Thoughts on stranger economy

For me it has been a huge big deal to think of money as being a tool to return a favor to a stranger for something done for you or for something you receive. Like you go to a coffee shop--one of my favorite examples--and a stranger will happily give you a tasty cup of well-brewed coffee, in exchange for some money.

So why emphasize "stranger" and "favor"? Well imagine a very giving community, which freely shares with strangers who simply take, without giving anything back, like food. And imagine that these nice people find they are running out of food themselves! Suddenly that scenario can be more than about morals or what's right, it can be functionally dangerous for that community.

In contrast consider someone within a very close community, who does something for someone within that community. For such a person such a thing can just be part of being a healthy member without concern about an immediate return. And in fact, supporting the community supports everyone. So such support functionally does not lead to lack or need.

So our world has a system, where if you have a contract of some kind, where you have something a stranger wants, and agree to provide it, then you can get money in exchange, which is a social IOU promising a return on that favor, later.

And it works great!

Our modern world exists because of this system, but it helps to understand it, which is why I talk it out so much because I got frustrated years ago out here wondering how things I was doing were supposed to pay off.

Now I think I know some important things like, contracts are usually required.

Generally if you're going to make money, some kind of arrangement has to be established ahead of time. So no, just throwing something up on the web as I've often done is unlikely to work, unless I guess you DO draw vast amounts of attention, but even then you need something in place, like that will show ads, I guess. To me that's a generally held idea which I've never personally verified to be true.

But money is just one reason to put things out here. There are many others.

Importantly I learned that community is a great reason.

Which means that you can also see the world now as a global community, and can do things for that community, without any expectation of any money in return.

And that's mostly it. Part of me wants to make a long post and link to things where I discuss more in-depth my OPINIONS on these things. But people can find those things if interested.

So I like to call the modern world economy--the stranger economy.

It really is designed in my opinion so that strangers can do things for each other without fear of being exploited, which may sound odd to some.

But when used properly, money lets people interact with strangers in a way that is mutually beneficial. So you can travel the world, and buy that cup of coffee, in so many places, from so many people. Personally knowing them? Not required.


James Harris

Wanting to know

Have become fascinated by those times when I come up with an explanation for something--yes, my own ideas--and suddenly get this sort of surprised feeling, like really? That's why?

And the thing is, I want to know! Am a very curious person and live in an ever more fascinating world, which has puzzles all over the place. And I like real world puzzles of reality. Give me a human made puzzle book, and I just turn to the back to look up the answers.

Can't do that with reality though.

The quest to know and understand is so basic. Which is a way for me to lead into a favorite post of mine on this blog:

How do we know?

When we get answers, it can be such a great feeling. I LOVE getting answers, which may be why it's no good to give me a book of puzzles. Why bother puzzling over something some person came up with when the answers are in the back of the book? Oh, and not knocking it for people who enjoy them. I DO work at puzzles of reality.

There is no choice with reality, either humanity works to figure out the best answers, or our species will not have them.

Answers fascinate me, though I can be ambivalent about them. When you have answers, you can get that sense of fascination about how something in our world works, or how you now think it works.

I both value my curiosity, and the answers to which it leads.


James Harris

Looking for community, art and the conversation

Most of my life one of the most important words has been "art" which has dominated so many of the best parts. From books to photographs, paintings, and poems, and so much more. But also to my own feeling that science is the art of prediction.

So of course was fascinated when a premiere institution of art, tweeted a great question! And I answered:

.@SFMOMA I think art is the purest expression of our core humanity. Is sharing in a way that resonates with the human soul. Time irrelevant.

— James Harris (@jstevh) September 4, 2015

Whether you like my answer or not, the conversation to me is also so fascinating. And talking with other people sure beats just talking to yourself, though I enjoy that too.

And SFMOMA retweeted me! Was one of the most exciting days of my social media life.

Ours is no longer a passive world mainly absorbing what is put out by people who can get on television, or radio or gain the interest of newspapers. In our world we can be part of the conversation.

And if you are on Twitter and haven't followed the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, I'd highly recommend you do.

Community is where one can kind of get the feeling that maybe these ideas that run through one's mind aren't completely off-base.

Somehow I think it is just part of being human that need to share with others. And so much better when you feel like that was appreciated. Better when we share.

Community and the conversation are the most important things to me on social media, as you can get so much information which I love, but you can try to add back as well. And get a response.

