User:Woozle/blog/2009-04-30 1751 A rational look at Inkworld
<hide> <let name=data index=Title>A rational look at Inkworld</let> <let name=data index=User>Woozle</let> <let name=data index=TopicsUser>\peeves</let> <let name=data index=TopicsGlobal>\Inkworld\bedtime stories\book reviews</let> <let name=data index=TextAbove>I was just ranting out loud to Harena about how the "real world" characters in the Inkworld series (which I've been reading to the chitlins for their bedtime story) seem to be almost completely oblivious to the benefits which 800 or so years* of additional civilization has brought them. </let> <let name=data index=TextBelow>(*800 years being the approximate time since the middle ages, which corresponds roughly to the level of social advancement in the Inkworld; if you want a specific benchmark, the Magna Carta was in 1215, and it's clear that the Inkworld rulers don't have any such document restricting their rights. [resists temptation to make political comment])
Harena seemed to feel that it was unsurprising. I'm not so much surprised to see it left out as bothered by it.
For one thing, it seems deeply unrealistic: real characters abruptly transported from a more-or-less-modern-day Europe into an isolated feudal (but same-language-speaking) culture would not only be culture-shocked but also constantly discovering new value in many modern ideas (which are, yes, frequently taken for granted).
The fact that The Bluejay is a crusader for justice is made much of, but never once does he say anything like "where I come from, this sort of thing would never be tolerated". Never once does an "our world" character remark that "oh yes, we know the answer to that question now" when an Inkworld character makes a comment out of superstition or ignorance. As Harena pointed out, it's almost as if the "our world" characters have some sort of Prime Directive binding them, preventing them from using knowledge not already possessed by the natives -- but they don't; they have every motivation to improve the world they find themselves in, and nothing at all to stop them from changing it. Yet they completely ignore one of the most powerful tools they have, i.e. their modern knowledge.
I don't mean that Meggie should be able to remember the formula for gunpowder from her chemistry classes at school, or that Mo should be able to construct mnemonic memory circuits from stone knives and bearskins, or build a shortwave radio from vines and bookbinding chemicals; I mainly mean the knowledge of what is possible, from which they should be able to find at least a few useful smidgins. When Resa was tending Mo's gunshot wound, why wasn't germ theory even mentioned? The Inkworlders wouldn't know about it, and hence might not realize the importance of boiling water before using it to clean a wound, or boiling contaminated sheets, or cleaning hands with soap and boiled water before touching a wound -- and medicine comes up an awful lot in the story. How did the soldiers set on fire by Dustfinger know to stop, drop, and roll -- when the common instinct is to run (which oxygenates the fire and can be fatal)? Wouldn't Resa have had a few choice comments to make about child-rearing techniques with regard to Jacopo, or the refugee children of Ombra? Wouldn't Mo have wanted to educate Meggie about the dangers of unchecked executive power as exemplified by The Adderhead and his minions, or the history and practices by which we in the "real world" have slowly overcome that type of abuse?
The way the author completely avoided any mention of science also seemed rather unimaginative and incurious (sharply contrasting with the imaginatively-painted world she was trying to portray the Inkworld as being). Wouldn't Meggie, fascinated as she is by the Inkworld in general, be curious about the natural history of the place? Is life in the Inkworld consistent with the biology we know? Does its night sky resemble ours, or is it in a different solar system altogether? Does it even have a solar system, or does it only exist to the extent imagined by its author(s)? Is there evidence of geology, or is that also defined solely by what the author has written?
Instead of exploring the boundaries of their world and clearing away the mists of uncertainty (having largely to do with the questions "how much of this depends entirely on the author, and how much follows rules, and how are the rules different from those in our world?"), and instead spend most of their time building up more mythology and uncertainty around the power of a small number of individuals (Fenoglio, Mo, Darius, Meggie, and Orpheus) to magically "change the story" by a process of writing "the right words" and then reading them convincingly.
I could go on... I've been thinking of writing an essay on this, actually... but that's the gist of it. The story basically disses technological progress by relegating it to the status of trivia -- hints that Meggie will help a certain character in the story's future by describing modern inventions to him. Never mind the benefits they would bring to all the oppressed masses of Inkworld's humanity.
