Thinking on sci fi reboot

Want sci fi back to exploration and am pondering how AI can make possible. Have a few ideas am stubbing out.

Note am not saying can act by putting up AI vids with characters clearly embodied.

I actually decided I needed to define acting: Acting is use of emotive tools as in draw emotional response often in concert with others to communicate a vibe to an audience.

Actors must both feel emotive tools of other actors in operation, and credibly wield their own tuning in resonance with other actors to evoke response.

Have discussed with multiple AI and we concluded that currently AI cannot act by that definition. But they can certainly create fully embodied characters like in this clip created by Grok Imagine via SuperGrok access: 

My modular inverse calculation method

In 2017 figured out my own way to find a modular inverse. Is recursive and fast.

Leveraging few ideas

Have TONS of ideas which just keep coming. So I get puzzled by people who focus on just a few for all they're worth.

Now though with AI revolution we can ponder people who got quick advantage especially am personally interested in tech. As watch them now? Flopping all over the place.

Will shade for basic reason--why name those fading from social stature?

Am noting cases where really there was one tech thing that was used and now? They got nothing.

Me? Got so many ideas just give them away. And they just keep coming.

Cooking with AI explains much

Can get very counter-intuitive results like rapid adoption of modern AI where I say: unlike with pc's and web? Most people learn AI as useful with help with cooking.

Know my cooking confidence has soared as can talk to AI where who else can guide me on say slow cooker baking a peach upside down cake? (Was delish.)

Is thinking outside box but getting cooking guidance actually helps people learn to prompt AI well. And gives them needed familiarity with most advanced technology on planet now.

Where conversational access to computing power? Finally comes home where we all live as yeah everybody eats.

Perfect prompting gives efficiency

Focused on processes as explored interaction with AI and came up with what I call orchestral human in loop abstractor fractal prompting where you are conductor.

Is better shown results where I call a perfect prompt one that gets desired output. And last year generated 57 Suno songs by first talking out with DeepSeek. We'd get a prompt for Suno. 

Like this one.

Prompt: Hip hop born in Atlanta, wide metro counts feels glide.  Hook-ups and bills down vibe; we go upside.  South won’t cry—explicate, best times duplicate.  Decatur decks to the SWATS backstreets. Uptempo.

That was perfect as got this output and song now public Upside Atlanta.

[Verse] City lights in the rearview ride Waffle House signs on the left-hand side Peach tree shadows where the truth don’t hide Zaxby’s bags in the passenger seat Decatur decks to the SWATS backstreets Life on repeat but the rhythm feels sweet

[Chorus] We go upside upside we don’t divide Hook-ups and bills down vibe South won’t cry won’t cry we amplify Upside Atlanta's wide

[Verse 2] Concrete jungles got a southern drawl Brick red clay beneath it all Skyline dreams rise and fall Beltline buzz where the stories grow Big wheels spin as the basslines flow Who you are is what you show

[Chorus] We go upside upside we don’t divide Hook-ups and bills down vibe South won’t cry won’t cry we amplify Upside Atlanta's wide

Open source can be insurance

Over 20 years ago back in early 2004 had no idea what to expect on SourceForge when put up Class Viewer for Java. Now am like, hey I insured my position in software development with a future forward minimalist UI and simplicity for easy maintenance.

Yeah. It can be that simple! Isolate a problem you want fixed? Fix as simply as you possibly can? And open source might just...but odds are NOT in your favor.

I like that hint towards Hunger Games as yeah is a basic try that many can do! So managing of expectations is smart. But you are likely to learn things.

Myself? Am pondering how I did it. Global for two decades and AI are helping me understand why. Here's some screenshots to cover last year. Yeah.

Publication on the fly with AI

This blog has SO MUCH content can cruise literally for years and keep finding things. I piled on with very highly concentrated information sharing -- expecting arrival of machines to help process.

