Death of Facebook

Concepts, Social

It’s always a good idea to fortell the doom of something thats just hit contemporary consciousness. It’s a good way to strike up a conversation and especially good thing to do when your blogging, since you’ll have a record of saying it well before anyone else.

I am here to cast the doom on Facebook.

I have written before about the very basic need of humans to be acknowledged by other humans. The existence of this need explains why we greet people; in the hopes that they will greet us back, it explains why people want to become famous; to have their lives be one huge acknowledgement from day-in day-out. Numerous social customs revolve around this need. We exist because other people think we do.

Not only reaching critical mass, Facebook has also tapped this basic need. They have only gone at it the wrong way. Facebook encourages you to beg for acknowledgement. That’s what constant status-updates, pokes, invites and tags are all about. The computer-network-aided extension of what has, in part, allowed humans to flourish so well. There are dozens of ways you can go about it.

But thats not how you build a long-lasting social networking platform. People get tired of being poked, novelty wears off quickly. A critical mass can be negative, when the right (amount of) people of a certain social circle leave, rest will quickly follow.

The initial chink in the armor of Facebook will be the futility of the way it enables social interaction. It goes about it the wrong way, Facebook makes it rewarding to be acknowledged (with numbers alone, e.g. how many friends do you have, how many people liked this ), not rewarding to awknowledge other people.

If you can come up with a way to achieve that with your social networking, I’d say you are on your way to riches as well as building something a bit more valuable.

The Prize For the Development and Practical Demonstration of Kimmo Strong Artificial Intelligence

AI, KSAI

As usual, I am late for things. I would just like to announce that the prize money for developing and practically demonstrating a Kimmo Strong Artificial Intelligence has just been doubled!

Yes, you read it here first! The prize money is now a staggering, teeth-clenching *20* Euros! For those lazy or busy enough to click a link Kimmo Strong Artificial Intelligence is defined as:

“When presented with (whatever means possible) Carl Barks’ whole production of Donald Duck comics, the AI can produce an (practically) infinite number of comics which, in no discernible way, differ in style or quality from any selected one of those by Carl Barks.”

The prize money goes to the first party to succesfully present and demonstrate a KSAI. All conditions to attain the prize money are subject to change on a whim. No shenanigans allowed. Even unsuccessful entries are welcomed and perhaps laughed at. Apply in the comments.

Finnish Game Jam, Pt.2

Computer Games, Current Matters, Game design, Programming

Okay, the jam is almost over, our game is finished. Fire! To deadify! Your rivals! I am quite satisfied what our team of three accomplished in just 48 hours. We hadn’t met before and there was nothing ready before the jam. I felt it kind of unfortunate that I, almost immediately after the theme for the jam and the voluntary accomplishments were announced, came up with the game idea.

Unfortunate in the sense that in a happening like this, it might be a bit risky to hang yourself on an idea right-off-the-bat. Fortunately the idea carried us to the end. And stop reading this and try out the game!

Potential New Year Resolutions

Beginnings, Current Matters, This Blog

A new year is upon us and in another year, a new decade as well. I had this crazy idea to try and write on my blog every single day something, anything, for the coming year. Instead of making up my own mind, why not ask the more essential people (=bots), you, the supposed readers.

What do you think? Should I take it upon myself to write something on this blog for every day a whole year?

Sunday Night Ramblings, Part II

Concepts, Current Matters

I accidently clicked the “Add New” and now I’m expected to be intelligent, witty, insightful, interesting and all those other Slashdot moderations.

I’ve been slightly discouraged reading (and answering) all the attempts at spam this Blog receives. There seems to be two approaches, one is the obvious google-bombing style; stuff your comment post with as many links and keywords as you can. It doesn’t really matter if they are not that all related, it’s all good for the grand Google.

The other, more disheartening one, the spam contains a comment so generalized, careful not to say anything at else, but yet, trying to appear sincere, that it might appear real to some. I have extracted some fun answering those, as you might have noticed. I was thinking maybe I’d get famous and popular by writing those angry, yet funny replies to obvious spammage. I suspect this will be a type of activity that will get old soon and paying any amount attention to it loans some credibility to the whole activity.

I think spamming reveales one usually wisely hidden aspect of the existence of humanity, namely that we continue to exist solely for the actions and dedication of those who decide to pull _more_ than their own weight. “It’s not my business”, “somebody else can take care of it, there were plenty of other people”, “I couldn’t do anything, I would have only messed everything up”, “I don’t have time for it”, “I have other problems”. If it weren’t for those people, the people who make preceding type of comments would wear us down. Spamming is the unfortunate side-effect of the fact that we have those people.

