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Departing Madrid early on a Sunday morning, I found this paper map of the Metro, tucked neatly within the seams of a pre-fab wall, ready for re-use. I wondered, who was on their way out of Madrid, thinking that they could not in good conscience throw away their worn map, looking about for a way to pass it along to another visitor.

Another instance of a Thoughtful Act.

Why do I blog this? Sudden interest in observing improvisatory social practices which are signals of a sort, not always of a “service” or designed object to adopt that practice into a commodified instantiation. But sometimes merely a curiosity that helps us better understand who we/people are, like waypoints along a contour of individual and collective humanities.

the interesting thing with the map offered here is that it is an pseudo anonymous gift. At an instant t when the map has been put, the local people around the person may have identified the gesture and see the person (unlikely but let's say they have at least seen the act) BUT the people who will benefit of it in the further instant have probably no connection at all with the source.

A signature (automatic or not) defines a contract that tie to all kind of responsibilities and legibility which are not necessary beneficial for the group as large. The anonymous nature is defined by the time span and the a-connection between the two events (giving the map/receiving the map). Both gestures will be locally identified but the odds of being connected very small. On the Web, the odds of connection are very high and change completely the social dynamics of giving and sharing information. The network has a "memory" of the context.