Greek rhetoricians defined kairos as saying or doing the right thing at the right time. Clues to understanding kairos lie in its dual etymological roots: Weaving and archery. [4] In weaving, kairos occurs in the instant at which the shuttle passes through an opening in the loom’s threads; this is the moment when all the threads come together to create the fabric. Similarly, on the web, the threads of technology, design, content, culture, and user science intertwine to form the fabric—or context—that swathes the opportune moment.
[4] Stephenson, Hunter W. 2005. Forecasting opportunity: Kairos, production, and writing. Lanham: University Press of America.
Excerpt from Words that Zing by Colleen Jones February 09, 2010, alistapart.com issue 300.
