Setting expectations is challenging

Find myself thinking much on goal setting, and with certain things, like learning can be hard, especially if subject matter is constantly evolving, as web is. And through the years have begun working harder at trying to lay down some foundations around some things basic, while also emphasizing basic research in past, where can explain better now am sure.

Will focus in this post on only two things, to help me delineate clearly.

So yeah, very much told myself there is a reason, when made a post back in 2014 noting total downloads and countries for my one open source software product. What I remind myself there is that I have something I made which has drawn interest from over 150 countries over a period of a decade. Here is the reference post but the point to me is to recognize for myself, yeah there is an accomplishment worth noting there.

Point was to lock that down as separate and distinct from whatever comes after.

Project is still active but keeps me from having too much emotion as a moving thing, with up's and down's from year to year.

Other thing will focus on here was coming up with my own definition of entertainment which am sure was very challenging to my prior point of view? But is hard to remember, why I like writing things down in the moment. Guess it must have been, right? Have talked some of what entertainment meant to me before versus now.

As much as I write around these things, at times like now think should have written more. And have a reference date of June 22, 2015 for sharing that idea with a formal definition though HAD been  working through some concepts before. And, focused on just two key abstractions saying entertainment is a way we humans use to safely control our mood. Focused on mood and sense of safety. And have a reference post for that as well to help me keep up with things.

There with basic research began to puzzle as soon as was posting how might be relevant, if true.

If decided was not true would have pulled the post by now, probably unless felt might be useful to me to keep up as a reference or even a reminder of a mistake, not to repeat.

Is why basic research can be weirder for others to handle as you see something, which can get repeated for years and wonder where it is going. Versus say, a movie where once you start hearing about it usually, soon thereafter there is a premiere and a theatrical run. These days though people can see at times when a movie goes on the schedule, years ahead of such things.

For me, setting my own expectations involves very short timelines, where am checking as these are reached in a constant process. Like, how would certain ideas likely impact things, and in what ways? Then I can look at real world and check with what is happening.

In terms of setting up expectations for others have long tried to avoid as much as possible. And think that is a good idea in general though can be helpful I think to suggest guidelines for considering things you put public. But ultimately what people expect should be up to them I think, given facts presented.

With me, generally will talk success in a guarded way. Successful ideas I keep, while ones that do not past muster I try to disappear rapidly. My blogs are constant works in progress. Usually am looking to measure how well things are going with ideas, and often am just trying to keep up with things!

So much keeps changing as especially with web so much is developing.

Here have talked a locked down accomplishment which is steadily receding into the past but is relevant to me for perspective, as well as a more recent work in progress with ideas around a high profile area. Point being in selecting two areas that could be sharply defined for such a discussion.


James Harris