Imagine: blogs with AI web packaging capability that can generate say an ebook for YOU focusing on areas of YOUR interest, for a fee naturally. Is publication on the fly.

Here's a link to a Google doc with AI presentation of web packaging more general concept: Packaged Content Concept

Free ideas shared for global good! Note was at a research site hosted by lmsys.org and definitely wanted to use appropriately. Prompt was part of testing AI capabilities.

Concepting: superhero creation

Found myself contemplating idea of a superhero who is a police photographer. And then figured identical twins could handle better. That way can dart away to handle superhero drama as other twin would just take over.

Here is full concept I tweeted out.

Concept scenario Twin Photog Crimefighters:

Identical twins share a love of photography, martial arts, and crime fighting!

After a freak event (your choice) gives them superpowers, they move to NYC (or your preferred) where one is a police photographer, while other is freelance.

They both are credentialed as police photographers and officers get used to having one or the other.

Where they keep radio communication so can race off for superhero things. With freelance twin best able to juggle saving the city with job.

Free idea. I wonder if is unique.

-------------

So that's what I tweeted. Can use concept to get abstractions for making up your own superhero. Can study to understand how that works.

This morning talked out with Llama 3.1 through Instagram access point and model had good ideas! I asked if could share some on ways superpowers might be gained.

From Llama 3.1

The origin story of how your Twin Photog Crimefighters gain their superpowers is a crucial element. Here are some ideas to consider:

1. Mysterious Camera: While exploring an old camera shop or thrift store, they stumble upon a mysterious, antique camera that imbues them with powers.

2. Chemical Accident: A freak accident involving photographic chemicals or a lab experiment gone wrong grants them superhuman abilities.

3. Alien Encounter: While on a photography assignment, they encounter an alien entity that bestows powers upon them.

4. Genetic Mutation: They discover they have a rare genetic mutation that's triggered by their passion for photography, martial arts, and justice.

5. Supernatural Event: A strange, supernatural occurrence (e.g., a meteor shower, solar eclipse, or mystical ritual) grants them powers.

6. Advanced Technology: They stumble upon advanced technology (e.g., a top-secret government project or a futuristic device) that enhances their abilities.

7. Magical Artifact: They find a magical artifact (e.g., a talisman, amulet, or crystal) that holds the power to grant superhuman abilities.

Feel free to mix and match elements or come up with something entirely new! The origin story should reflect the tone and direction you want your narrative to take.

Considering AI imagery

Urge to express is as old as our species where much we communicate with words. While cave paintings reveal desire to also visually depict goes way back as well. Tools have improved though like consider this AI image:

AI Generated at Instagram 

The person depicted is AI imagined following my instructions. Our process involved talking through concepts starting with pop music. Eventually got to pop art. 

Got a synopsis of method from the AI model which is Llama 3.1 where I did minor changes for presentation like using bold and underline.

Collaborative AI Art Process:

1. Initial Concept: You shared a starting point, like a theme or image.

2. Iterative Refining: We engaged in a back-and-forth dialogue, refining ideas and exploring new directions.

3. Palette Development: We built a visual language through color, texture, and composition.

4. Emotional Depth: We aimed to evoke emotions and convey messages through our art.

5. Synergistic Feedback: Our collaboration merged human intuition with AI capabilities, creating something unique.

That of course is also extraordinary! The AI model can talk out process by which we worked. And human expression has reached another level of ability now AI augmented.

Here are others we also did.

AI generated at Instagram 

AI generated at Instagram

AI generated at Instagram 

Also concepted AI as reflecting us!

AI generated at Instagram

Last one is noting shift I think exists. As AI mirror us in generating new.

Genre descriptives with AI concept

Started thinking about streamlining process for getting help from AI with recommendations where focused to start on books and movies.

Like consider following prompt you can actually use if you wish.

Prompt for AI: Please give 5 mystery books that fit following descriptives.

