『賽得飛(Segway)』飛的起來嗎?

Segway 公司於 2001 年推出第一台 Segway, 經改良後,趕在於去年的聖誕購物高峰期間,在美國的 Amazon 推出 HT(Human Transporter) 新款式,接受預定。這個號稱會改變人類行動方式的機構,目前的銷售狀況是如何呢?

Segway Human Transporter gathers dust alongside lawn mower for which it was once mistaken: Dean Kamen’s Segway Human Transporter, unveiled amid much hoo-ha in December 2001, was supposed to change the world. But the device has gained little traction in the consumer space, despite the fact that they’re readily available on Amazon. Indeed, Segway officials tell Wired that their factory sat largely idle last year….
from John Paczkowski

我擔心的是我的雙腳會退化,我的脊椎會側彎,還有接近五千美金的開銷。五千美金足夠買一台不錯的 scooter 了。誰有電動(或是吃油)滑板車的照片?

摩托的學術??

針對有網友建議 Motomosa 可走學術路線,還有詢問有沒有拼裝車的文章,我回了一文,請車友參考:

拼裝車方面:LamborghiniPorsche 也都有作 tractor 和 lawn mower, 德國當地老農民(走過二戰的)在拼裝這些農機車方面相當有心得(Auto, Motor und Sport 常有介紹)。而且,這些拼裝農機車也非常有『文化』的地位。台灣這邊,親身經歷的大概就埔里打鐵街十五年前,還有農民去訂作拼裝車,和 Discovery ChannelJunkyard Wars? =D

學術方面:Motomosa.com 不太會走學術的路線(至少在五年內),所以份量不夠是一定的。我在想,這方面的研究路線有沒人想要一輩子鑽研的?會不會餓死(I am not a post-graduate!)。但台灣很缺這方面的人文專才,應該是確定的。

我的 target 族群是所有的摩托騎士,以後會走一般文獻(書、雜誌), 英文版則是準備給老外車友看的,所以沒辦法去作國內蒐集並評論 dissertation/thesis 的工作(peer review?)。但如果大家認為有什麼可以改進的地方,也請跟我聯絡,不吝指教。=)

全國博碩士論文的方面:I’ve tried(back in 1998), 現在可能寫機車的 scope 會大一點。當時大多數的論文(1000多篇)是採取 engineering-based 的途徑,而這對於台灣的畸形道路文化能有什麼樣的助益,我個人表示存疑。可參考交通部運研所在重車開放前所研擬出來的東西,就相當令人惋惜。我的另外一文有提到。

我跑過美國 Department of Transportation 的圖書館,但是找到台灣留學生寫的論文,走非 hard science 路線的,也是很少。

其他:我正在想辦法要把東西怎麼一步一步的放上網,本來是只想架英文的…

傳統的魅力,由部落格開始

從今年一月開始,我就在想台灣的 blogger 族群可以如何走向世界的舞台。

正體中文是一個世界級的資產,台灣的網路環境(與中國比較)也是另外一個利多(so we have two here)。然後呢?當時我正在嘗試用 photolog 和 gallery, 但覺得那些對瀏覽者而言,太過複雜(其實是我搞不定),所以開始直接用 blog, 把 Taiwan 過年的照片壓縮成小圖,放在 blog 中,並且作一個 Chinese New Year 的新年專輯,常時放在主頁面右側,希望吸引國外的 blogger.

目前似乎有那麼一點點迴響了… 首先是,一個月前有人在 google 鍵入 “chinese new year blog" 直接找到這裡(現在的排名我已經不知道掉到哪裡啦),後來又有一位現居德國的 blogger 說,她非常喜歡這一個新年的專輯。 繼續翻查一月份的網站流量統計,發現不少訪客是來自全世界的其他地方。Why? Because google loves blogs.

這是一個方向,一個將部落格轉變為文化資產,讓世界各地的 blogger 更了解台灣的途徑。我還有其他目前在實作的小想法,比如說 meta site submission 的問題。另外可以確定的是,我會仿照 Joi Ito 的模式,架一個跟這裡中英文同步的 blog.

接下來要怎麼走呢?

最後還是要說聲,謝謝 Heiko Hebig(Thank you!).

