When attention is challenging

Over two decades ago I found myself working at some problems for fun, with the general desire to keep the mind exercised, and in time found myself certain that some things I discovered were a BIG DEAL where so much of what happens next is about others, if that is true. Luckily for me the web was in the process of becoming a big deal during that time.

If I understood earlier things I know now could have processed attention I found myself receiving in a different way. But my perspective was 20th century, so when I finally got Google Analytics on my blogs, including this one back in 2007, was a shock to see visits from lots of countries. Actually that's when I first looked up how many countries there were, as hadn't really wondered before.

Problem though was, besides those web analytics numbers I really didn't have much of an indication.

So imagine you have some ideas, where mainly I had some math, and you're trying to see where that can go, where yeah can put things out on the web! Like in the movies they do that all the time. And finally you see web data and it shows visits from MOST of the countries in the world, and you're like, huh?

For a bit was looking around trying to see if I was missing something. Then was wondering if the data was just wrong. Then got back to figuring I was missing something, and in many ways it's been like that ever since.

Now though I accept that yes, I have been getting visits from people from all over the world, where use a lot of techniques now to check, including cross-checking against 4 blogs, and trying to find other ways to measure and other companies besides Google.

So how is it possible though? And how to handle the emotional challenges?

Apparently it is possible because the web not only makes it possible it enables people like me in situations like mine. Web actually may in some sense be intrigued by my situation.

And I'm making up the questions for me to answer so wanted to point out emotional challenges must exist! Like were times I felt cheated. Where have worked through much of how have handled on this blog. But yeah got motivated to understand how the world worked, not surprisingly.

There were times really got frustrated too, should admit, and that spilled over into public things. Where it did not work well. For me there were disappointments in terms of my expectations I had to work through.

I learned.

So what can you do with global attention? Lots, but carefully.

Years ago was much more gleeful in testing all kinds of ways. And learned, be careful. I have responsibilities to my world, and myself of course. I think as the years go by, more and more appreciate the situation and recognize people have a right to expect certain things.

As humanity progresses and science and technology advance, things actually always shift in ways that people can't predict before. Then it is just the new normal. It can be hard to get perspective on just how much the 21st century is already different from the 20th, but I DO try.

And I have LOTS of motivation.


James Harris