Stephen Downes

Though I am inclined to accept the sentiment in this post, the language turns me off. Here's the part I agree with: "networks are not just technical structures or professional associations. They are living systems of relationships." OK, that's fine. But Curtis Ogden continues, "when woven with love, they can help us break out of isolation, amplify what matters most, and remember that the light is always present." That's just florid hyperbole. Most of us reserve love for a small number of people (and sometimes animals or even things); networks can be woven out of a wide range of intentions, not just love; networks are not sufficient to break people out of isolation; they are not designed to amplify anything; and into everybody's lives both light and darkness are necessary (whatever that means). Similarly, for the list of "the practices that have come to mind and heart," the work is useful and necessary, but there are ways to write these things that include everybody, not just those inflused with 'love and spirit'.