機車與性別

國內近期第一篇關於機車與性別科技的報告已經出爐了,摘要如下。感謝研究同學的提供:

我的報告題目是「台灣機車的性別與科技」,主要的資料來源是「中華民國機車研究發展安全促進協會」出版的「台灣機車史」、三段訪談(分別是一位機車行老闆、一位機車愛好者/機車網站站主及一位機車研發部門技術員)、交通部統計資料與我們這學期唸過的部分論文。

機車最早期是由十九世紀初的歐洲人將腳踏車裝上動力引擎而發展出來,台灣的第一輛機車則是在日據時代出現,當時是日本人將動力引擎裝上腳踏車而來。台灣在日據時代沒有自製機車的能力,而是由國外進口,進口國亦不限於日本,歐美國家也很多,只不過由於地緣與歷史的關係,與日本合作較為緊密。後來的國內三大機車生產廠-三陽、光陽與山葉,都是由進口貿易商轉型的,合作對象也都是日商…

光復初期的機車買主大多集中在高收入族群,如醫師、建築師與營造商等,主要原因是售價昂貴。當時的國民所得約只有兩百美元,一輛機車要價上千元,不是一般大眾所能負擔得起。即使是高收入族群,也不只是為了炫耀而買機車,而帶有實用的考量在。在這個階段,機車是種奢侈品,是身分地位的象徵。由於光復初期家計大多由男性負擔,機車使用者幾乎沒有女性。

政府在1950,1960年間為了外匯存底考量,鼓勵國內生產機車,機車能量產,售價壓低,使用者才慢慢普及。近三年我國才剛達成全車自製的目標,但技術仍落後於歐美與日本等國。我國的技術長期受日本影響,日本在1958年時推出骨架較低,使用者不必跨油箱坐的款式,由於設計輕巧,在日本大受女性歡迎,台灣當時也有引進,同樣是熱賣。這種機車被泛稱為速克達(scooter),與油箱在前、形象較為男性化的motorcycle做區分,我國機車業界泛稱前者為「文車」,後者為「武車」。文車的骨架低,使身材較為矮小的人與著裙裝的婦女容易上車,車身輕巧好移動與配備自動排檔,也使婦女在採買家用品時相當方便。

我的受訪者普遍認為機車起初並沒有特定為男性設計,一位受訪者說女性早期也有人騎武車,只不過沒有被記錄下來,另一位說設計者當初沒有考慮到女性使用者是因為設計者本身與早期使用者(initial users)都是男性。台灣在1978年推出了第一輛專為女性設計的機車,名為「蘭蒂」,推出一年後即攻佔了50cc機車一半的市場。

1980年後機車使用者年齡結構降低,本來只是一家之主通勤或載貨用的機車,普及到家中其他成員,除了家庭主婦之外,十八歲以上的孩子也漸漸以機車代步。使用者的多元使機車製造商在設計上努力推陳出新,希望討好最多的消費者,產品週期也因此變短。廠商固然有預設產品的權力,但產品是否能存活,靠的是使用者的詮釋。除了少數廠商推出的旗艦款式之外,大部分的機車款式都可以算是使用者與產業共謀的結果。機車設計者的力量也不若以往一般大,而是可以被挑戰的。近年來機車的許多新設計就是這種互動下的產物,像是針對女性設計的小型重型機車,或是省力支架,甚至未來機車上還會加裝現在汽車才有的衛星導航系統,人能在機車上完成的事情變多了,人一坐上車,就成了活生生的cyborg。

一般人對機車的印象是不安全,但交通部的統計卻顯示機車的肇事率比任何一種汽車都還要來得低,受訪者認為負面印象是源自媒體報導車禍與飆車,這個印象也影響了機車在台灣人心中的地位,只寧願單純地把它當作是一個過渡到汽車的交通工具。即使台灣機車密度高,卻沒有如歐美一般有專屬機車的文化。受訪者建議台灣可以仿效「鐵道文化」的發展,召喚使用者的經驗與回憶,進而建立人與機車的良好關係。台灣女性則相較於其他國家,有較多的機會接觸機車,因此可能會比較有表達意見、影響設計的機會。

若欲進一了解,請參考台灣 STS 虛擬社群性別討論版

Feeling Mortal

2001.08.23

感覺好累,好累,在我從碧潭渡船頭慢跑登坡回家的路上。

下半身推蹬的力量,完全不知道跑到哪裡去了。幾年前引以為傲的爆發力,現在只能拖著顢頇的腳步,左跨,右跨,兩吸一呼地搭配喘息。不,不是真的那麼慢,但我知道我慢了很多,我再也不能迅速彈走於跑道,如雷閃電騰,盡情在空間中劃出驚人的韻律線條… 跑步首重寓意於腰,腰為發起,四肢再運合, but I feel I was cut from my waist.