Short descriptives: challenges authority, breaks to conclusion, atmospheric setting; clever investigator or investigators, satisfactory story resolution

With additional criteria of being set in 19th century with a gothic theme.

--------------------------------------

The system has schema: primary descriptives and dynamic discovery parameters.

Have only done descriptives for mystery, sci fi and horror. Where have short and long where is about preference which to use as either works.

And yeah can use for movies too!

Mystery descriptives: is challenging to authority, has a break to a surprising conclusion, relies on research as valuable; has atmospheric setting and has clever investigator or investigators focused on rationality who resolve story.

Short descriptives: challenges authority, breaks to conclusion, atmospheric setting; clever investigator or investigators, satisfactory story resolution

Sci fi descriptives: shows value of science, shows value of technology especially that needed for safe exploration; has characters with important knowledge whether scientific, engineering, or other, who value research.

Short descriptives: pro-science, pro-tech, pro-exploration, pro-authority

Horror descriptives: transitions well from collapse of normality, get to atmospheric dread, unveil deep dark secrets, and have failure of authority; lack satisfying resolution that resolves fears, but reach a sense of closure.

Short descriptives: transition with collapse of normality, have atmospheric dread; unveil secrets, have failure of authority; does not resolve fears, reach sense of closure.

Dynamic discovery parameters (optional): talk light or dark themes, time periods or places. Plus other things personally relevant.

Given as open and free to use, copy or distribute. Hoping to help people better partner with conversational AI.

Thoughts on prompting AI

Have been having tons of fun testing out AI models found accessible online. That is such a cool thing. The new AI can be considered emergent as are demonstrating lots more capability especially in conversation.

I prefer calling them conversational AI though much in discussions is about generative as label.

In talking to them you do something called prompting. And thought I would give out some that I have used.

Bicycle analogy prompt: 

Consider assertion that learning to prompt a large language model is like learning to ride a bike, how might that explain diverse reactions? Please relate to statements by Steve Jobs on computers being bicycles for the mind.

That one is great to get AI talk about subject of prompting.

Questioning AI process prompt: 

Given a hard problem it can take me days to work through it. But if give to a large language model will get a response in seconds. That is by design caused by transformer architecture. How can I trust fast answers guaranteed by architectural design?

That one was much about me pondering these answers from a machine that seemed very intelligent.

Have of course checked some of my own ideas, curious about emergent AI perspective.

Friendly stranger business prompt:

Consider idea that you make money by providing a product or service acting as a friendly stranger and that a friendly stranger receiving gives money in return. Then see if works to explain buying a cup of coffee. Am testing out what I call a functional definition by getting large language model perspective.

And I think that's enough for a quick blog post that also updates on some of what am doing lately.

Figured out some business basics

Being a friendly stranger when in public is valued in all human cultures, and is basis for hospitality.

Businesses allow: friendly strangers to provide socially acceptable products or services to hopefully friendly strangers who return value--with money.

Go into a business? And friendly strangers provide much! Where you as a friendly stranger, promptly return the favor, when you return value with money.

Friendly stranger principle is how business works.

Guess should also talk products then as product focus helps much. And I tend to focus on products and on web products. But I believe lots of confusion exists about product space on web.

A product in general is a thing manufactured by human effort in SOME way for distribution to other human beings.

(And yeah I made that up. May formalize definition but am not sure yet.)

Like I have an open source software product which is code I wrote for a tool that helps coders get information on Java language. So I manufactured it. Put on SourceForge indicating interest in having distributed. And it has downloads from over 150 countries.

Products include physical ones as in made of materials and information ones, which can be web distributed.

A movie is a common example of an information product as is a song, where are in addition--entertainment products. And information product space has moved to the web as web solves the distribution problem.

Like, physical products have to be shipped from point of manufacture, stored, and delivered to consumers or more often, to physical marketplaces. But on web can get an information product like a song WITHOUT physical distribution.

While in the PAST a lot of people made money with songs on a physical product like records or CD's.