And so much better when someone asks the questions.


James Harris

Importance of being appreciative

Years ago, back before the 21st century actually, I was a new car salesman, for two months. And there is one sale that weighs a bit heavily on me, so going to try to use my blog as therapy, and get it off my chest.

One day early in my short career in new car sales, a guy walks in with the card of a salesman, who was not there that day. So was handed to me. And I proceeded to help him look at vehicles and he settled on the Honda CR-V I think it was. (Yes, now giving the manufacturer while was coy on subject before). Weird the things that get fuzzy.

But I was a new guy, which is why I'd been given him in the first place, as by the rules of the dealership the sale would be split, with the sales guy he'd asked to see. But because I was such a new guy, they also called in another sales guy to help me complete the sale.

And then the dealership squeezed me out of the middle as they would only split sales two ways and not three.. And a three way split is so tiny, don't blame them.

So I got nothing. Was FURIOUS.

But to the guy who bought the vehicle, I was the guy. We had worked together for hours to pick out just the vehicle. He'd signed the contract with me. And I'd handed him the keys and congratulated him before he drove off from the dealership. So these internal things were invisible to him, and I was too new to fight the decision as I didn't know any better.

And I'm ashamed to say I just did nothing after for my customer. Even if I didn't get paid, he was still my customer. And I just went cold. No thank you note. Or anything and if he's out there and sees my face and comes to this blog, I apologize. I was wrong.

At the end of what turned out to be a two month stint where I learned a LOT fast, I ran into a similar situation! Yet another case where the dealership was going to squeeze me out the middle, and went to the general manager, and said no. And that worked.

I had needed to stand up for myself.

More valuable life lessons learned.


James Harris

Every method in Java String class with an array

Here's another example of what Class Viewer can give you in terms of information about a class as here are all the public methods in the String class with an array in any way shape or form, and I'll explain after why I got it:

static String valueOf(char[])
static String valueOf(char[],int,int)
static String copyValueOf(char[])
static String copyValueOf(char[],int,int)
static String format(Locale,String,Object[])
static String format(String,Object[])
void getBytes(int,int,byte[],int)
byte[] getBytes(java.nio.charset.Charset)
byte[] getBytes(String) throws UnsupportedEncodingException
byte[] getBytes()
void getChars(int,int,char[],int)
static String join(CharSequence,CharSequence[])
String[] split(String)
String[] split(String,int)
char[] toCharArray()

Oh and I got that list by highlighting the methods in the Results Window and using Ctrl-C. Then just copied over and decided to bold it for visibility. If you right click that doesn't work, as, um, I didn't build it to work, so that's on my to-do list now as a fix. Right now on three year schedule for updates I think. So next scheduled update to the extent anything is scheduled is 2018.

So there are 15 public methods in the Java String class that handle an array, either taking one or giving one, which is maybe a factoid and answer to a trivia contest as I don't know what use it is, but it demonstrates the kinds of things you can do.

And I got that list by double-clicking on the symbol for array which is [] in the list of methods in the left screen.

Found myself checking my Class Viewer after a Java update which is a habit. For those wondering about support for the project, most of my concern is with making sure latest updates to the Java language haven't changed how it behaves.

This time was very useful as I thought I had updated to Java 8 Version 60 which is the latest and checked my version in Class Viewer and it said 1.8.0_25, which is Java 8 Version 25, and yes I could have my program display it that way, but I don't want to keep up with it that closely, so it just gives you direct what Java says its version is.

So I updated, again. Not sure why I had to do it twice, but at least I knew.

It now says: Java version 1.8.0_60

Then doing my routine tests found that Chrome browser didn't work. Got some message asking if I wanted to restart Chrome. First I said no, and nothing. Tried again, and said yes, and nothing, so switched in ClassViewerConfig.xml to Firefox, restarted the program which you have to do so it reloads the config file, and it worked ok. So not sure if was some one-time thing or if Google has done something with Chrome, where it doesn't let my program open it. (But maybe am just being paranoid. Will edit later if it works later.)

And that was enough work for the morning.

So yes, maintain Class Viewer so keep up with how it works when there are updates to Java. And oh yeah, wouldn't mind feedback. I've never gotten any unsolicited.

So for over a decade it's been figure out what I think would be good, find bugs if I notice them, and that's how development goes. Feel free to point out anything I should know in the comments below.


James Harris