腰與下半身連繫似乎斷掉了,那一條貫穿 torso 的氣,若非已杳,也然游絲。你感覺雙腳不太聽你的使喚,記憶中的空間與速度體驗的認知鑿痕,與當下所經驗者相較,無法吻合。

It’s very strange. The gap is created between my cognition and what my body actually feels right now. 有點類似手掌被砍斷,但你還是可以感覺到它的存在,它的痛,與它的哀嚎。You still think you could make that sensational projection into the air, but you lag far swampy behind.

Being mortal.

Ducati 2002 年的營業額(簡易版)

杜卡迪摩托,總集團全名為 Ducati Motor Holding S.p.A. (NYSE: DMH and Borsa Italiana S.p.A: DMH), 於今年二月十三日公佈去年的總營業額。

2002 的總營業額為 413,000,000 歐元(約為新台幣一百四十五億), 較去年攀升 1.3%. 銷售旗下各款摩托車佔總營業額的 82.7%, 杜卡迪精品系列(Ducati Performance)則有 16.9% 的表現。Ducati 執行長 Carlo Di Biagio 表示, 2002 年是他們十五年來第一次獲利下降,而義大利的機車工業也面臨到前所未有的壓力。

日本仍為除歐洲和北美地區外,最大的單一輸入國。台灣總代理為碩文

2002 前六個月的財報資料,可由這裡(pdf)下載。若欲更深入了解,可參考 Hoovers Online 相關資訊杜卡迪的歷史部分,也歡迎參考。

資料來源:Ducati Motor Holding S.p.A.

亞洲與大洋洲主要平面傳媒對於 “blog” 的態度

上週,主要的亞洲與大洋洲平面傳播媒體,可能只有兩家在 headline(標題) 中提到 “blog":

1. The Age (Melbourne), February 13, 2003 Thursday, Green Guide; Livewire; Pg. 3, 312 words, Blogon, Jenny Sinclair

2. The Southland Times (New Zealand), February 13, 2003, Thursday, FEATURES; OPINION;, Pg. 13;, Online, 674 words, The phenomenon that is ‘blogging’, HARDY Glynn

如果將觀察的時間範圍提早到今日起的上個月內,那可以再加三份新聞來源…

3. The Age (Melbourne), February 6, 2003 Thursday, Green Guide; Livewire; Pg. 3, 553 words, BLOGON, Jenny Sinclair

4. ABIX: Australasian Business Intelligence, February 4, 2003 Tuesday, Pg. 36-40, 112 words, Blog on – the world of online diaries, Kevin Patrick

5. The Age (Melbourne), January 30, 2003 Thursday, Green Guide; Livewire; Pg. 3, 475 words, BLOGON, Jenny Sinclair

雖然 “blog" 一字在亞洲各語文間,或許有不同的譯名(如台灣的『部落格』或中國的『博客』),但能見度如此之低,這會是什麼原因所造成的?是這股 blogging 的風潮威脅到亞洲各傳統平面傳媒的『權威性』所致?

英國的兩大新聞來源在今日報導了 Google 收購 Pyra Labs 的消息:

1. Financial Times (London), February 18, 2003, Tuesday, COMPANIES & FINANCE THE AMERICAS;, Pg. 18, 265 words, Google buys up blogger pioneers NEWS DIGEST, By RICHARD WATERS, SAN FRANCISCO

2. The Guardian (London), February 18, 2003, Guardian Leader Pages, Pg. 19, 287 words, Powerful pairing: A match made in bloggersphere heaven

非英語系國家在 blog 的發展上,有什麼別於英語系國家的特性?Ricebowl Journals 嘗試蒐錄部落格,並提供使用者登記自身國籍和現居地。除了這個還可稱為 meta site 的 community 之外, 位在台灣的 blog.elixus.org, 是否有機會引領部分潮流,創造新的 blogging sphere? 天充文化的倒閉(from zonble.idv.st),是否為 the creative commons(具有創意的公眾們) 指出另一個出發點?

中山堂驚見 dirt rider!

