Social Communities

Social Communities

The Role of Communication

“It is the thesis of this book that society can only be understood through a study of the messages and the communication facilities which belong to it; and that in the future development of these messages and communication facilities, messages between man and machines, between machines and man, and between machine and machine, are destined to play an ever-increasing part.”

Weiner, Norbert, The Human Use of Human Beings, 1950, chapter 1.

Degrees of Separation• 1969 – Milgram and Travers

• Asked 296 people in Nebraska and Boston to send a letter through acquaintances to a Boston stockbroker.

• 64 letters reached the stockbroker.

• Of those letter chains that were complete, the average number of degrees of separation was 6.2.

Degrees of Separation• 2003 - Columbia University team

• Got more than 24,163 volunteers agreed to try to send an e-mail through acquaintances to one of 18 target persons in 13 countries.

• Only 384 letter chains were completed. • Of them, the average number of steps was 4. • Using statistical techniques, the researchers estimated

that the average length in all of the chains was between 5 and 7 steps.

Degrees of Separation• 2008 – Microsoft study.

• Examined all Microsoft Messenger IM messages for June, 2006 (roughly half the world’s IM traffic at that time).

• 30 billion electronic conversations among 180 million people from around the world.

• Conclusion: any two people on average are distanced by just 6.6 degrees of separation, meaning that they could be linked by a string of seven or fewer acquaintances.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/01/AR2008080103718.html?nav=rss_email/components

A Long Lost FriendDate: Sun, 03 Mar 2002 15:08:23 -0600From: Sue Hubbard <[email protected]>Subject: Old neighborsTo: [email protected]

Hi Elaine:  I hope you remember me.  I am Susan Hubbard your old neighbor on Lilac Place in Silver Spring.  It doesn't seem that long ago that we all used to "play" school and now you are teaching at UT.  Incredible how time flies.I now live in Dallas, am a practicing pediatrician, and my husband Lee and I have 3 sons.  Our oldest son is a Junior at Jesuit College Prep in Dallas and we are coming to look at UT at the end of the month.  … When I was talking to my Mom she reminded me that she thought you were still on the faculty at UT.  Thanks to the internet (which I don't understand at all), I found you.  I also found your quilt site. …Anyway, I would love to get a chance to see you again, and also for Will to meet you.  He is my father's child (Daddy died about 4 years ago). and my Dad is the one that first got him interested in computers. …

My Dutch PenpalFrom: "Carin Zwaneveld" <[email protected]>To: <[email protected]>Subject: question about your quiltingDate: Fri, 8 Sep 2006 12:42:17 +0200

Hello, I found you're website by surfing on internet, using google. I'm Carin from the Netherlands (sorry for my terrible English) and was looking on internet about all kind of different halloween quilts (I love halloween/witches). So that's why I looked at you're site and there I saw the quilt THE WEB .... what a beautifull piece you made. Are you willing to share a larger picture of it, because I would love to see this one from a bit closer, but only if you will ofcourse. I myself are starting with quilting, I'm a beginner. Most of my time I do cross stitching, many photo's in my webshot album. CarinMy photoalbum http://community.webshots.com/user/cazwa

The Web

Hi Carin,

I just got them uploaded from the camera this afternoon.  They're pretty big.  So to avoid email problems, I've posted them:

http://www.cs.utexas.edu/~ear/HalloweenQuilt1.jpghttp://www.cs.utexas.edu/~ear/HalloweenQuilt2.jpg

If you have any trouble downloading them, let me know.

The way I made the quilt was to use a piece of muslin as a foundation.  I drew out the web, then cut the different fabric pieces and used fabric glue to attach them to the foundation. Then I used black bias strips to make the web itself and cover up the raw edges of the other fabrics.  Then I sewed on a lot of buttons, charms, etc.

Hi Elaine, thank you very much for send them ... now I can see it better and it is BEAUTIFULL !!! What a great piece this is. I love the different fabrics you use between the bias, what a lott of different fabrics you have oversees. Here there are not many fabric patterns to choose from because halloween is not celebrate by the most people. I myself love all about halloween. If you don't mind .... then I would love this idea to make also such a quilt. But first I must collect all different kinds of halloween fabric and see how many different fabrics I can get my hands of over here in the Netherlands, otherwise I'm going to look throught Ebay in the US and try to buy them there. Once again ... I realy love the web and you did a great beautifull thing... my compliments !!! Thanks for sharing,Carin.

do you mean that ? Would you realy send me some leftover fabric pieces, that would by marvellous and I would love to accept your offer.Is there anything you need that I can return for this favour. I would love to do that. My postal address isCarin ZwaneveldTaxusstraat 336031 WD NederweertLimburgThe Netherlands