Am I nuts here?</let>
<let name=data index=TimeStamp>2009-04-30 1751</let> </hide><if not flag=$including>==GetLinkBrief()== <func GetLinkBrief>
<let name=links.out>
- </let>
<let name=links.out append copy=data[Date] /> <let name=links.out append> :[[</let> <let name=links.out append copy=pg_title /> <let name=links.out append>|more]]:[[Talk:</let> <let name=links.out append copy=pg_title /> <let name=links.out append>|talk]]: </let>
<if flag=$data[wpage]>
<let name=wtLink>[[</let>
<let name=wtLink append copy=data[wpage] />
<let name=wtLink append>|</let>
<let name=wtLink append copy=data[Title] />
<let name=wtLink append>]] § </let>
</if><else>
<let name=wtLink>[</let>
<let name=wtLink append copy=data[URL] />
<let name=wtLink append> </let>
<let name=wtLink append copy=data[Title] />
<let name=wtLink append>]</let>
</else>
<let name=links.out append copy=wtLink /> <let name=links.out append> § </let>
<let name=text copy=data[TextShort] />
<if flag=$text></if><else>
<let name=text copy=data[Text] len=200 />
</else>
<let name=links.out append copy=text trim /> <let name=links.out append> [[</let> <let name=links.out append copy=pg_title /> <let name=links.out append>|more...]]</let>
</func>
ShowRecentLinks(max)
<func ShowRecentLinks max>
<let name=idx />
<let name=including val=1 />
<for table="qryW3_Titles_Catgs" where="(cl_to='Data/links') AND (page_namespace=0)" sort="page_title DESC" limit=$max name=pg hide>
<let name=pg_title val="@row.page_title" />
<let name=idx inc />
<if not flag=$noLoad>
<load page=$pg_title />
</if>
<if flag=$data[Title]>
<call GetLinkBrief />
</if><else>
<let name=links.out>
- [[</let>
<let name=links.out append copy=pg_title />
<let name=links.out append>]]</let>
</else>
<let name=links.rtn append copy=links.out />
<let name=links.out />
<let name=data />
</for>
</func>
ShowTopic(iTopic,iMax)
This should eventually be able to show data in any format: news links, blog entries... <func ShowTopic iTopic iMax>
<let name=idx /> <let name=including val=1 /> <let name=topic farg=iTopic /> <if not flag=$topic> <let name=topic parse>Woozle/blog/2009-04-30 1751 A rational look at Inkworld</let> </if> <let name=topic self with="_"> </let>
<let name=sqlWhere>(page_namespace=0) AND (cl_to='</let> <let name=sqlWhere append copy=topic /> <let name=sqlWhere append>')</let>
<for table="qryW3_Titles_Catgs" where=$sqlWhere sort="page_title DESC" name=pg empty="no items yet" limit=$iMax hide>
<let name=pg_title val="@row.page_title" />
<let name=idx inc />
<if not flag=$noLoad>
<load page=$pg_title local />
</if>
<if flag=$data[Title]>
<call GetBrief />
</if><else>
<let name=links.out>
- [[</let>
<let name=links.out append copy=pg_title />
<let name=links.out append>]]</let>
</else>
<let name=exclude val=0 />
<let name=links.rtn append copy=links.out />
<let name=data null />
</for>
</func>
GetBlogEntryBrief()
<func GetBlogEntryBrief> INPUT:
data[*] - from blog entry page pg_name - full name of page being displayed (including namespace)
<if not flag=$noLoad>
<load page=$pg_name />
</if>
<let name=e.out>
- </let>
<let name=e.out append copy=data[TimeStamp] /> <let name=e.out append> [[</let> <let name=e.out append copy=pg_name /> <let name=e.out append>|</let> <let name=e.out append copy=data[Title] /> <let name=e.out append>]] § </let>
<let name=text copy=data[TextAbove] />
<if flag=$text></if><else>
<let name=text copy=data[TextBelow] len=200 />
</else>
<let name=e.out append copy=text trim /> <let name=e.out append> [[</let> <let name=e.out append copy=pg_name /> <let name=e.out append>|more...]]</let>
</func>
GetBlogEntryBriefChrisFormat()
<func GetBlogEntryBriefChrisFormat> INPUT:
data[*] - from blog entry page pg_name - full name of page being displayed (including namespace)
<if not flag=$noLoad>
<load page=$pg_name />
</if>
<let name=e.out></let> <let name=e.out append>[[</let> <let name=e.out append copy=pg_name /> <let name=e.out append>|</let> <let name=e.out append copy=data[Title] /> <let name=e.out append>]], </let> <let name=e.out append copy=data[TimeStamp] /> <let name=e.out append>
</let>
<let name=text copy=data[TextAbove] />
<if flag=$text></if><else>
<let name=text copy=data[TextBelow] len=200 />
</else>
<let name=e.out append copy=text trim /> <let name=e.out append> [[</let> <let name=e.out append copy=pg_name /> <let name=e.out append>|more...]]