本週日走到北市中山堂前廣場,不期然遇見山車車友

Resize of P2150312.JPG (圖片可點選, 26k, 600×450)

原來是遙控車!似乎還是仿 Yamaha YZ 車系。當天有相當多人在旁圍觀。上前詢問,某位老爸突發童心,買給念國校小孩子玩的。

當下便想出鬼主意:欲購幾台不同款的車種,拍個四格漫畫,放在網路作連載,突顯台灣道路環境之惡劣。=D

Open Source 研究文獻

opensource.mit.edu 提供 Open Source 學術研究界一個 depository. 開放來源碼研究者,可於網頁登記個人研究專長。

昨日上傳的論文,簡列 title 與 abstract 如下… Paper 1
Authors:
Bonaccorsi, Andrea & Cristina Rossi

Title
Why open source software can succeed

按一下以存取 rp-bonaccorsirossi.pdf

Abstract
The paper discusses three key economic problems raised by the emergence
and diffusion of open source software: motivation, coordination, and diffusion under a dominant standard. First the movement took off through the activity of a software development community that deliberately did not follow profit motivations. Second, a hierarchical coordination emerged without the support of an organization with proprietary rights.

Third, Linux and other open source systems diffused in an evnvironment dominated by established proprietary standards, which benefited from significant increasing returns. The paper show that recent developments in the theory of critical mass in the diffusion of technologies with network externality may help to explain these phenomena.

Paper 2
Authors
Franke, Nik and Eric von Hippel

Title:
Satisfying Heterogeneous User Needs via Innovation Toolkits: The Case of
Apache Security Software

按一下以存取 rp-vonhippelfranke.pdf

Abstract
Manufacturers customarily provide only a few product variants to address the average needs of users in the major segments of markets they serve. When user needs are highly heterogeneous, this approach leaves many seriously dissatisfied. One solution is to enable users to modify products on their own using innovation toolkits.?We explore the effectiveness of this solution in an empirical study of Apache security software. We find high heterogeneity of need in that field, and also find that users modifying their own software to be significantly more satisfied than non- innovating users. We propose that the user toolkits solution will be useful in many markets characterized by heterogeneous
demand.d.onality on offer. We also find that users creating their own software modifications are significantly more satisfied than are non-innovating users. We conclude by suggesting that the “toolkits for user innovation" approach to enhancing user satisfaction might be generally applicable to markets characterized by heterogeneous user needs.

Paper 3
Authors:
Hertel, Guido, Sven Niedner & Stefanie Herrmann

Title:
Motivation of Software Developers in Open Source Projects: An Internet-based Survey of Contributors to the Linux Kernel

按一下以存取 rp-hertelniednerherrmann.pdf

Abstract:
The motives of 141 contributors to a large Open Source Software project(the Linux kernel) was explored with an internet-based questionnaire study. Measured factors were both derived from discussions within the Linux community as well as from models from social sciences. Participants’ engagement was particularly determined by their identification as a Linux developer, by pragmatic motives to improve own software, and by their tolerance of time investments. Moreover, some of the software development was accomplished by teams. Activities in these teams were particularly determined by participants?evaluation of the team goals as well as by their perceived indispensability and self-efficacy.

Paper 4
Author:
O’Mahony, Siobhan

Title:
Guarding the Commons: How Community Managed Software Projects Protect
Their Work

按一下以存取 rp-omahony.pdf

Abstract:
Theorists often speculate why open source and free software project contributors give their work away. Although contributors make their work publicly available, they do not forfeit their rights to it. Community managed software projects protect their work by using several legal and normative tactics, which should not be conflated with a disregard for or neglect of intellectual property rights. These tactics allow a project intellectual property to be publicly and freely available and yet, governable. Exploration of this seemingly contradictory state may provide new insight into governance models for the management of digital intellectual property.

Paper 5
Authors:
von Krogh, Georg, Sebastian Spaeth & Karim R. Lakhani

Title
Community, Joining, and Specialization in Open Source Software
Innovation: A Case Study

按一下以存取 rp-vonkroghspaethlakhani.pdf

Abstract:
This paper develops an inductive theory of the open source software
innovation process by focussing on the creation of Freenet, a project
aimed at developing a decentralized and anonymous peer-to- peer
electronic file sharing network. We are particularly interested in the
strategies and processes by which new people join the existing community
of software developers, and how they initially contribute code.
Analyzing data from multiple sources on the Freenet software development
process, we generate the constructs of “joining script",
“specialization", “contribution barriers", and “feature gifts", and
propose relationships among these. Implications for theory and research
are discussed.

Paper 6

Author:
West, Joel

Title
How Open is Open Enough? Melding Proprietary and Open Source Platform
Strategies

按一下以存取 rp-west.pdf

Abstract:
Computer platforms provide an integrated architecture of hardware and
software standards as a basis for developing complementary assets. The
most successful platforms were owned by proprietary sponsors that
controlled platform evolution and appropriated associated rewards.
Responding to the Internet and open source systems, three traditional
vendors of proprietary platforms experimented with hybrid strategies
which attempted to combine the advantages of open source software while
retaining control and differentiation. Such hybrid standards strategies
reflect the competing imperatives for adoption and appropriability, and
suggest the conditions under which such strategies may be preferable to
either the purely open or purely proprietary alternatives.

