Posts about ideashttps://mithrandi.net/categories/ideas.atom2018-05-19T08:14:05ZmithrandiNikolaDrowning in the Sea of Infinityhttps://mithrandi.net/blog/2009/07/drowning-in-the-sea-of-infinity/2009-07-06T03:13:22Z2009-07-06T03:13:22Zmithrandi<div>
<blockquote><p>If the light of a thousand suns<br>were to rise in the sky at once<br>it would be like the light<br>of that great spirit.<br>— <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhagavad_Gita"><span lang="sa">भगवद् गीता</span></a></p>
</blockquote>
<blockquote><p>I remember when we were so young,<br>you embraced my fears and made me strong;<br>but never did you actually hold my hand,<br>your silence no one would understand.<br>— Dream Theater, <em>Speak to Me</em></p>
</blockquote>
<p>I discovered this weekend that <a href="http://searchlores.org/">Fravia+</a> passed away about two months ago; I had read about his illness some time ago, but somehow missed the announcement of his death until now.</p>
<p>For those of you unfamiliar with this character, Fravia was one of the old school reversers (as in reverse engineering); or "hacker", in the sense that I personally identify with. In those days, knowledge was handed down from the great wizards like +ORC and others, but it was Fravia that truly brought the message to the masses (you may find his old site archived in <a href="http://www.woodmann.com/fravia/">various places</a>). This was not merely about "cracking" software copy protection; but about taking things apart, understanding the way they work — and not just software, either. Later, he turned his focus to the meta-art of <a href="http://searchlores.org/indexo.htm">searching</a>; seeking out information, wherever it may be hidden. His eccentric tone, which some no doubt found to be pompous and patronising, was something that endeared me to him from the very beginning; and the communities that sprung up around the gardens he planted were true jewels gleaming in the darkness of cyberspace.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, as time moved on, I lost touch with these <a href="http://www.ebmb.de/http/mbs/board.php?sort=post">communities</a>, as I have lost touch with so many others. I still feel a strong connection to them, but I ceased participating in the interactions for whatever reasons, as my focus moved on to other places; and this is really what this post is about. Somehow, despite my efforts to the contrary, I'm unable to cling to everything I hold dear; like trying to gather the sea into one's hands, it just flows through my fingertips, and I don't know what to do about it. In some ways, this is similar to another problem I have <a href="http://mithrandi.vox.com/library/post/increments-in-monochrome.html">previously described</a>; dealing with ideas that are too big to hold in mind all at once. Yet, this is not quite the same issue; this is more of a social issue, wrapped up with issues of time and concentration. I somehow need to become my future self, without losing that which comprises my past self; to gain new understanding and insight, without losing that which was previously important.</p>
<p>And so, I find myself conflicted and disquieted; and most of all, mourning the passing of a great man, someone I would have liked to number amongst my friends, even if it were not so. Sail well, dearest Fravia, you are someone who will not be forgotten quickly or easily; and to those who perchance remember an old stranger, fellow traveller, or friend, I miss you all somehow, somewhere…</p>
</div><div>
<blockquote><p>If the light of a thousand suns<br>were to rise in the sky at once<br>it would be like the light<br>of that great spirit.<br>— <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhagavad_Gita"><span lang="sa">भगवद् गीता</span></a></p>
</blockquote>
<blockquote><p>I remember when we were so young,<br>you embraced my fears and made me strong;<br>but never did you actually hold my hand,<br>your silence no one would understand.<br>— Dream Theater, <em>Speak to Me</em></p>
</blockquote>
<p>I discovered this weekend that <a href="http://searchlores.org/">Fravia+</a> passed away about two months ago; I had read about his illness some time ago, but somehow missed the announcement of his death until now.</p>
<p>For those of you unfamiliar with this character, Fravia was one of the old school reversers (as in reverse engineering); or "hacker", in the sense that I personally identify with. In those days, knowledge was handed down from the great wizards like +ORC and others, but it was Fravia that truly brought the message to the masses (you may find his old site archived in <a href="http://www.woodmann.com/fravia/">various places</a>). This was not merely about "cracking" software copy protection; but about taking things apart, understanding the way they work — and not just software, either. Later, he turned his focus to the meta-art of <a href="http://searchlores.org/indexo.htm">searching</a>; seeking out information, wherever it may be hidden. His eccentric tone, which some no doubt found to be pompous and patronising, was something that endeared me to him from the very beginning; and the communities that sprung up around the gardens he planted were true jewels gleaming in the darkness of cyberspace.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, as time moved on, I lost touch with these <a href="http://www.ebmb.de/http/mbs/board.php?sort=post">communities</a>, as I have lost touch with so many others. I still feel a strong connection to them, but I ceased participating in the interactions for whatever reasons, as my focus moved on to other places; and this is really what this post is about. Somehow, despite my efforts to the contrary, I'm unable to cling to everything I hold dear; like trying to gather the sea into one's hands, it just flows through my fingertips, and I don't know what to do about it. In some ways, this is similar to another problem I have <a href="http://mithrandi.vox.com/library/post/increments-in-monochrome.html">previously described</a>; dealing with ideas that are too big to hold in mind all at once. Yet, this is not quite the same issue; this is more of a social issue, wrapped up with issues of time and concentration. I somehow need to become my future self, without losing that which comprises my past self; to gain new understanding and insight, without losing that which was previously important.</p>
