle remind could come from your phone...or from any other device

but you have your phone with you all the time

8:07 PM Vincent: yes and think almost every people does

8:08 PM me: perhaps we could develop a service that just helps people meet their neighbors...

....going off rachel's idea of door turning into a window

Vincent: hm

8:09 PM me: What if you could just sign up to meet your neighbors, and then some service sent an invitation to everyone to gather at a local place—restaurant, and people just met,

?

Vincent: rachel say's that she'll try to log in again

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me: rachel?

Rachel: hey

here can u here me?

Vincent: yes

haha

8:10 PM Rachel: good~~

me: with that idea, no one would have to host the party, and there would not have to be any commitment. It could be like a blind date, but have multiple people there, to help make it safe

8:11 PM Rachel: oh blind date!

me: right, to meet your neighbors, not to find romance

Rachel: that will be a good idea to held it on the roof

8:12 PM i think do a grille design is not bad~

me: rachel, are you having problems with your internet?

Rachel: but safety is ....big problem

not now, i hope

8:13 PM me: yeah, the grills could be like TVs when you look out maybe

so you could have a chat with the neighbors...

but actually, in the US, we don't have grills, but we don't communicate with neighbors through the window.

8:14 PM do you chat with neighbors through the window in Taiwan if you don't have grills?

Rachel: depends what neighbors i have

8:15 PM but normally we have no possible connections between our houses

me: do you live in high rises?

Rachel: so the meeting place is always in the lobby or the elevator

apartments normally

Vincent: oh yeah, the elevators

Rachel: http://8jliving.com/node/695

8:16 PM my idea is kind of like this

Vincent: how about creat the interaction in elevator

Rachel: turn walls to doors

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Rachel: oops!

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8:17 PM me: elevators are hard

Rachel: i think that will be embrassing though

me: you are only in the elevator for a short time, so it is tough to get deep into a conversation

or to have a meaningful conversation

8:19 PM Rachel: by the way

http://8jliving.com/node/581

me: my school is in a very small high rise—only 14 floors, and I still don't see the same people

Rachel: it's another grille design

me: wow. That's cool.

Vincent: cool

8:20 PM Rachel: yes, but still security is one big problem

me: security is a problem with the fold down grill?

8:21 PM Rachel: cannot be too big or put too many things on it

me: oh

Rachel: i am afraid of falling down actually~~~

Vincent: ha

8:23 PM me: so far we have thought through a lot of ideas.

but our ideas are generally around not ignoring the people around us.

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8:24 PM Rachel: we have discussed about these

8:25 PM *terrace or grille
connection/chat

*bus stop
connection/sharing
music/ books/ poems etc


*umbrella
communication/sharing

me: *label thing

8:26 PM *neighbor blind date

*ipod/phone subtle reminder

Rachel: ha! that's not the original one for blind date~

8:27 PM i post another idea of sharing schedule

me: right...true.

Rachel: how do u think of this

8:28 PM if possible i think it can be one elements of the busstop

or in apartments/terrace ,etc

8:29 PM me: the blind date can be part of the terrace or bus stop?

Rachel: that's always one choice~

the users decide themselves

Vincent: right

8:30 PM me: decide what themselves?

Rachel: i think we cann't create any design for them to date

me: not to date, just to meet...

and not for romance

Rachel: just opportunities for them to talk

8:31 PM me: right

Rachel: and if it's not for the grille

we don't have to create space

8:33 PM me: We could do that...

8:34 PM Rachel: so far i like the idea of bus stop most

me: I wonder if it attacks the root problem of "unconcern"

Rachel: probably not

8:35 PM i think this contains most ideas of ren at least

can include this objectives to other designs too

Vincent: you meam the bus stop?

8:36 PM Rachel: yep~

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Rachel: we can think how to develop inner ren for individuals, and outside behaviors , such as sharing

me: rachel, tell us what about the bus stop makes it appropriate for solving this ren issue.

8:38 PM Rachel: it hits two targets~

inner feelings through reading or poems

oh ....you got computer problems...........................

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8:39 PM Rachel has joined

me: who has computer problems?

Rachel: you two just left the comversation two times~

8:40 PM gmail problems-"-

me: oh.

I didn't notice that I left

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Vincent: no I our perspective, you left two time eachel

8:41 PM Rachel has joined

Vincent: and this is the third times

Rachel: anyway,let me finish~

yes! oops

(1)inner feelings through reading or poems

8:42 PM (2)outer behaviors like sharing books

oh....can u get my message

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8:43 PM Rachel has joined

me: but why is the bus stop a particularly good place for these objectives?

Rachel: not really

8:44 PM i just think this contains solutions in different aspects

and probably can influence more people

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me: It could be a book store, or a book reading area...

8:45 PM in a shopping mall or something.

Vincent: or a coffee shop

me: right

Rachel: um....right

8:46 PM if we want to contain book transfer

this should be a very common site

and probably not a store

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8:47 PM Rachel has joined

8:48 PM me: Down the street from my house, there is an old newspaper stand where people leave books

on the outside, it says "take a book, leave a book"

and there are always books in it.

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Rachel: oh! something like that

me: I have looked several times and the books don't look very appealing.

8:49 PM I wonder if there would be a way to get people to share books that they really find valuable or interesting

Rachel: there's always thing that we cannot control~

8:50 PM if they don't do this out of a sharing mind~

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me: right. good point.

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8:51 PM me: let's rest on this.

I need to get on to some other projects, including finishing my presentation.

Vincent: ok

8:52 PM me: do we have a chance to work on this together when we get there?

Vincent: It's time to go for me too

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me: are you both already at NCKU?

Vincent: I think so

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Vincent: yeah we are the student here

me: ah OK

8:53 PM are you undergrads or graduate students?

Vincent: I'm grad student

Rachel: i am junior

how about u

me: I am a grad student.

8:54 PM Rachel: btw when will u come to taiwan

me: I will get there on may 10

I think

Rachel: taiwan time

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me: yes

Vincent: hmm

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me: taiwan time

Vincent: ok

8:55 PM then we'll meet on that day

8:56 PM if you didn't feel too tired after a long fight.

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me: I hope not, but I probably will be tired.

Vincent: ha

8:57 PM It's true

Rachel: i got to go ...sorry

me: OK

I will post this conversation on the blog

Vincent: bye

Rachel: yep next time we can really discuss in Taiwan

me: so you think we will have time to work on this together once we get there?

(once I get there)

8:58 PM Rachel: we have 4 days to complete this