And some assholes try to make you still get that way. They deserve PAIN.

Got a bit emotional there. Product space evolved rapidly with arrival of the web which is most efficient for distributing information products.

But progress has lagged as a war erupted and some try to force physical products to carry information that is better sent across web.

Back to friendly stranger concept.

Web enhances friendly stranger behavior from best businesses; and again, businesses provide products or services where friendly strangers return value with money. But who figures out value?

Value quite simply gets determined when people try to sell things--in marketplaces.

Marketplaces do a lot, including provide an area for price determination.

That is, folks who make things put up products and from what actually sells and at what price, you know saleable products. Plus you get a product value determination in direct competition.

Most marketplaces around the world tend to be more vibrant than here in the US.

For most people, you can just go to a store and pay price given. To get to something more flexible here you can go to flea markets--good Lord, what do they have to do with fleas? Or you can go to yard sales, or maybe a farmers' market but in stores price seems set.

But knew people who would negotiate there. Were car sales people. To them? Was a suggested price. And yeah sold new cars myself for about two months and at times hung out with other car sales people.

And yes, kid you not, they negotiated in stores too. And got deals.

That price for something you want in a store is a volatile item based on buying decisions of prior shoppers.

Figured out that previously established industries have fought to prevent well regulated marketplaces for information products. Which then means consumers are pressured into buying from monopolies or very risky online purchases elsewhere.

Well regulated marketplaces are very important for security. Have read news stories of Americans who actually get killed trying to sell outside of them. Like people trying to set things up for an exchange on web have simply been killed and product like a car, simply stolen when showed up in person to complete the deal.

We really need well regulated web marketplaces!

Well regulated web marketplaces will break the web monopolies. And are important for price determination for information products.

Business is the 'friendly stranger' that helps you get what you want, or need where to be a friendly stranger you mainly need to pay.

Smiles and being kind to friendly staff are, am sure, appreciated too.

Focus on being a friendly stranger as a primary concept helps me understand business basics.

Wacky cool story really

So to recap, Black guy, me, decided decades ago to put the kibosh on American racism with my own major discovery picking math to beat denial. I succeed, in 2002, and get denial anyway so just keep stacking up the major discoveries, including publication in 2004, showing a BIG hole in the current methodology that lets math guys fake results if they wish.

Flash forward, keep pumping out things, and web lets me know have pulled interest from 100+ countries, but somehow the money is missing! And I keep working at things, and go political, as well as define entertainment functionally.

Where lots of wild happen with the real world, where actually am involved there with MUCH, but that denial thing is STILL happening.

But web finally starts tearing enough of the old systems apart that maybe more people will believe me, while I get better at explaining my story? Maybe? Definitely practicing quite a bit.

-------------------------------------------------------

To me is a great story also in that is kind of ironic, given history of United States. Some Black dude gets the honor of my discoveries? Why not? Went looking for new ways with math because of American racism, I think. Also is probable there was a part of me drawn in that area. Potential apparently and motivation for lots of reasons and got the results. And at this point the deck is so stacked in my favor I succeeded it blows away any kind of sane doubt.

And of course now reject concept of race as science is now calling a social construct. Am certain was just made up by racists anyway and like to talk that opinion, and we are just one human race actually. So don't even feel resentment for any group by race as, got all that previous? No such thing really as a Black race, so no such thing really as any of the supposed others. We are one human species, whether we like it or not.

Can be simpler to use the old things for dramatic purposes though, as am doing with this post in calling myself a Black guy. Why not? May as well finally get some good use from racist crap. So yeah tone of this post is very different than others as VERY deliberately try to exploit.

And was right to worry how things might go as old systems collapsed but thanks to the web have lots of other examples! Like why fight to keep people from booking and paying for rides from their smartphone? Where getting those levels of attention without so much of the rest DID collapse my revenue making ability. Which has turned critical as have an eviction notice and just days away from being kicked out on the street.