<p>And so, I find myself conflicted and disquieted; and most of all, mourning the passing of a great man, someone I would have liked to number amongst my friends, even if it were not so. Sail well, dearest Fravia, you are someone who will not be forgotten quickly or easily; and to those who perchance remember an old stranger, fellow traveller, or friend, I miss you all somehow, somewhere…</p>
</div>Increments in Monochromehttps://mithrandi.net/blog/2009/01/increments-in-monochrome/2009-01-29T22:54:41Z2009-01-29T22:54:41Zmithrandi<div>
<p>I've recently been grappling once again with an old problem: how to manage the development evolution of an idea that's too big for my mind to consider all at once. Technology has provided tools to help deal with this problem in general, mostly in the form of enhanced communication channels and "external memory" (ie. storage), as well as information processing tools to sift through external memory. Unfortunately, these tools only go so far; for one thing, in order to write down information or otherwise store it externally in some form, you need to be able to encode the information (say, in English). This works great in many cases, but is of little help in a situation where the ideas and concepts are not sufficiently crystallised in order to be able to encode and communicate them. For ideas with sufficiently small scope, it's not a problem to keep the idea in my mind over a period of time, as I slowly refine and crystallise the idea to the point where it can be communicated to others; but every now and then, something comes along that's so huge that I can't keep it in mind all at once.</p>
<p>One solution that some people resort to is encoding partial fragments of the idea independently. Unfortunately, this leads to a breakdown in cohesion and coherency; instead of a single coherent idea, you now have a sprawling mass of interrelated ideas that don't fit together so well, which really isn't a good substitute for the real thing.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, I don't yet have an answer to this; the particular idea that I'm working on (which will probably turn into a blog) is simply too important to break down into separate ideas, as it just won't have the necessary impact in that form. Every time I pick the idea up again, I realise that I've lost my grasp on various aspects of the idea, so it seems like I can't make any progress; as soon as I develop one aspect, I lose what I've developed on another aspect.</p>
<p>Anyhow, I guess I'm not really expecting a solution to any of this, but I thought I'd throw it out there while I'm banging my head against the wall.</p>
</div><div>
<p>I've recently been grappling once again with an old problem: how to manage the development evolution of an idea that's too big for my mind to consider all at once. Technology has provided tools to help deal with this problem in general, mostly in the form of enhanced communication channels and "external memory" (ie. storage), as well as information processing tools to sift through external memory. Unfortunately, these tools only go so far; for one thing, in order to write down information or otherwise store it externally in some form, you need to be able to encode the information (say, in English). This works great in many cases, but is of little help in a situation where the ideas and concepts are not sufficiently crystallised in order to be able to encode and communicate them. For ideas with sufficiently small scope, it's not a problem to keep the idea in my mind over a period of time, as I slowly refine and crystallise the idea to the point where it can be communicated to others; but every now and then, something comes along that's so huge that I can't keep it in mind all at once.</p>
<p>One solution that some people resort to is encoding partial fragments of the idea independently. Unfortunately, this leads to a breakdown in cohesion and coherency; instead of a single coherent idea, you now have a sprawling mass of interrelated ideas that don't fit together so well, which really isn't a good substitute for the real thing.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, I don't yet have an answer to this; the particular idea that I'm working on (which will probably turn into a blog) is simply too important to break down into separate ideas, as it just won't have the necessary impact in that form. Every time I pick the idea up again, I realise that I've lost my grasp on various aspects of the idea, so it seems like I can't make any progress; as soon as I develop one aspect, I lose what I've developed on another aspect.</p>
<p>Anyhow, I guess I'm not really expecting a solution to any of this, but I thought I'd throw it out there while I'm banging my head against the wall.</p>
</div>