Re: [ba-unrev-talk] Career on the frontier outpost?
Although Doug hopes to be able eventually to get some funding for
Fleabyte, it seems best not to count on that. So, at this point I am not
suggesting that the writer go on the convention circuit. What I am
suggesting is that here is an opportunity to discover what can be
accomplished in a gradual way, without commitment. (01)
I am suggesting that one soon learns to discern what are the leading
papers presented at a conference, that copies be obtained (from web,
through help of conference organizers, authors) so the writer can build
a proper file on which to draw a column. Initially, they might be mainly
in the field of computing (relevant to augmentation, of course, as far
as Fleabyte is concerned), but gradually would expand into
psych/neutroscience and augmentation aspect of education. Digital
augmentation of human beings is the focus of an otherwise
multidisciplinary effort. (02)
My experience indicates a three-year period for getting pretty good at
it. Prerequisite: good writer, learn to be an interesting speaker as
well. (03)
This is not blue sky. Jeffrey Harrow, for example, worked on something
akin to this from his position as an engineer at Compaq. (You'll find
him mentioned in Fleabyte.)
He collects information from all sorts of sources and much from his
following of readers and runs an independent website/newsletter
arrangement. His focus is on the future of technology. And he does have
an income from speaking engagements. Of course, things need to be
properly developed. In our case, Fleabyte would give one an opportunity
to cut one's teeth among friends. (04)
Henry (05)
Michael Crusoe wrote: (06)
>
>
> Are you talking about a Bootstrap sponsored journal or review? Or more
> of an independent publication? From what I've seen I agree with your
> view that there needs to be centralized coverage of Bootstrap related
> materials. However, in my own research of these conferences, it can be
> fairly pricey (for me, at least) to attend, or even to get copies of
> the presented papers.
>
> What you describe sounds like a historian who specializes in the
> present and near past, and idea that certainly appeals to me.
>
> Anybody else have any thoughts on this?
>
> --
> Michael Crusoe
> Student at large
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Henry K van Eyken [mailto:vaneyken@sympatico.ca]
> > Sent: Monday, March 25, 2002 5:59 PM
> > To: ba-unrev-talk@bootstrap.org
> > Subject: [ba-unrev-talk] Career on the frontier outpost?
> >
> >
> > There could be a career here, for the right person.
> >
> > Fleabyte's right sidebar now lists upcoming conferences, etc.
> > as far as I
> > can see they are relevant to augmentation in a liberal sense.
> > Some of these
> > ame from the ba discussion lists, a number from the ACM site.
> > In future,
> > others may come from other sites as well.
> >
> > To make the lsiting more useful, I began to include some
> > short notes about
> > the content of conferences so that a quick browse may become
> > an informative
> > experience, to show what kind of stuff is going on on the "frontier
> > outposts" (an expression taken from Doug's year-2000 colloquium).
> >
> > It struck me that the column may be made into something
> > vastly more useful
> > if someone actually contacted conference organizers,
> > collected some of the
> > major papers and from this write a, say, biweekly column to bring
> > potentially important developments together and in context
> > with one another.
> >
> > Sodar there is no money in it for the one taking this on, however
> ...
> >
> > However, from this material may well be produced an annual book of
> > substantial commercial value. People in the world of
> > business, for example,
> > would be keenly interested in good, succinct digests. In
> > other words, there
> > is a career here, a fascinating career that may include
> > speaking engagements
> > for executives and clubs.
> >
> > Yes, there are already futurists, but the reputation here
> > would be to not to
> > be too far out on a limb, to simply stick to what is going on
> > at conferences
> > and gome through screens of critique. That gives the project
> > a good measure
> > of reliability.
> >
> > Advantage for Fleabyte and its readers: costs us nothing for
> > a good service.
> >
> > Advantage for taker: get paid better than Fleabyte can
> > anyway; develop an
> > interdisciplinary outlook.
> >
> > Well ...?
> >
> > Henry
> > (07)