Considering attention variation though

One thing have noted is a global reality to attention my ideas get, at various locations like here on this blog. And a benefit have realized to doing these kinds of posts is to document. This time though also want to talk more about how attention has varied through the years.

Ok, so now to Google Analytics which use as a baseline even though know does not capture all visits, but gives an indication.

And yeah, so far this year, which is nearly over, have had visits to this blog according to Google Analytics from only 66 countries.

Top 5: US, India, Netherlands, Canada, South Korea

And that is from only 305 cities. Where languages, again according to Google Analytics where just reading the numbers, is only 46.

Looking at those kinds of drops from prior posts where have talked these numbers is interesting also in the variation, as yeah went down, but tend for this blog to stay over 45 countries annually. Actually if my memory serves me, for a LONG time was usually around that number, year after year after year.

For a LONG time also I'd focus on the audience numbers where now I rarely even check them. And do not give, where there are practical reasons, but can guess do not live up in MY mind to those other numbers. Yet also the web analytics are more of an indicator which helps more with trends I think.

Where am talking one blog, and I do tend to notice how attention flows across wherever I can get web analytics, and variation in some ways is simple: usually have English speaking countries, and all of Europe. The up and down with the country counts tends to be elsewhere, with the biggest drop off across continent of Africa, and the other being across continent of South America.

Which to me is unexplained. Still get visits from a LOT of countries annually which is rather steady in many ways.

Explanation for yearly constancy that I like? My ideas pull the attention constantly. The variation I see is actually more like a kind of random like looking at the tops of waves on the ocean.

What impact from things I do on my blogs or across other social media?

Um, remarkably often is hard to see any. Which is why have LOTS of freedom to try things.

Reality though is that once the ideas are introduced they do not need me. And to the extent that people even bother to come back to the source, like here, is usually only cast-off attention that may come my way. That means that often I find it hard to see much impact with what I do, or say, or whatever. You get used to it.

There ARE things that can move things much but in other ways don't talk as much as too close to the underlying machinery of the web itself. And turns out? Don't explain that much. One way to figure out where I mean is, how do people even know to get here though? From so many countries? Ever?

That is not about me, but about how web search like Google and also yeah Bing work, along with whatever else gets people here. And over such things I have NO control, and wouldn't want any either. However yeah, if I got a little wild will amuse me to see what shifts, like it matters.

As explained the annual story is more smooth and constant, regardless of what I do personally. Reality of that assessment bothered me, which is why began focusing on a code of behavior. The ideas don't care but I must. And am happy now with that lesson of steady to work through such things over a period of years.

With all that said though, how do I explain that shift from around 45 countries annually to these higher levels more recently? And to me is yeah, about idea introduction.

New ideas recently introduced? Ideas around entertainment in last couple of years.

So there IS a mechanism that experience shows does shift things up which is introduction of new ideas.


James Harris

Better defining effort

Firmly believe must do what one loves, and if find an audience shares interest, is great! But regardless do the things you love. While also most, like me, must find an audience, if only of one, for doing things for others for employment purposes, with remuneration. That is, most people need to have a paying job. Great if can coincide with what you love doing, of course.

And better defining efforts as to how that works has helped me. As grew up taught to just get a job, and maybe there was the possibility for getting beyond mundane of the usual, of finding other realms, which was actually mysterious like, how do you get discovered? Where now talk of those as preconceived notions. Were from lessons learned before possible in our times, when web can enable you to reach an audience, and can be a global one. But then what?

When you just want to get a job, you look for available ones through various means, endeavor to get an interview, and work to convince some person or persons you can do the work required. Generally you're looking at working for a business entity with a superior position in terms of establishment, money and other resources including infrastructure.

With the web, so much structure is abstract, if it exists at all.

Plenty of mechanisms for the remuneration, especially for employment purposes are still built for the world that was.

While modern money is an evolved wonder, allowing you to get a return on favors done for others, as an abstraction I claim is a social IOU backed up by society. Evolved wonder it may be, money regardless I theorize, flows in very distinct ways, where have a money flows reference post, which I DO check routinely. These abstractions are ones I try to use.

One HUGE problem on the web is the trust factor, as you can want someone to do something for you, or be wanted, but then there is structure in the world I no longer take for granted. I study it now.

One abstraction introduced recently addressing that area is the abstract payment intermediary, where some business entity in the middle facilitates transactions around flows of ideas.

Ideas can flow easily on the web. That part we know.

Having a system around those ideas, with buyers and sellers, and proper business, with as high a level of efficiency, trust and goodwill as can be found off the web, is I believe, a work in progress.


James Harris

When ideas are not paying directly

There does need to be a return on effort, commensurate with perception of value received, if it was received. And feel like have received a great return for me on my personal efforts putting out ideas on the web. My vague idea for about two decades is that it will connect to something money-making at some point.

Now am figuring out more of how it does not, and why.

There are institutions built up around sharing ideas. While on web can just put some out, and people can get direct, where if perceive value in those ideas--is a personal thing.

Have reached a financial situation which is pushing me to rethink such things in MY context and about ideas I share here.

To me the ideas have value, but to YOU?

Only you know.