</let> </func>
GetBlogEntryFull()
<func GetBlogEntryFull> INPUT:
data[*] - from blog entry page pg_name - full name of page being displayed (including namespace)
<if not flag=$noLoad>
<load page=$pg_name />
</if>
<let name=e.out>
==</let>
<let name=e.out append copy=data[Title] /> <let name=e.out append>==
posted at </let>
<let name=e.out append copy=data[TimeStamp] /> <let name=e.out append>
</let>
<let name=e.out append copy=data[TextAbove] /> <let name=e.out append copy=BlogFoldDivider /> <let name=e.out append copy=data[TextBelow] />
-- category display
<let name=e.out append copy=BlogFoldDivider /> <let name=e.out append>
Categories –</let>
<let name=noCat val=1 />
<call MakeBlogCatgs />
<if flag=$wtCatGlob>
<let name=e.out append> general: </let>
<let name=e.out append copy=wtCatGlob>
</if>
<if flag=$wtCatUser>
<let name=e.out append> user: </let>
<let name=e.out append copy=wtCatUser>
</if>
<let name=e.out append></let>
</let> </func>
ShowRecentBlogEntries(max,funcEntry)
<func ShowRecentBlogEntries max funcEntry>
<let name=idx />
<if not flag=$funcEntry>
<let name=funcEntry val="GetBlogEntryBrief" />
</if>
<let name=including val=1 />
<for table="qryW3_Titles_Catgs" where="(cl_to='Data/blog/post')" sort="page_title DESC" limit=$max name=pg hide>
<let name=pg_nspace_code>{{ns:</let>
<let name=pg_nspace_code append val=@row.page_namespace />
<let name=pg_nspace_code append>}}</let>
<let name=pg_nspace copy=pg_nspace_code parse />
<let name=pg_title val="@row.page_title" />
<let name=pg_name copy=pg_nspace />
<let name=pg_name append>:</let>
<let name=pg_name append copy=pg_title />
<let name=idx inc />
<call func=$funcEntry />
<let name=e.rtn append copy=e.out />
<let name=data />
</for>
</func>
ShowRecentBlogEntriesFull(max)
<func ShowRecentBlogEntriesFull max>
<let name=idx />
<let name=including val=1 />
<for table="qryW3_Titles_Catgs" where="(cl_to='Data/blog/post')" sort="page_title DESC" limit=$max name=pg hide>
<let name=pg_nspace_code>{{ns:</let>
<let name=pg_nspace_code append val=@row.page_namespace />
<let name=pg_nspace_code append>}}</let>
<let name=pg_nspace copy=pg_nspace_code parse />
<let name=pg_title val="@row.page_title" />
<let name=pg_name copy=pg_nspace />
<let name=pg_name append>:</let>
<let name=pg_name append copy=pg_title />
<let name=idx inc />
<call GetBlogEntryFull />
<let name=e.rtn append copy=e.out />
<let name=data />
</for>
</func>
ShowRecentBlogEntriesByTopic(max,topic)
<func ShowRecentBlogEntriesByTopic max topic>
<let name=topic self with="_"> </let>
<let name=sql>(cl_to='</let> <let name=sql>SELECT q1.* FROM qryW3_Titles_Catgs AS q1 LEFT JOIN qryW3_Titles_Catgs AS q2 ON q1.cl_from=q2.cl_from WHERE (q1.cl_to='Data/blog/post') AND (q2.cl_to='</let> <let name=sql append copy=topic /> <let name=sql append>') ORDER BY page_title DESC LIMIT </let> <let name=sql append copy=max />
<for sql=$sql>
<let name=pg_nspace_code>{{ns:</let>
<let name=pg_nspace_code append val=@row.page_namespace />
<let name=pg_nspace_code append>}}</let>
<let name=pg_nspace copy=pg_nspace_code parse />
<let name=pg_title val="@row.page_title" />
<let name=pg_name copy=pg_nspace />
<let name=pg_name append>:</let>
<let name=pg_name append copy=pg_title />
<let name=idx inc />
<let name=data[Title] null />
<load page=$pg_name />
<if flag=$data[Title]>