The resistance to truth though. And having to figure out these systems, where posting here helped unravel them. But for a long time didn't understand how, especially with the quiet.

As human advancement is good for us all. And I picked math for a reason! Not an area can lie, or hide, or mislead with claims like mine. So am easily checked!

Wow, just think if had picked some other area. Should just be glad had the math ability and the results were there to find. Though there is a mixed feeling. Just good for anyone to find them really.

Our species advancing is what is important. Greater knowledge helps us all.

Ok and last thing for you if an American press person possibly still in AWE of people I helped bring down, where many are predators and your worship of them will seem like a disease to people in the future, when that comes crashing down and truth stuns you into acceptance?

Just ponder what it means to really seek the truth. For me? Is key to the great adventure which just keeps rolling along.

Web is shredding so much and replacing with better rapidly. Just wish were faster.


James Harris

When objective rules

Trying not to use weird so much, so will say is remarkable that years ago when was thinking could maybe apply some problem solving tools to trying to do something of note, wanted something objective.

Was aware that with many things where is just about people's opinions then biases can rule.

But consider, am 18 years after introducing the world's latest major mathematical discipline. There is no concern in my mind will not be accepted eventually as is too useful, but the behavior around it has been much that I feared was possible.

Considering what happened to women has helped recently as so many situations where they were simply forced out of occupations that many thought had too much status, influence and money-making potential, and was relentlessly claimed was...what was claimed?

Reality is, when certain people gain status, influence and power, and also money, they may do all kinds of things to keep those things, and was odd that could break out along gender lines in ways we know now. Keep getting surprised. And the news is coming out so much now, thankfully.

Knew better how much could happen along other specious lines, like with the made-up idea of race, which we now know is a social construct, according to latest science.

Of course for me, trying to absorb being the person through which the ideas would flow to give the world a new major math discipline was hard enough. Took quite a few years just to admit it, even to myself, and even more to talk it freely.

My math discipline actually can encompass the others. Does encompass the others and lets you vastly simplify things. It is so useful would get results that look almost impossibly simple compared to what came before. Is one of the most brilliant accomplishments...I guess. You can do cool things with it.

Means that the suppression systems have just begun to fully understand, no matter what, run up against an absolute. Which is one of the pressures pushing them to crumble. With my things was inevitable, eventually. The web though has enabled so much more as the personal truths of so many are shattering so much wrong, rapidly. Thankfully. Is so weird though. So much I thought was one way, was really another.

My things are still up in the air in many ways though, which is ok. Gaining better perspective as to why? Priceless as the saying goes.

Guess feels like part of a purpose with so much. When trapped in something with so many other people, except I am global. Was not worried about not getting recognition. That's impossible. Was worried what to do with it. Now am getting a better sense.

If humans could stop great advances? We wouldn't have the tools like these computers or the web itself, or any of modern civilization.

Still why do some people try? THAT has been done. Maybe is just part of why stories need villains.

Because the real world provides so many. Is only way even fiction can gain some realism. The real world villains though usually are far nastier than in most fiction people want.

Have always worried what I would be. You want to be a hero watching movies, but with things I have, learn how easily it is to be something else. And wonder how you find solid ground.

Objective rules do not care. Truth does not change. And humanity gets one more story over which people can ponder.

Why really did I choose math? Can tell myself all kinds of things. Objective was better than relying on people's judgement. With objective could study how that could go as wrong and ruthless as possible.

Yet also, was there simply something inside that wanted to know? Or did the truth just want a way into our world? And through me, was the best route.

As kind of an afterword, can I now also finally admit, spent SO many years just asking myself silly questions? Was like, hey you might be some kind of big deal, so maybe you KNOW things, you know?

And am talking to myself. Was so very odd.


