Brian Frank

"You caught me trying to cheat a little… I also had in mind the same experience you describe of going between different phases. My attention can be extremely diffuse, but if there's a problem I want to solve (that's challenging but just within reach of my abilities) then I have no problem grinding away at it. I'm pretty sure Dewey covered that, but it's been a while (I'm getting myself back into pragmatism so it could become a more common topic here)." - Brian Frank

"Thanks Nik, After going through it again I think the title is the only place that indicates Lessig is “against transparency.” He's saying that transparency isn't going to be the answer in itself, it's part of the solution (and correlation=causation is an actual bias that occurs, not just a possible one: look at how the Republican fringe has latched onto the sketchiest bits of information to try discrediting Obama)– and then we have a lot of work on further reforms: When transparency and democracy are considered in this way, we may even permit ourselves to imagine a way out of this cycle of cynicism. The media & music section illustrated the “cycle of cynicism” in which people invested in past models resist by trying to control things — which they won't be able to do, and that just makes things worse. The point I get from Lessig (on third reading) is the same as mine: there are no simple answers, everyone needs to work on constructive dialog." - Brian Frank