6 Things I’m Thinking About
Yes, a list. But, it’s Friday, there’s coffee and breakfast. Here are six things I’m thinking about this morning:
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Content
No, no. Not in the typical way it’s talked about online. I’m interested in what happens when the folks that produce the good, original content start flexing their muscles, and start leveraging their scarce product. I’ve got a hunch: despite how it’s usually presented, I don’t think the rise of meta-content actually detracts away from the value of original content or distracts audiences. Meta-content isn’t the most noble creative pursuit, but it is not villainous. In fact, meta-content probably makes original creative content more scarce and more valuable. Think of it this way: every hour spent making fan art is an hour spent on making something that supports and promotes that original content, rather than creating something new that would split or divide an audience’s attention. Every moment spent fabricating possible outcomes for LOST was effort diverted from crafting new and original stories. This is a boon if you’ve already the gumption to make good, original stuff. -
Automation and Translation
Computers are really good at automation, and really poor at translation, text-to-speech, and anything involving human language. (Granted, these are giant, difficult problems.) I’m interested in toying around with the mistakes the computers make as opportunities, while the technology is still clumsy. -
Paradox
Yes, still. It’s interesting. Lots of jokes, philosophy, and zen stories aren’t based around rationalizing away conflicting information, but rather accepting both simultaneously. It’s a cognitive leap, and means not being so white-knuckle on the Good Ship Logic, and steering through this beautiful, seductive mess of a sea. -
Executing
Lots of writing being done with predictions. Very little being done to test those predictions. My frustration with punditry & futurism (my own included) is that the hypotheses very rarely get tested because the comments are from a spectator point of view. I realize there is an insatiable hunger for predictions, but we need more players. We’ve the tools to try things out, but we’re lacking things to point to as specimens. The pencil can’t hover above the page forever. (And may mighty Zeus bless those that do.) -
Storytelling
Of course! Storytelling as a framework for improvisation, interpreting, teaching, understanding, and empathizing. I’m interested in storytelling’s relationship to digital formats, and not in the typical “multimedia CD-ROM” or “video game” sort of way. I nominate storytelling for man’s best invention. (Besides, it goes hand-in-hand with fire, because of campfires.) -
Sense & Nonsense
In the words of David Byrne, “To proceed, carefully and deliberately, from nonsense, with a straight face, often arriving at a new kind of sense.” In the words of Project M, “Think wrong.” I’ll be doing some experiments in using nonsense and tag-teaming it with paradox to hopefully create a trojan horse for insight.
