Why blog instruction manual

When decided to create this blog over a decade ago was from a vague idea of support for my open source software project Class Viewer for Java and wondering about how to make some money from a product so freely shared.

But that didn't go anywhere so shifted more to general interest and now am focused on business fundamentals. Is such a cool journey but oh yeah! Put instruction manual on here.

THAT was brilliant because instruction manuals can be such a pain if need to update! But updating a blog post is easy.

And people may notice that idea from, I forget but was over a decade ago, swept the world. I was definitely one of the first to do it. I think Google had done already but I don't remember.

Now is just a basic way and saves a lot of paper too.

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.

Why writing rules

Can get confused about writing I think, as have been confused and realized wanted to talk to others about areas of confusion about writing.

Like, wrote an open source program years ago, and eventually started this blog to help promote and support it. So am I a writer?

Wrote code for computers, and write blog posts as well as much other but consider myself to be a wannabe writer as do NOT make money from my writing.

But what if I wrote songs? Would I think of myself as a wannabe songwriter?

People say writer and I was indoctrinated to think fiction writer who actually has made money with a book that has sold well.

That is messed up folks.

Writing built human civilization and continues to build, like with code I wrote that lead me to create this blog. Is not about money and MOST writing is not fiction.

So why the emphasis on fiction? To tell people that being a writer is hard and that few can survive at it. So just leave writing to the special people society blesses with money for pleasing it.

Because writing is the most powerful tool available to human beings in general.

Thankfully, I wrote open source and my code to help Java developers write code--is still mine.

Coders have had writing they exchanged for a salary to people who can barely code who made BILLIONS from it. But we were told--being a writer is hard. Better to have a boss, be told what to do, when to do it, and where to do it, for all of your adult life until you can retire. Then put out to pasture then you can rest.

Were taught to behave. Were taught to be controllable.

Because writing is very powerful and writing is key to human civilization.

So I talk songwriters. Sure, is hard to make money as one for many, but do they exchange their songs for a salary? I think jingle writers do.

Two occupations are afflicted with giving writing in exchange for some money: press and software developers.

Some small group got billions on code handed to them for a salary. Got billions and wasted billions while acting like were geniuses.

Others pushed our species to brink of extinction controlling press writers with salaries.

Were young occupations where modern versions emerged in 20th century. Are very young compared to songwriting. Press writing and writing computer code were ruthlessly exploited because people did not know better.

Was lack of experience made seem reasonable to hand writing away. Songwriters do not.

Owning my own writing now makes sense to me. Will not accept foolishness that I should hand away to anyone.

Am like a songwriter now. Writing songs is as old as humanity while writing them down is only as old as human civilization.

Because writing built human civilization.

Why promotion got simply harder

Promotion in theory is easy: put forward best synopsis of content highlighting in the best way content that will be welcomed by fans and potential fans.

That is how for example entertainers must grow their fanbase by being appealing to future potential fans. And web makes easier to reach people!

The web enables global information distribution and routinely now there are entertainers who achieve global success paying vastly less for promotion by brilliantly promoting.

Have talked my own consternation at feeling a need as a fan to help with global promotion. Is messed up now as 20th century systems and ways are only slowly being disintegrated.

So global promotion is still best done by fans. That is wacky. But yeah global fandoms have actually saved careers being hampered by media companies that have no clue how to do global promotion.

It is simple in theory to promote globally, but difficult in practice as requires skills. Like now better packaged entertainment synopsis I have noticed discussed comes from fans doing for fun and freely sharing.

Which is ok, up to a point. Entertainers controlled though by inept agents and managers can mess up any support. Which is frustrating.

Also fans needing to get it done is not good for health of promotion industry! Is a valuable field of paid work. 

Have entertainers with demonstrated brilliance who just need to be promoted properly which is not their job to handle.

Thankfully am confident as people learn will quickly become a problem of the past. And fans like myself can just enjoy brilliance without needing to help in global promotion if want to keep getting.

Some of my mood concepts

Mood is very individual but is key to my functional definition of entertainment which focuses on SAFE mood control.

Performers must craft SAFE mood with exquisite skill even when...no, ESPECIALLY when dealing with scary subjects.

If audience does not feel SAFE then audience is not entertained. Check me on that one, carefully.

You may surprise yourself.

Science fiction can really range with moods in this time. Ok, I really like sci fi. But still, it can!

Technology is part of it, but research is key to the science mood. Other moods can flow around that framework.

Research to solve problems: science mood.

There are of course many moods and humor is a mood. Which I list for an easy point of reference. (Yes, if follow my Twitter jstevh am copying tweets from it verbatim. Is MY writing.)

Moods are often complex constellations of emotion. And the FEELING is key to any mood. So, like Star Trek is best example of a brilliant show with military and science mood.

If pay close attention: scientific research, often done by Spock, is key to success! While StarFleet is a military organization dedicated to peaceful exploration.

(Ok, still using tweets but no longer verbatim. Is editing time.)

So then, science mood involves use of research to solve problems.

Military mood involves a hierarchical organization of people dedicated to something larger than themselves willing to sacrifice themselves for others.

That is so cool and ended up longer than I thought it would be when began crafting it.

Figuring out my moods has helped me self-calibrate my mood discernment engine. Which means of course, know what am searching for in any particular entertainment.

You might work on your own mood palette. Where for myself routinely reference comedic mood when trying to find a handle on mood concepts.