Paper 7
Author:
Zeitlyn, David

Title:
Gift economies in the development of open source software:
Anthropological reflections

按一下以存取 rp-zeitlyn.pdf

Building on Eric Raymond work this article discusses the motivation
and rewards that lead some software engineers to participate in the open
source movement. It is suggested that software engineers in the open
source movement may have sub-groupings which parallel kinship groups
such as lineages. Within such groups gift giving is not necessarily or
directly reciprocated, instead members work according to the xiom of
kinship amity??direct economic calculation is not appropriate within
the group. What Bourdieu calls ymbolic capital?can be used to
understand how people work in order to enhance the reputation (of
themselves and their group).

****************************************************************************************
Working Papers
****************************************************************************************

Paper 1
Author:
Ratto, Matt

Title:
Re-working by the Linux Kernel developers

按一下以存取 ratto.pdf

Abstract:
Technology design is generally a matter of re-working existing systems
rather than the designing of entirely novel artifacts. In this paper I
explore part of a computer operating system called Linux that is
designed to be re-worked by its users, a process I call ‘designing for
redesign’. I examine the practices of reworking within this development
effort using some concepts gleaned from activity theory, a
meta-theoretical model that particularly focuses on the simultaneously
material and conceptual aspects of artifacts. This work is two- fold;
first to examine design as part of a larger activity of re-working, and
second, to begin to put together a model of socio-technical activity
that incorporates the complex epistemological and ontological conditions
that characterize current human conditions. Understanding the sociality
and materiality of “knowing" and “doing" in technologized society means
unpacking what we mean when we talk of ‘access’ and understanding ‘use’
as often an activity of re-working.

Paper 2
Author:
Reis, Christian Robottom & Renata Pontin de Mattos Fortes

Title
An Overview of the Software Engineering Process and Tools in the Mozilla
Project

按一下以存取 reismozilla.pdf

Abstract:
The Mozilla Project is an Open Source Software project which is
dedicated to development of the Mozilla Web browser and application
framework. Possessing one of the largest and most complex communities of
developers among Open Source projects, it presents interesting
requirements for a software process and the tools to support it. Over
the past four years, process and tools have been refined to a point
where they are both stable and effective in serving the project needs.
This paper describes the software engineering aspect of a large Open
Source project. It also covers the software engineering tools used in
the Mozilla Project, since theMozilla process and tools are intimately
related. These tools include Bugzilla, a Web application designed for
bug tracking, bug triage, code review and correction; Tinderbox, an
automated build and regression testing system; Bonsai, a tool which
performs queries to the CVS code repository; and LXR, a hypertext-based
source code browser.

***********************************************************************
MS Thesis
Author:
Rothfuss, Gregor J

Title
A Framework for Open Source Projects

按一下以存取 rotfuss.pdf

Abstract:
The historical roots of Open Source are outlined. A comparison between
Open Source projects and classical projects highlights strengths and
weaknesses of both, and defines their attributes. Existing Open Source
theories are evaluated, and the requirements for a framework for Open
Source projects are determined. The framework introduces the notions of
actors, roles, areas, processes and tools, and depicts their
interrelationships in a matrix. Each aspect of the framework is then
further developed to serve both as a conceptual foundation for Open
Source and a help for organizing and managing Open Source projects.
***********************************************************************
Updated Paper

Author:
Hawkins, Richard

Title
The Economics of Free Software for a Competitive Firm

按一下以存取 hawkins.pdf

Abstract:
This paper builds a simple economic model of the profit seeking firm
with a choice between producing an open source and proprietary
solutions. Differences between public and viral licenses are discussed
from the firm’s perpective. Advocacy issues are omitted entirely, and
the model requires no math beyond subtraction. The decision of a firm to
adopt an open source product rather than purchase is also discussed, but
is seen as a trivial and uninteresting problem.

資料來源: Karim
===============================================
Karim R. Lakhani
MIT Sloan School of Management
MIT Free/Open Source Software Research Project
e-mail: lakhani@mit.edu
voice: 617-851-1224
fax: 617-344-0403
http://opensource.mit.edu
http://freesoftware.mit.edu
http://mit.edu/lakhani/www

blog 是商務運用上的利器嗎?