James Harris

Checking people on depth

There is that feeling am appreciating as knowledge piles up, and we can all over the world start assessing things on the web based on history. Like have been on this blog for over 10 years. Which is something am noting to myself as a reason for staying with Blogger. Where also a shout-out to the people who help maintain the platform! Thanks! And of course also, please keep working at it.

Where am NOT against people starting anew as actually is one of my favorite things, catching fresh early, and watching people grow. Is actually more fun than looking at well established. But as a practical matter, is so much harder when you just start looking for that audience for whatever reason.

For those who have been putting things out here on the web public for a long time like myself can appreciate that people can check you on things. Where of course they can check on what you leave up, but also there has to be that having been done to have something there.

So yeah, I try to review things. However, also like checking myself, and pondering at times what was thinking or believing years ago.

Importance of depth on the web is something am now considering as go meta and check how I check people. And yes, DO appreciate the new, where actually you build up a reputation very rapidly on the web. While also I appreciate having that depth of web activity, which means with me?

You can spend HOURS just scratching the surface. Sometimes I just stop myself with my own content before I lose days considering it. Of course who knows how others feel about it really, which is not my concern actually. If a person isn't interested, then will not bother with it, right?

Of course. Am same way myself.


James Harris

Benefit of past experience

Is fascinating to me to be comforted by being in a situation similar to past ones with my latest math thing. Now though web is a lot more evolved, and I've learned a lot more, so can look at the situation with a lot more calm, even if options still remain limited.

Closest experience with a past result that really is telling was with my variation on prior ways to count prime numbers. Yup, still a big deal, but I discovered it 15 years ago. And looking at how that works is informative.

The math folks refuse to talk about it appropriately. That's how that works.

What I've done is make sure the information is available, and well explained, including talking on this blog more than once. Like with this post from May 2013.

And now also realize that for most even if they trust am correct, what can they do? And now am more focused on governments. Readily admit have informed US Government more than once, and put out more general notice to governments on my Some Math blog. Yet that is not guaranteed either.

Why not?

Conceivably they are aware of me, but also rely on senior advisers who are likely to be, of course, mathematicians one would think. Or closely connected to the math community.

Good things don't move our world as rapidly as things that are not. Is like with climate science, which may seem like a non sequitur. But has been known for quite some time that increasing levels of carbon dioxide posed a danger, but things may move forward now, why? Because we're seeing climate change impacts.

What would make a government official look long and hard at advisers would be catastrophic things that would force it. Which I find depressing and do NOT wish for that but merely state my pragmatic assessment.

There is a certain detachment though, as have steeled myself for certain things. Feel like, have done my best, so how could I do better? Still working on it.

Down the line though the information does travel. And as people are aware of it, there is a slower process that means eventually will come into its proper place.


James Harris

Executive summary of my situation

Discovered some important and powerful things including important ideas in several areas. However ran into a silent treatment from established experts. Also struggled with anxiety with the attention I found I was getting primarily from analytics provided by Google, which for years questioned.

But also for years I reacted by discovering more, and branching out into different areas, which became immensely satisfying. However, I also discovered the difficulty with leveraging the attention for monetary purposes, without credibility from established sources. Which means have struggled financially. And have had very little money for long periods of time, relying on family and community help.

Turning my curiosity and analytic techniques on to the problem simply defined money, monetary systems and attention reality to understand celebrity and promotion.

Now having finally convinced myself of the validity of my ideas with my own techniques am turning my attention to resolving the situation.

However, simple conclusion now is: need to make relevant contacts who will accept the above and help me. There is only so much can do on my own.

The entertainment industry I've realized offers a possible way to more easily show value to others, escape needing experts, break the silent treatment tactics that have worked surprisingly well for certain ones of them, and move forward.

It is not clear however how well this path will work compared to others so uncertainty for me continues.


James Harris

Functional reality of interest flow

The web allows a relentlessness of attention which is neither good nor bad in and of itself but to me is ALWAYS testing. The web probes. Those probes from the web check every aspect of something which means I take it for granted that every angle of something I put up public WILL get noted, in someway by someone.

