Another year has come and gone faster than I imagined. As I reflect, there were many more good memories than bad. Most significant of all was marrying my wonderful wife. The rest, however, makes for a good list in any year: a new job at Kiva, the launch of Farmanac – my first iPhone app, a trip to Bali, three visits to British Columbia, and a great year of skiing in Tahoe and surfing at Ocean Beach. With so much of our attention constantly focused forward it’s great to take a minute and look back. Here is a brief recap of my 2011.
Kudos to the Wikimedia foundation for focusing on the development of a new editor for Wikipedia. During my time at Wikia I stressed the need for a simple editing experience in order to diversify its users and increase contributions. Wikipedia has become the central repository for information in the digital age but it suffers from a small and insular user base among its editors. Today, most contributions to Wikipedia come from white middle-aged males with a college degree, living in a developed country and with a strong technical understanding. This skews both the type of articles that appear on Wikipedia and the perspective which they are written from. The challenge they face is how to expand the demographics of those writing and editing entries. They need to attract more people in developing countries, more woman, and users who are less technically savvy in order to become a true digital encyclopedia representing the the world’s collective knowledge.
Bali – the word conjures up a vision of idyllic beaches, perfect surf, and terraced rice fields set to the backdrop of a rich Hindu culture. This fabled island was at the top of my list of desired destinations for many years. And in November I was fortunate enough to spend three weeks on the island with my new wife. She indulged me as I dragged her from one famous surf spot to the next. And in between my search for waves we explored Hindu temples, trekked through a rice field to find an organic restaurant, and ended our trip diving on the reefs off the island of Lombok.
But what we experienced on Bali was not a perfect island of exotic cultures and tropical beaches. It’s an island drowning in its own success. Its infrastructure is struggling to keep pace at the same time as the area is speeding towards becoming just another mass market holiday destination. The results seem almost inevitable with annual visitors to the small island topping two million. This influx of tourist dollars has become a doubled edged sword: the Balinese people enjoy the highest standard of living within Indonesia but are saddled with a grotesque boom of development. Traffic congestion and an epidemic of garbage are the two most visible problems but even more troubling is how the tourist industry dominates much of the southern Bali. For the locals the money that can be made in the tourist industry is far greater than that of almost any traditional avenue of employment. So tourism is king, around every corner and from each doorway a vendor is hawking something: “Boss, you want taxi?” “Yes, massage,” “Drink special.” The problems are beginning to get attention both in the media and by local officials. Hopefully this will lead to change, smarter development, better infrastructure, and a preservation of the unique culture found on Bali.
2 Out of Three is the website of Abraham Wallin. It serves as a design canvas, photography repository and home to occasionally coherent scribblings. more →
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