Using Weblogs in your business environment can increase employee communication and knowledge, save time and resources, and build reputation and confidence.

Weblogs 的使用We’re not talking server logs here; the Weblogs we’re talking about are topical, frequently updated Web pages powered by knowledgeable contributors. Drop the notion of blogs as vanity sites for high school diarists and time-wasting black holes made by wannabe writers. Blogs can be anything. It’s up to you to make them useful. You might pass along a useful Web site or an article to friends and co-workers via e-mail. And your colleagues might do the same. The good part is that’s a lot of distributed knowledge. The bad part is there’s no organization or centralization of the knowledge.

You and your colleagues could be posting that information to a company blog. Then everyone would have a filtered repository that was constantly updated with relevant articles and opinions. It would be archived, searchable and available anywhere you had an Internet connection. It could even be categorized by topic, date and/or author. And it could be formatted for XML syndication, e-mail delivery, PDAs, even cell phones.

I maintain two blogs at my company. Both are valuable to my co-workers, but it goes beyond that. One, which links to business resources on the Web, is proving to be valuable to our customers. The other, which links to information design and visual thinking resources, is considered essential to students and professionals in fields similar to ours.

These blogs are not only knowledge builders, they’re reputation builders. Since 1999, a targeted audience from all over the world has visited my company’s Web site to read the latest postings. With help from some contributors and other blogs, we’ve filtered the best resources on the Web for our employees, our customers and our industry.

One of the biggest complaints in the business world is “too much e-mail." E-mail is crucial, but individuals don’t sort, save or delete it in the same way. This makes sharing and retrieval of information difficult in large corporate environments. A blog ensures that no messages get deleted or lost.

A blog can keep everyone up to date on projects without clogging in-boxes. It also can provide an archive of mistakes and milestones that could be shared with other teams undertaking similar projects.

You could be using blogs in many ways: as internal and/or external company blogs filled with competitor, industry and/or company news; crisis management, product and sales updates; Web resources; network information; and resources for customers.

To learn more about the potential of using blogs in business environments, visit http://www.nwfusion.com, DocFinders: 2930 and 2931.

Keaggy is brand manager at XPLANE, a St. Louis, Mo., business communications company. He can be reached at bkeaggy@xplane.com.

blog 是商務運用上的利器嗎?

Using Weblogs in your business environment can increase employee communication and knowledge, save time and resources, and build reputation and confidence.

Weblogs 的使用We’re not talking server logs here; the Weblogs we’re talking about are topical, frequently updated Web pages powered by knowledgeable contributors. Drop the notion of blogs as vanity sites for high school diarists and time-wasting black holes made by wannabe writers. Blogs can be anything. It’s up to you to make them useful. You might pass along a useful Web site or an article to friends and co-workers via e-mail. And your colleagues might do the same. The good part is that’s a lot of distributed knowledge. The bad part is there’s no organization or centralization of the knowledge.

You and your colleagues could be posting that information to a company blog. Then everyone would have a filtered repository that was constantly updated with relevant articles and opinions. It would be archived, searchable and available anywhere you had an Internet connection. It could even be categorized by topic, date and/or author. And it could be formatted for XML syndication, e-mail delivery, PDAs, even cell phones.

I maintain two blogs at my company. Both are valuable to my co-workers, but it goes beyond that. One, which links to business resources on the Web, is proving to be valuable to our customers. The other, which links to information design and visual thinking resources, is considered essential to students and professionals in fields similar to ours.

These blogs are not only knowledge builders, they’re reputation builders. Since 1999, a targeted audience from all over the world has visited my company’s Web site to read the latest postings. With help from some contributors and other blogs, we’ve filtered the best resources on the Web for our employees, our customers and our industry.

One of the biggest complaints in the business world is “too much e-mail." E-mail is crucial, but individuals don’t sort, save or delete it in the same way. This makes sharing and retrieval of information difficult in large corporate environments. A blog ensures that no messages get deleted or lost.

A blog can keep everyone up to date on projects without clogging in-boxes. It also can provide an archive of mistakes and milestones that could be shared with other teams undertaking similar projects.

You could be using blogs in many ways: as internal and/or external company blogs filled with competitor, industry and/or company news; crisis management, product and sales updates; Web resources; network information; and resources for customers.

To learn more about the potential of using blogs in business environments, visit http://www.nwfusion.com, DocFinders: 2930 and 2931.

Keaggy is brand manager at XPLANE, a St. Louis, Mo., business communications company. He can be reached at bkeaggy@xplane.com.