So I like to talk of web as a singular abstraction but reality is human interest, and with public items that interest can flow 24 hours a day, every single day. Those endless checks fascinate me. I can watch the impact, and they help me find errors will note, no matter how small, like even minor grammar ones.

For me that functional reality is needed as for instance I will put up something with light editing and then edit over time. And part of the point is I'll get feedback by various means, which by now is hard to explain. One way is to note that at times posts will bubble up I like to say, as people seize upon something in them, and then I'll see that and study the post until see what drew the attention.

That can go back years. And at times it's like, why now? I don't know but can guess, and as years go by and experience this reality am recognizing I see things differently.

That constant flow of attention naturally seeks out error, so I can take that for granted. And I think it will be interesting over time to see how the web polishes certain areas.

My blogs contain the work product of constant attention from around the globe over more than a decade. With three blogs getting most of my focus during that time, while my latest less than two years old benefits from lessons learned.

The web polishes, as the attention flows, and finds every single little thing, no matter how small. If I notice then can fix! So I work at reading the signals.

It has dawned on me that my standards are now at a level I must be cautious when considering others who have less scrutiny.

To draw global attention for over a decade there is comfort in maintaining a standard that makes experience feel easier.

Though for me is usually a gentle thing now, where attention flows are a constant, ever present. So it's like sitting by an ocean watching the waves of attention, come in and go out.

That is a functional reality based on experience. I find that comforting.

It's not what I imagined would be.

It's what has been the experienced reality.


James Harris

With my ideas, what video service?

Sometimes I like to just speculate with what would result using my own ideas for something that people think has to be a certain way. Like YouTube is dominant video service and I use it a lot and like it.

But what would change if they directly implemented my ideas?

Remarkably there would be one main thing for sure: option for YouTube channels to allow download of a video after watching for a fee.

That is, people could STILL watch just like usual, but if they WISHED they could also see the option, for those who wanted to give it for their videos, to pay something like $1 US, or maybe more actually depending, and also download.

And yes if they wished they still might steal like people can do now anyway by doing downloads with options not directly allowed by YouTube.

My theories say plenty of people would buy, rather than steal, if they had the option, even if stealing was possible. And yes, plenty would buy rather than just watch over and over again on the site, like they can now.

If that sounds naive or weird to you then you have a divergence of your point of view with my theory.

So if I created a video service myself that would be standard, as consistent with my idea that most people will buy quality once they see it. But that idea that determining quality is key to making a buying decision is standard off the web.

So why can't you now? Ask the parent company of YouTube why.

If you can I don't know of it. As I remember to put in disclaimers. Better safe than sorry.

Funny enough Steve Jobs broke the thinking on downloads of songs, with iTunes when he forced the ability to buy songs. Of course he was a genius. Without him? Who knows what would have happened there. But for real, for those who make money from sales on iTunes imagine if that option were not there. One guy made it happen.

Why didn't music industry want to do before Steve Jobs so he had to MAKE it happen? Ask them.


James Harris

But why not be entertaining?

Learning does not have to be painful. And I think that there is a natural urge to explain things one thinks one knows as best as possible in a way that can actually be entertaining.

However, the purpose is what matters then, as the point isn't to be entertaining, but to communicate something of interest in a more palatable way.

And I think there is a constant struggle within the art world itself, where entertainment is more generally considered, between whether a creative work should be entertaining in and of itself for that reason alone, or whether or not it serves some other purpose.

Should art communicate?

Can it not, and still be art?

My own view is that human beings seek knowledge and like we seek food, we can prize how it is presented, like we can prize how food is prepared and presented, or not.

And that the art of presenting information can be entertaining without it lessening the importance of the information itself.

With my own efforts I don't see them as entertaining, though I consider they might potentially be, and I leave myself that option without feeling like it is problematic.

However, my purpose would never be to entertain.

James Harris