Research 2.0 Part II

With "research 2.0", however, all the rules of "research 1.0" or, as you have guessed it at this point, traditional research, go out the window.

First of all there is no funding whatsoever, the posclegom project is not funded by any organization, and given the soon-to-be-revealed nature of the posclegom project, I doubt if any organization (especially corporations) in its sane state-of-mind is willing to fund a project like this. So like what Sir Rutherford had said, "we haven't got the money, so we've got to think."

Secondly, there is no deadline to when the posclegom project must produce quantifiable, tangible products (in the form of published papers, if you will). The posclegom project will take as long as it needs in order to accomplish its goal. I guess the important thing about this quality is what it implies -- no one should count on this project to work out (for their personal gain and glory) in the short-term. In fact, no one should ever count on the posclegom project to ever work out, but everyone should keep in their heart the vision of the posclegom project, of what the world would be like after the posclegom project works out, and to strive in that direction.

Thirdly, and I think this is the most important quality of the posclegom project -- it is open, free and liberal. Anyone is welcome to join the research at any time, and to take breaks for as long as you need and also quit at anytime if you don't feel like sticking with the project anymore (and of course, to rejoin the project again at a later time if you feel like coming back). I think a good example of this quality is the irregularity of the posts that I will be making to this blog in the future, so if I have exams coming up, I might disappear for a good two months, and if I die in a car crash tomorrow, then I will have quit from this project for good as of August 24, 2008 (which is right about when the Beijing '08 Games end, not a bad day to die, eh? ;-)

Other aspects of research 2.0 will be revealed in subsequent posts.