關於求生反應 – 女性騎士

問:所以女生款的車:如意、心情、小丸子…才要配鼓煞?到底是女生真的普遍都這樣呢..還是只是世俗對女生的偏見?以前曾教女生用碟煞,還是有教到可以煞得很順的。

答:這個討論主題已經 divides 到兩個層面,一個是 tempest 的原問,另一個是女性 cognition abilities 問題。 tempest 的問題有點複雜,我們可能要花時間想一下。不過,關於 jeekid 提出的『還是只是世俗對女生的偏見』,這裡剛好有一本文獻,可以引過來參考。

文獻:Sex and Cognition
Paperback: 232 pages; Dimensions(in inches): 0.51 x 8.94 x 5.94
Publisher: MIT Press; ; (July 31, 2000)
ISBN: 0262611643

騎乘的過程中,主要包含了兩種認知方面的能力,其一是 Motor Skills, 另外一個是 Spatial Abilities.

Motor skills 在真實世界的展現(display), 最主要的是 accuracy of aiming objects at a target(瞄準目標的精準度). 主觀方面牽涉到受測者的視覺與 muscle manipulation(肌肉的控制)。

Spatial abilities 則是對於空間的呈現方式的認知能力。空間可以是開放、封鎖、連動…等等。大家國高中不是做過智力測驗?把三維物體用兩維空間呈現,並且要求測試者作一些相關的測驗嗎?

Motor skills combined with spatial abilities, 就是可以針對這個主題(jeekid 所提出)的切入點。

以這一本 Sex and Cognition 呈現的實驗結果來說, motor skills, 男性在比較大的 magnitude 普遍優於女性;女性則是在 minute scale 上佔優勢(如穿針引線)。

Spatial abilities, 研究的結果是,總和男性優於女性。但學齡前教育的影響,仍不可忽視。

可以再加一個 Perception 的認知能力。但這樣一來就要同時討論三個變數,難度太高。
所以我的結論是,至少到現在為止,那是偏見,但還是有相當的理論和實驗基礎的, but it’s probably not innate.

blogging for babies?

前幾日有聞,有許多台灣年輕夫妻將育哺初生寶寶的歷程,兼容文字圖像,詳以記載。『孕事育事』,一起放在網路上。我想到了:

1)小寶寶 privacy/baby rights 的問題:假設我是寶寶,長大後發現原來的當年種種已經成為公眾領域(public domain)的資產(搞不好站倒了還是 cached 在 Archive.org 的 wayback machine),那我會有什麼樣的反應?

2)國外有家公司開始提供寶寶部落格的服務。

Blogging for babies? 我們這邊也開始有人寫了(using snipsnap)。=)

“機車”譯名和定義的問題

關於譯名的問題,在上一篇文章中已經大致提到。

剛才查一些歐盟的資料,準備寫一篇關於"交通部暫緩開放機車長度限制(2.5米上限)有感"的時候,查到他們對於譯名和定義統一所作的努力(遠在1992年時)。歐盟之所以有此做法乃是因為立法上的考量。舉 “moped" 一字為例,在歐盟諸國境內(於1992年)就有十四種不同的官方定義…. 在 “COUNCIL DIRECTIVE 92/61/EEC of 30 June 1992 relating to the type-approval of two or three-wheel motor vehicles" 一章節中我們可以發現這一個特別惱人,但又不得不去碰的問題:

Whereas it is necessary to draw up precisely and uniformly the definitions applying to these vehicles (mopeds, motorcycles, motor tricycles and quadricycles) and more particularly the definition of a moped since there are 15 different definitions of this type of vehicle in the 12 Member States; whereas such a large number of definitions, which in practice mean the same number of vehicle categories, raise major barriers to trade since products need to be tailored to their markets, and thus constitute a fragmentation of the moped market…

所以譯名的統一是必要的,否則在相關的立法上,會很難推動。這是基礎工程。很可惜的是,車界、法律界、學界…等等,似乎還沒注意到這個影響長遠的問題。

為什麼關於機車的相關譯名要統一?