<call GetBlogEntryBrief />
<let name=e.rtn append copy=e.out />
</if>
<let name=data />
</for>
</func>
MakeBlogCatgs()
<func MakeBlogCatgs>
<let name=catUser copy=data[TopicsUser] /> <let name=catGlob copy=data[TopicsGlobal] /> <let name=wtCatUser null /> <xploop list=$catUser var=topic> <let name=wtCatUser append> [[user:</let> <let name=wtCatUser append copy=data[User] /> <let name=wtCatUser append>/</let> <let name=wtCatUser append copy=topic /> <let name=wtCatUser append>|</let> <let name=wtCatUser append copy=topic /> <let name=wtCatUser append>]]</let>
<let name=wtCatUser append>[[:category:user/</let> <let name=wtCatUser append copy=data[User] /> <let name=wtCatUser append>/</let> <let name=wtCatUser append copy=topic /> <let name=wtCatUser append>|c]]</let>
<if not flag=$noCat>
<let name=wtCatUser append> [[category:user/</let>
<let name=wtCatUser append copy=data[User] />
<let name=wtCatUser append>/</let>
<let name=wtCatUser append copy=topic />
<let name=wtCatUser append>|</let>
<let name=wtCatUser append copy=topic />
<let name=wtCatUser append>]]</let>
</if>
</xploop>
<let name=wtCatGlob null />
<xploop list=$catGlob var=topic>
<let name=wtCatGlob append> [[</let>
<let name=wtCatGlob append copy=topic />
<let name=wtCatGlob append>]]</let>
<let name=wtCatGlob append>[[:category:</let> <let name=wtCatGlob append copy=topic /> <let name=wtCatGlob append>|c]]</let>
<if not flag=$noCat>
<let name=wtCatGlob append>[[category:</let>
<let name=wtCatGlob append copy=topic />
<let name=wtCatGlob append>]]</let>
</if>
</xploop>
</func>
ShowBlogPostPage()
<func ShowBlogPostPage>
<let name=PostDate copy=data[TimeStamp] len=10 /> <let name=wtDate>[[</let> <let name=wtDate append copy=PostDate /> <let name=wtDate append>]] ([[:category:</let> <let name=wtDate append copy=PostDate /> <let name=wtDate append>|category]])</let>
<let name=wtDate append>[[category:</let> <let name=wtDate append copy=PostDate /> <let name=wtDate append>]]</let>
<let name=wtTitle>
==</let>
<let name=wtTitle append copy=data[Title] /> <let name=wtTitle append>==</let> <if flag=$data[TextAbove]> <let name=wtTextBrief>
In Brief </let>
<let name=wtTextFull>
The Rest </let>
<let name=wtTextBrief append copy=data[TextAbove] /> </if><else> <let name=wtTextBrief null /> </else> <let name=wtTextFull append copy=data[TextBelow] />
<call MakeBlogCatgs />
General categories for blog posts: -- the fact that it's a post:
<let name=wtCatGlob append></let>
-- date:
<let name=wtCatGlob append>[[category:</let> <let name=wtCatGlob append copy=PostDate len=10 /> -- just the date for the category <let name=wtCatGlob append>|]]</let> <let name=wtCatGlob append copy=PostDate /> -- full timestamp for sorting <let name=wtCatGlob append>]]</let>
<let name=user copy=data[User] /> <if flag=$user> <let name=wtUser>[[user:</let> <let name=wtUser append copy=user /> <let name=wtUser append>|</let> <let name=wtUser append copy=user /> <let name=wtUser append>]]</let> </if><else> <let name=wtUser>unknown</let> </else> <echo>
<get name=wtTitle /> <get name=data index=Text /><get name=wtTextBrief /><get name=wtTextFull />
</func>
ShowBlogPostPage_v2()
<func ShowBlogPostPage_v2>
<let name=PostDate copy=data[TimeStamp] len=10 /> <let name=wtDate>[[</let> <let name=wtDate append copy=PostDate /> <let name=wtDate append>]] ([[:category:</let> <let name=wtDate append copy=PostDate /> <let name=wtDate append>|category]])</let>
