Broken on Purpose

The chapter on "Perfection" in David Weinberger Small Pieces Loosely Joined



No, we don't think we're perfect, but we think it's just a matter of time before progress will protect us from every random misfortune to which our flesh is heir. Where once our imperfection defined who we were as creatures, now it merits a shrug of the shoulders followed by an uplifting thought and a comment to maintain our all-important "self-esteem."


Now we come back to the Web. [...] The Web is broken on purpose.


I like how the theme of the robustness of the organic is introduced and undercut. Shrugging off imperfection is in a sense belittling its being a sign of the power to meet contingencies. Weinberger doesn't explicitly state the comparison of Web and human body. That is its charm, here.

And so for day 423
09.02.2008