[extropy-chat] no electronics at Singularity Summit???

[Samantha Atkins]

On May 11, 2006, at 2:33 PM, Hal Finney wrote:
>
> I understand that to people accustomed to multitasking, sitting and
> listening to a single information source may seem excruciatingly  
> boring.
> I can suggest as an alternative, critical thinking about what is being
> presented.  Instead of distracting yourself, use the ideas from the
> speaker to trigger your own associations and extrapolations.  This  
> will
> often lead to an overwhelming desire to ask questions.  A good idea is
> to write those down and then perhaps ask the best one or two at the  
> end
> of the talk.
>


Do not confuse critical thinking with the absence of apparent other  
activity.  I am not "distracting myself" by actively listening with a  
computer.  I note my ideas and associations and follow them nearly  
immediately  by using a computer.  Is this so difficult for you to  
understand or accept?

> Or, if you're so sure that you know everything the speaker has to say
> that you won't get anything new out of the talk, maybe you  
> shouldn't be
> there taking up room, especially at a conference with 1700 full seats
> and 250 in the overflow lounge.


Why not attempt to understand what I am really saying instead of  
acting like I said something else?

- samantha