<let name=wtDate append>[[category:</let> <let name=wtDate append copy=PostDate /> <let name=wtDate append>]]</let>
<let name=wtTitle>
==</let>
<let name=wtTitle append copy=data[Title] /> <let name=wtTitle append>==</let> <if flag=$data[TextAbove]> <let name=wtTextBrief>
In Brief </let>
<let name=wtTextFull>
The Rest </let>
<let name=wtTextBrief append copy=data[TextAbove] /> </if><else> <let name=wtTextBrief null /> </else> <let name=wtTextFull append copy=data[TextBelow] />
<call MakeBlogCatgs />
General categories for blog posts: -- the fact that it's a post:
<let name=wtCatGlob append></let>
-- date:
<let name=wtCatGlob append>[[category:</let> <let name=wtCatGlob append copy=PostDate len=10 /> -- just the date for the category <let name=wtCatGlob append>|]]</let> <let name=wtCatGlob append copy=PostDate /> -- full timestamp for sorting <let name=wtCatGlob append>]]</let>
<let name=user copy=data[User] /> <if flag=$user> <let name=wtUser>[[user:</let> <let name=wtUser append copy=user /> <let name=wtUser append>|</let> <let name=wtUser append copy=user /> <let name=wtUser append>]]</let> </if><else> <let name=wtUser>unknown</let> </else> <echo>
<get name=wtTitle /> <get name=data index=Text /><get name=wtTextBrief /><get name=wtTextFull />
Specs | |
| Timestamp: | <get name=PostDate /> |
| Author: | <get name=wtUser /> |
| User topics: | <get name=wtCatUser /> |
| Global topics: | <get name=wtCatGlob /> |
</func>
ShowBlogPostPage_v1()
<func ShowBlogPostPage_v1>
<let name=PostDate copy=data[TimeStamp] len=10 /> <let name=wtDate>[[</let> <let name=wtDate append copy=PostDate /> <let name=wtDate append>]] ([[:category:</let> <let name=wtDate append copy=PostDate /> <let name=wtDate append>|category]])</let>
<let name=wtDate append>[[category:</let> <let name=wtDate append copy=PostDate /> <let name=wtDate append>]]</let>
<let name=wtTitle>
==</let>
<let name=wtTitle append copy=data[Title] /> <let name=wtTitle append>==</let> <if flag=$data[TextAbove]> <let name=wtTextBrief>
In Brief
</let>
<let name=wtTextFull>
Full Story
</let>
<let name=wtTextBrief append copy=data[TextAbove] /> </if><else> <let name=wtTextBrief null /> </else> <let name=wtTextFull append copy=data[TextBelow] />
<call MakeBlogCatgs />
General categories for blog posts: -- the fact that it's a post:
<let name=wtCatGlob append></let>
-- date:
<let name=wtCatGlob append>[[category:</let> <let name=wtCatGlob append copy=PostDate len=10 /> -- just the date for the category <let name=wtCatGlob append>|]]</let> <let name=wtCatGlob append copy=PostDate /> -- full timestamp for sorting <let name=wtCatGlob append>]]</let>
<let name=user copy=data[User] /> <if flag=$user> <let name=wtUser>[[user:</let> <let name=wtUser append copy=user /> <let name=wtUser append>|</let> <let name=wtUser append copy=user /> <let name=wtUser append>]]</let> </if><else> <let name=wtUser>unknown</let> </else> <echo>
Specs
| Timestamp: | <get name=PostDate /> |
| Author: | <get name=wtUser /> |
| User topics: | <get name=wtCatUser /> |
| Global topics: | <get name=wtCatGlob /> |
<get name=wtTitle /> <get name=data index=Text /><get name=wtTextBrief /><get name=wtTextFull /></echo> </func><call ShowBlogPostPage></if>