I have some new news about the buxus. I have been all day being busy with emailing to all kind of gardeningshopowners about the buxusvoeding. I even called a good friend by telephone for advice for the buxusfeeding. They all say the same thing ...one ... they can't ship it to the United States because of the strict Phytosanytair health declaration. It is to diffecult to send there, but ... they all say the same thing ... the BEST feeding for buxus (they all use it instead of the expensive buxusvoeding) is COW MANURE. The buxus will grow on this the best. Y ou can use fresh cow manure which you can get with the farmer or you can use the dry form of it. How older the cow manure the better !!! And then you can do once a year put some calcium in the ground WITHOUT the manure, but that's is your choice, it is not necesary.

And how you use it I ask it to .... The calcium (to buy in flowermarket or where they sell seeds for lawns) you do only once in the autumn, you mixed it into the ground, then you do for 4 months nothing !!! After the 4 months you begin with the cow manure, you put every 6 weeks some in the ground with the buxus (the fresh one you dig in the ground and the dry form you rake in the ground).If the autumn comes in sight you stop with the cow manure before you do the calcium again. 6 weeks after the last cow manure you can do the calcium, not earlier because the calcium does not work the same time with the manure ... they fight !!! So keep a good look at the times you let in between. So you can say to Alan that cow manure is the BEST THING for his buxus, all of the experts here in the Netherlands say so. By the way... does he know that he can easy make new buxus himself ? I do it to. If he will I can explain it for him in a email. I hope that he try this because the buxus experts do it the same way and they all wondered why some people use the expensive feeding that doesn't work any better.

you're right ... all the halloween stuff is here very hard to get and I'mtrilled with it what you send because for me its halloween all year long ;-)my house you find witches and other related things (books, cross stitchworks by me etc.) It is a way of life to me... I life my life by the naturereligion. Others call it pagan or wicca but I don't call it that way becauseI don't do rituals and that kind of things.For me its honor mother earth and all living beying, respect everybody andtheir believes and religions, and don't bring any harm to the earth. Bygentle for nature because without we are nothing. I love the way the nativeamericans think (shamanism). Enjoy the little things in live wich mostpeople don't see anymore, such as the beautifull autumn leaves, the birdsinging his song, the spider who makes his web so beautifull... all thesethings. Most people dees days are so for materials that they don't see whatsits realy all about ;-)

True ... I myself also love my fabric and  my cross stitch work, but besidethat I also love evrything in nature and respect the nature and be kind toit. And I take time to stand still and think how the earth life and listento it. Its diffecult for me to explain it in English LOL but I hope you understandwhat I mean.

I said to several people ... look what I get from a very nice lady from theUS, what have I don that I was giving this. Most of them said to me ... lookat you, you do so much for others (I make in between cross stich patternsfor charityquilts, make selfmade thing for birthdays and put my heart in it)and you ask nothing for you self in return they said. But thats me ... I find it so nice work to make things for others and especialy for the Dutch charityquilts. We make little cross stitch patterns and a other woman makes them into quilt with nice fabric. They go to people who are very sick or have a diffecult time or for little children that are sick.

But I'm getting off track hihihi ....just wanted to let you know that I'm very happy with the fabric, especialybecause its here so hard to buy and beside that ... the fabric are soexpence here. I looked at the prices oversees and you find there beautifullfabric for about $ 8-10  a yard. Overhere the same fabric cost ? 15-22 ametre. So a world of different and thats why I treasure it dairly and maybeyou can imagination how trilled I was be with it.

Your gift arrived.  It is stunning.  Thank you.

The buxus are doing great.  Alan transplanted some of them to make a nice hedge by our driveway.  Thanks again for your advice on that.

I have sent a small donation via Paypal.  I hope it helps.  I'd be honored to be listed as a supporter.  My personal webpage is http://www.cs.utexas.edu/~ear/.

The English on your English site is very clear.  But it was obviously written by someone whose first language isn't English.  I think it's totally fine the way it is.  But if you would like it made more "English", I would be happy to write a draft for you.  (It won't hurt my feelings at all if you want to keep the site yours, though.)

what a surprise today when the mailman came. He brought me an envelop fromyou and when I opend it, maybe you have hurt my ohhh and ahhh. Because I wason a stitch and quiltshow last friday and I had search for halloween/witchbuttons but they didn't get any there. I was looking for them because I needthem on some halloween/witch cross stitch projects of mine and they are sohard to buy overhere.So you can understand my surprise when I found them today in the post.Thank you very much ... I love them all !!!!

Malwebolence

• /b/tards • lulz

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