Bartlett's Gallery Karass
Interesting flurry of emails when the Bartlett Gallery's email system went wrong - and we all got a flurry of outraged complaints. Some were very angry, other annoyed and some amused. I sent the following email:
To which I got charming replies and heard from a couple of old acquaintances. One person suggest we had formed a Karass in Vonnegut's Cat Cradle style - the following definitions were on Cat's Cradle:
Karass A group of people who, unbeknownst to them, are collectively doing God's will in carrying out a specific, common, task. A karass is driven forward in time and space by tension within the karass.
I too would rather not receive everyone's email, but nice to meet you all, out there in Bartlett mailing list land! Maybe we should form ourselves into a flash mob, or meet for an impromptu party?
I do feel sorry for the Bartlett though - I guess technically it is an easy mistake to make.
I guess the danger is that unscrupulous people might even use this opportunity for some illicit marketing. For example, I might say you really ought to come and visit the amazing Old Operating Theatre Museum, next time you visit Borough Market.
But I doubt anyone would do that would they?
To which I got charming replies and heard from a couple of old acquaintances. One person suggest we had formed a Karass in Vonnegut's Cat Cradle style - the following definitions were on Cat's Cradle:
A Kan-kan The instrument which brings you to your karass.
- Granfalloon
- A false karass. People who identify themselves by state or country of origin or in other various ways to form a group. There is much granfalloonery in the world. To quote the book, "If you wish to study a granfalloon, just remove the skin of a toy balloon."
Wampeter
- An object which is the focus of a karass; that is, the lives of many otherwise unrelated people are centered on a wampeter (e.g., a piece of ice-nine in Cat's Cradle). A karass will always have exactly two wampeters: one waxing, one waning.
Must do some work.
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