The Spiritual As Metric: Maximizing Karma for Touring Relics Ethnographic Praxis in Industry Conference Microsoft Conference Center, Redmond WA 14 November 2005 Joseph ‘Jofish’ Kaye Culturally Embedded Computing Cornell Information Science
Why Spirituality? Fundamental part of human society and personal practice A major use of technology, but understudied An opportunity for coherent value systems which question our assumptions about the uses of technology and provide rich design opportunities for considering alternatives
Namgyal Monastery, Ithaca NY
The Heart Shrine Relic Tour Relics of Shakyamuni Buddha, disciples (Maudgalyayana, Ananda, Sariputra) On tour until 2010 Two aims: –Raise money for Maitreya Buddha statue –Maximize karma
Karma as Metric Doesn’t work like – money – efficiency Maximize it If I increase yours, I get karma too!