Deciding should focus on how to be commercial was a great thing for me, as eventually of course realized that if you do business with others, then they can need an explanation for who you are and what you can bring of commercial value. Which pushed me to both explain and resolve things where found this blog doing most of that work!
Where now have a better grasp myself, where yes, back in 2004, found myself in a very weird position of having two math things had found myself, where had a published paper in a peer reviewed math journal, the real deal, where that journal had gone wacky on me. Against the established process, the chief editor had tried to pull my paper after publication. That can sound one way though, but really was WAY out of bounds for how things are supposed to be done. The chief editor was completely out of line, and breaking lots of rules for academics and journal editors.
But what was I supposed to do? Had relatively fresh research, and that was just one thing, where knew if full implications were picked up by world, my life would turn upside down. Was literally the kind of story that should have rocketed around the globe on traditional news media. And part of me was just waiting for what I thought was inevitable, based on my understanding of news organizations.
Thankfully, I shifted gears, before too long and moved on to other things, and even literally moved to San Francisco, summer of 2005 in June, where had adventures.
First though, put up my own webpage with my math, and tried to figure it all out, while still figuring out more math. And also in 2005, before I moved, blogs arrived which I know because that's when my posts start on them. Actually went to check, and my first post on my math blog is March 2005. So yeah was months before moved in June to San Francisco. Glad for the technology as my memory isn't as precise.
And thought, great! Because was paying for a website, so free with blogs was a godsend, and eventually web analytics for blogs arrived and was floored by country counts, which still am to this day, though think that was 2007? Am not sure when.
What I had discovered there was the direct connect. The web could enable my math ideas and later other ideas to simply travel directly, and there was global demand.
Turns out I hadn't needed formal giddiness from establishment math people that would drive headlines. Though yeah had math authority approval as have explained, though didn't understand authority then that well, or my own need for it completely. And only recently did I get a functional understanding of authority, as information needed from some entity. Trying to go from memory for once.
Was SO huge for me, I refer to my original in this post on my blog Seriously Commercial, and will give that as well to check against--authority relative to one entity is when some other entity has information needed.
For those who wonder, how easily could journalists check me on the value of my published paper?
VERY easily, if they suspected AM correct, they need only refer some establishment mathematician to the paper which is kept up by EMIS, which is an established authority, and simply ask for comment on it, as to correctness.
That did bother me for years. But I think people believe am questioning authority, when am saying you need to check authority. Like if you go to a medical doctor, and check that person actually went to medical school, has certification and training relevant to position, and other things.
Checking authority is very different from questioning authority.
Which I know better now. Maybe even for me, there was a feeling I was questioning authority as didn't understand it, but really no, as I was relying on the establishment. Oh yeah, and had validation FROM that establishment. Just then weird behavior like a chief editor breaking established rules, and other mathematicians simply not doing what they should do given the importance of my results.
For others of course could look like something else. Especially with so many prestigious organizations involved, and a new thing, the web at the center of it all.
Even for me has taken years to get a firm foundation on what those web stats mean. Like yeah, those are indications of real people who know about me or my ideas--all over the world. Years ago was a puzzle because had a lot of notions about what it meant for instance, to be global.
Now I like to say had collapse of a lot of preconceived notions. But think the world is still in that process and we have a transition from authority often perceived in position, to a world where authority is more about valuable information held, like that police officer? In our times that person can more readily be checked if makes a false arrest, by people more likely to check person's authority to act in making one. Like is so easy to web search maybe, and get to trusted authority to GIVE you the relevant law. (And helps with video evidence or other evidence to support regardless.)
In the past it was simply easier to go with seeing power in a position and trust that others had made certain person in that position had needed knowledge to fulfill duties of the position responsibly, and in some areas will always be that way. That medical doctor? Better be properly licensed, for instance.
Otherwise web authority is a thing of our times. And for me, the web has enabled me both to get the information out there, and check the reality of its consequences, for me, and for others.
Web authority more and more rules, in more ways than one, know from my own experience.
James Harris
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