CodeVista.com
Title
Codevista
Description
All information is encoded. I started codevista when my main *job* in life was writing code. Now… my responsibilities have expanded, and I find myself doing quite a bit more in life than writing computer code.
But the site name is still fitting.
I have found myself navigating back to my roots… the study of philosophy, psychology, creativity, and metaphysics. All such endeavors deal with some form of knowledge, or information. I may have found myself in the profession of “Information Technology”, but a great many professions are about information - in one way or another.
The word “information” is one of those words so very common that we likely do not give it much thought.
But what constitutes “information”?
To be sure, many books have been filled with theories and discussions about the nature of information. For our purposes, let us consider a simple approach. Merriam-Webster Online provides the following as the first definition:
“The communication or reception of knowledge or intelligence”
I like this definition. It begs the same question as the classic “If a tree fell in a forest where no one was there to hear it. Would it make a sound?” Knowledge, or intelligence (not sure these are interchangeable) both require a sender and a receiver. Without them, these concepts make little sense.
Now - assuming that ALL information must be sent, or transmitted in some way or another… how does this occur? Well, in many ways obviously… and likely in more ways than we are accustomed to considering.
But here is my point - ALL transfer of knowledge or information is carried out via some mechanism of encoding. I can never transfer knowledge directly to any other entity.
You can think of encoded information in whatever way makes sense to you… a simple example is the stop light. It turns red to inform you that you should stop your car. Information is encoded and transmitted to you visually.
In the world of computers, code is itself encoded, and eventually finds itself turned into a seemingly endless stream of ones and zeros. All of this code is carrying out the transfer of information from one system to another, and eventually needs to bubble up into some sort of human experience in order for it to ever *matter*.
So please consider the word “code” in the site’s name in its broadest context.
For the word “vista”, I prefer Merriam-Webster’s second definition:
2. “an extensive mental view (as over a stretch of time or a series of events)”
Here I present the mindset operating behind this site - it represents my attempt at communicating my “extensive mental view” in regards to all the information I see encoded in the world around me. Signs are everywhere. (Music, Art, Religion, Science… all are human endeavors that involve the creation and interpretation of signs, symbols, “encoded” knowledge and information.)
Codevista is an attempt to have some fun with sharing perspectives on the many signs encountered from my little window on the world.
Languages
English
Address
- Chicago, IL 60606 :