We do have a problem on the web with mechanisms for returning that value though there are movements in that direction.

Which does make it hard. And readily note give ideas without expecting any direct return. Sharing things because I think they are useful and sharing helps me, and may help others. However, is also true find it difficult with web as it is, to share things for the purpose of a monetary return outside of establishment systems. Like sure I can say, write a short story here on my blog, but to get paid for such work, looks to me like need some corporate entity.

There is no institution here to tell you that paying back some of that value is a duty. No structure of people doing it to witness.

Web offers something different. But have been surprised at how hard it is to set up structures that facilitate providing a service on the web, or some product on the web, without putting yourself at the mercy of a corporate entity. And usually talking at the mercy, seriously, of a vast corporate enterprise.

And what does this business entity give actually? Mainly I think is about trust.

Like you know the source here at least.

Realize there was effort involved in finding the ideas and putting them out here, but only you know if there was a received value, for YOU. To me there can be an interest as well in a better system. Why should a huge chunk of the value you feel you received go to some other than person who produced it?

Yeah but the potential of the web is direct, while reality means that yeah, a corporate entity can help people feel more secure, while also yeah, providing other services. Yet my situation has impressed upon me just how forced you are to use a corporation, for money on the web. Would prefer it be my own I guess. Will get there as set as a useful goal.

Web is introducing more possibility, while pushing us to look more carefully at structures already in place.

Have realized though maybe haven't seen fully the value in my ideas, myself. Makes it harder then to explain to others? Or maybe, makes it impossible. Have been talking much, without maybe even focusing on, what value with these ideas, really?


James Harris

Thoughts on writing to write

Some of my blog posts have the label: Writing to write. Where yeah can just have an urge to write something, which is a creative thing, and wrote one yesterday reminiscing a bit about San Francisco, talking about a Thursday and Friday. Sometimes would go out on Thursday but be careful to drink less, of course to be ok for work next day. And luckily, I rarely get hangovers. Which apparently is just something was born with, which definitely removes lots of the penalty.

And then after work could go to the karaoke bar I preferred, early. And could maybe get to sing though would fill up quick! And was harder to sing on Friday and Saturday than other days.

Where then could stay later, and yup, would at times find interesting conversations with folks hanging around outside the now gone Transbay Terminal. Where I went through daily, as lived on Treasure Island, and you crossed the Bay Bridge into what is now commonly called SoMa, which is where I worked, when was working. Got laid off as have brought up before, and eventually ended up leaving San Francisco, in March 2012.

The post really did just flow and decided to do very limited editing. Where will be rereading today to see if continue with that idea.


James Harris

Ideas and the City

There is a relief in walking away quietly, if metaphorically, when those ideas that pummeled your world view so fiercely, can be tamed by your human reality. Will not think about you now, can mutter, if not in words then in actions, like at a bar where can survey your fellow humans. Having fun then becomes the work that matters, especially after work that felt like it did not. Ideas push.

You can push back, and think about the day-job tomorrow. Do not drink too much.

Was a reality back then, in San Francisco, when balanced sanity like walking a tightrope, or so told myself. What others might think? Need we bother? Like I'd really ask. The alcohol might dull others but it simply slowed me down and I'd ponder that odd reality as realized that usually people look like they're moving in slow motion to me. If I let that idea dominate while ponder if it's true.

Looking at the bartender, another drink arrives. They know me well.

Such were the nights that could happen on a Thursday. And be out of the bar before 10 pm? Or definitely in time to be home by midnight, and to sleep rapidly. To get up, and go to the day-job where data entry would give me numbers to play. The relentless typing of number after number was restful in and of itself. Sometimes the ideas would wish to come out as well. But concentrate.

Am I accurate? Of course. The astonishing accuracy needed by people who do data entry might puzzle others. The kind of area where the naive think computers could take over or do a better job, but human beings can push to near perfection. My accuracy is of course at the level of a person working at a high level corporation, who literally helps millions of dollars find their homes.

The alcohol slowed me down for a night, but effects were gone by the next day. I rarely got hangovers.

Is that a blessing or an invitation? After work, would be back at the bar early, as was a karaoke bar then might manage to sing something, as Friday was one of the busiest nights. Sometimes would simply go elsewhere.

The ideas come back. They call again against my reality. They promise things to me.

A world they offer. I consider later in the night. Looking out at the lights of San Francisco in the wee morning, with the other denizens of the alternate city, when most have gone on, and a few partiers may mix with those going to work, or coming home from work, or the homeless who gather near the now gone Transbay terminal station and talk. They talk about life and dreams and freedom and I wonder about mine.

Sometimes could feel like the city would sing to me then. That San Francisco was the best friend who understood the dreams and the nightmares and accepted both. There was a freshness to the night, and a crispness to the thought, as ideas were peaceful as well, like sleeping dogs, waiting later for their day.

The Muni 108 would finally arrive and would ride back to Treasure Island. Back across the Bay Bridge to that island in the bay, by the City by the Bay. A cycle completed.

My ideas, would find me again.


James Harris

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Can download your own copy as a PDF from my Google Drive here.

Update February 2024: Have an ebook wrote years ago with pics from SF time if curious go here.