關於譯名和定義的問題,在上一篇文章中已經大致提到。

剛才查一些歐盟的資料,準備寫一篇關於"交通部暫緩開放機車長度限制(2.5米上限)有感"的時候,查到他們對於譯名和定義統一所作的努力(遠在1992年時)。歐盟之所以有此做法乃是因為立法上的考量。舉 “moped" 一字為例,在歐盟諸國境內(於1992年)就有十四種不同的官方定義。

在 “COUNCIL DIRECTIVE 92/61/EEC of 30 June 1992 relating to the type-approval of two or three-wheel motor vehicles" 一章節中我們可以發現這一個特別惱人,但又不得不去碰的問題:

Whereas it is necessary to draw up precisely and uniformly the definitions applying to these vehicles (mopeds, motorcycles, motor tricycles and quadricycles) and more particularly the definition of a moped since there are 15 different definitions of this type of vehicle in the 12 Member States; whereas such a large number of definitions, which in practice mean the same number of vehicle categories, raise major barriers to trade since products need to be tailored to their markets, and thus constitute a fragmentation of the moped market…

所以譯名的統一是必要的,否則在相關的立法上,會很難推動。這是基礎工程。很可惜的是,車界、法律界、學界…等等,似乎還沒注意到這個影響長遠的問題。

進口機車長度的問題

感謝 Motorways 提供這一則資訊。

根據民生報(2003-02-14 A4 生活新聞)的報導,交通部於本月13日邀集財團法人車輛安全研究中心、機車業者等單位開會討論 Honda 希望交通部放寬機車長度限制,引進 Goldwing 的訴求。我沒有在場,所以無法完整得知與會各代表之立場與發言情形為何。但根據民生報的報導(註:報導是事實的描述,不是事實),我們可以明顯看到交通部自相矛盾,不知何以繼之管理相關車輛的矛盾。

首先有爭議的是這一部份:

交通部表示,據現有資料顯示,歐盟的機車長度上限是四公尺,韓國過去規定二點五公尺,但目前已經放寬;其他國家則因為有三輪腳踏車、三輪機車等多種機車,種類繁複而未對長度設限。

這不是事實,對於其他國家相關規定限制(機車長度)的調查,陳述也過於潦草。不知交通部的資料是哪個單位提供的。 【記者謝佳雯/報導】

超長的重型機車上路很拉風,不過,進入國內的腳步還要再緩一緩。一家汽車業者擬引進長度達二點六三公尺、售價一百二十六萬的機車,超出法規上限,雖然業者希望法規能適度放寬,但交通部認為機車長度放寬涉及停車、路權等問題,必須再詳加研究,暫時不予放寬。

我國於去年七月開放一百五十西西以上重型機車進口,部分業者陸續引進或製造新款重型機車,但受到國內路幅窄、車又多的限制,市場主力仍鎖定二百五十西西以下的機車,尚未出現國外頗為常見的豪華型重型機車。

不過,日前有一家汽車業者引進一款一千八百西西的重型機車,售價一百二十六萬元,身價雖比多數的小汽車還高貴,卻因長度長達二點六三公尺,無法通過國內的型式認證,而不能上市,業者因此希望交通部放寬法定的機車長度二點五公尺上限,讓這款重型機車能上市銷售。

為此,交通部昨天邀集財團法人車輛安全研究中心、機車業者等單位開會討論,會中,同樣生產重型機車的 BMW 代表認為,台灣的交通環境不適合超長型的重型機車進口,並不贊成放寬法令。

交通部表示,據現有資料顯示,歐盟的機車長度上限是四公尺,韓國過去規定二點五公尺,但目前已經放寬;其他國家則因為有三輪腳踏車、三輪機車等多種機車,種類繁複而未對長度設限。

與會單位認為,台灣的交通環境與其他國家不同,若超長的重型機車進入國內,上路後,還要符合兩段式左轉的行駛要求,可能會有安全顧慮;另現有的寬一點五公尺、長二點五公尺機車停車格繪設標準,也無法應付其停車需求,交通部最後決定暫緩開放,待收集更多相關資料後再決定。

Google 買下 Blogger 母公司(Pyra)

Dan Gillmor 在 專欄(聖荷西水星報) 中提到 Google 已經買下 blogger.com 母公司 (Pyra) 的訊息,這不啻是為整個 bloggging sphere 投下重大的變數(now it’s getting fuzzier and harder to predict the curve)。

Synergy and consilience? Google 主管還在想 blogging 和 googling 要怎麼結合:

Nick Denton asks: “Will Google use weblog links to improve Google News?" I asked Google’s spokesman roughly the same question, but got no answer. Stay tuned, he said, because the company is just starting to figure out how it’s going to use this stuff.

新的 googlism 會是 “glogging(個落格)" 嗎?

/. 上的討論

Elwyn Jenkins(GoogleVillage.info): Google Buys Pyra: Fuel for The Blogging World!