presented at Semiofest 2012

Massimo Leone, Department of Philosophy, University of Turin


1. You shall study semiotics; choosing a good university course with a good teacher; reading books, articles, essays; going back to the classics, avoiding compendiums, readers, and also most online materials: they are not good (for the moment);
2. You shall practice semiotics; initially through purposeless analysis; through interpretation for the sake of interpretation; annoy your friends with semiotics;
3. You shall befriend other semioticians; meeting them regularly not only on the web, but also in congresses, symposia, colloquia; remember to celebrate semio-festivities;
4. You shall not turn semiotics into a rhetoric; semiotics’ purpose is to help other people to understand meaning, not to convince them that you understand it better than them;
5. You shall not turn semiotics into magic; semiotics is a discipline, one should be disciplined in learning and in practicing it;
6. You shall not turn semiotics into religion; semiotics is only one out of a multitude of options; respect other disciplines and ask respect from them;
7. You shall not turn semiotics into science; let’s face it: semiotics is part of the humanities; thank god meaning will never be ruled by the laws of necessity;
8. You shall not turn semiotics into mystery; if nobody understands you but other semioticians, you are a failure;
9. You shall not turn semiotics into bar conversation; if everybody appreciates you except other semioticians, you are a failure too;
10. You shall not be worried that your mother doesn’t understand what you do; most people who do new things have skeptical mothers.

(photo from Tim Stock’s presentation on Semiotics and Framing Cultural Insights)

(Source: linkedin.com)

In 2006, Ford Motor Co. mortgaged its logo in exchange for a $23.5 billion restructuring loan. Last month, however, Fitch Ratings raised the automaker’s credit and the company is now on the way to regaining one of its major assets. In the words of Ford’s former CFO Lewis Booth (1), getting the Blue Oval back would have an “enormous” psychological impact on the company. So why was it initially dropped for the Go Further campaign? (via Sandra Mardin - Go Further without a logo)

alessi brothers / seabird (by juiceemaree)

(via SemioFest, a celebration of semiotic thinking)

Semiofest organiser Chris Arning feels the time has come for commercial semioticians to pull together, to share their knowledge and take the discipline to the masses. He speaks to Brian Tarran.

With virtually every aspect of our lives becoming an opportunity for brands to try to sell things to us, a new generation of consumers is looking to escape the ubiquitous ‘sponsored experience’ which characterises many festivals. At the same time, brands are becoming more attuned to the needs and attitudes of festival-goers. (via Canvas8, Sandra Mardin - Getting away from it all: the changing face of festival branding)

Twig - Helen Of Troy, Live at Bibliotekspop, Stockholm 

Tell me who is that Greek-looking boy,

It’s Wilius out of Helen of Troy

Out of bed at 4 pm, the same old deal again,

I’m not afraid of any hunters, not yet.

I live to do things I’ll regret

ooo aaaa yeee ooo…

So let’s seek him up that Wilius, 

Make him an offer that he simply can’t refuse.

Another life to destroy

Now, will it fill your heart with joy?

I’m not afraid of any hunters, not yet

I live to do things I’ll regret

ooo aaaa yeee ooo…

And then she took him to see you,

She’s been reading way too much,

Walt Whitman and such.

But living here, living here

is all about wanting to be somewhere else, 

somewhere else… such a pretty boy

who could be mistaken for Helen of Troy

Joan of Arc, King of Light 

Hungry hearts, goodbye.

I’m not upset, it’s kinda cute

letters signed by Wilius

And I’m not afraid of any hunters, not yet

I live to do things I’ll regret.

It’s all psychology of… psychology of… psychology!

ooo aaaa yee ooo

(Source: youtube.com)

Touted as the first social credit card, Barclaycard Ring Mastercard has been built through the power of an online community. As the typically impersonal, business-like sector of electronic banking goes social, what are the potential challenges and implications? (via Canvas8, Sandra Mardin - Barclaycard Ring: the crowdsourced credit card)

(via Pantone Easter Eggs @Craftzine.com blog - therealpsmst)

igoyugo:

Cultural centre Skopje - Macedonia, 1969-1978 (unfinished)
Architects: Studio Biro 77

(Source: igoyugo)