Now, how’s that for some rambling?

Sunday Night Ramblings, Part I

Current Matters

I just finished re-watching Soylent Green (1973) a rather nice piece of 70’s dystopian sci-fi. The story doesn’t quite follow the Harry Harrison novel (Maker Room! Make Room! (1966)) but it has that distinct 70’s quality about it, from a time when we were last scared about over-crowding, destruction of the biosphere, climate change etc. It has a scene were two of the main characters eat a supper made out of Real beef and some warn-out vegetables, stolen from a scene of crime. And its the best meal they’ve had in a long time, or ever.

Funnily enough, the most modern thing in the film, an early arcade game Space War (1971) is the most dated thing in the film. I think one can draw a certain rule from here: If a technology is new, don’t portray it in any work claiming to be set in the future, you’ll just get its whole impact wrong and it ends up looking cheesy and dated.

The film was Edward G. Robinsons last, he died 9 days after his last scene. His last scene was a nice piece of 70’s cynical view of the future. Robinsons character goes to “home”, a place to have a nice, dignified death. You lie on a bed, you have 20 minutes to listen your favourite music and watch lovely landscapes. The main character, played by Charlton Heston, have to talk to him before he dies. According to IMDB, Heston was the only one knowing that Robinson was dieing of cancer, so his tears in the scene were real.

Another piece of nice 70’s cynicism of the future, were young women called furniture. Yes, they were part of an apartments facilities and Hestons character casually has sex with one of them, in the same way he steals soap, booze and food from the apartment.

Ohh, 70’s, I miss you so…

Not My Day

Current Matters, Weather

There was an important message on the company mail, stating that all company this-and-that -model phones would be changed. There was a three day window, Monday through Wednesday, at the beginning of the month, from 8 to 15, at the office to change it. I had one of those models. Since I’m on training this week I decided to leave early today to get it changed. As per the instructions I remove the SIM-chip beforehand.

Being such an organized person, I also remember to pack my climbing gear, sweatpants and my shoes, before I leave home.

I arrive at the office in time, only to hear that the change isn’t supposed to take place until _next_ month! Ok… I barely make it in time for my training (running in the sleet) and I plan to assemble my phone during the day, just in case somebody needs to contact me. At some point I remember I left the SIM-card at home. Ok. I also forgot my t-shirt at home and I didn’t feel like sweating in my work shirt, so I decide to stop by at home before going climbing.

Once I get back home, I start to unpack my bag just to notice that I had forgotten the damn phone at home in the first place! Just not my day. I doubt there is anyone as unlucky in the world as me is.

And I didn’t go climbing either.

…And Why on Earth Do I Blog?

personal, This Blog

I met a friend at the shop and being such intelligent and well-thought young men we quickly engaged in some deep discussion about this-and-that. One subject we touched was blogging and the why of it. I explained that I don’t treat my blog as a diary and I certainly hope that none reads it like one. I certainly write for me, but with being aware that anyone at any point in future might read it.

If I were more logical and sensible I wouldn’t blog at all, for that reason alone. Whatever you will write will be misunderstood and -treated. Why take a risk like that? For the time being, for most intents and purposes, this blog doesn’t exist. That might change in the future but why bet on something like that? Blogging gives me an ample leverage to battle those nincompoops who insist that everything that exists has to be carefully recraft in Facebook. I have yet to come across ANY argument from them to join Facebook, just the amazement that I don’t, that this won’t, either, be a reason in itself for the foreseeable future.

So, why on Earth do I blog? I positioned myself up against a rather good question. Of course the real reason is exactly the same why people use Facebook, greet others, call other people with derogative names and wear provocative clothing. It is to get some (any) attention.

Dead People

Current Matters, Nostalgia

One of my favourite Finnish authors, Veikko Huovinen, has died. Veikko had prose that had a distinct deliciousness to it. I always wondered about the apparent success of another Finnish author, Arto Paasilinna, who’s prose is so much poorer compared to Veikko’s.

My first contact with Veikko’s work was when there was a tv-series based on his short stories. One of them involved two men, quite bent on drinking alcohol, with the other one being somewhat older and richer. At one point these men left on a roadtrip together, stopping every now and then to buy some more booze. And not just your ordinary gutrot but more refined stuff.

The younger man grows more impatient during the trip since they are not touching the alcohol. He is left to imagine the drunkage taking place when they get to their destination, a recluse log cabin in Lappland or something. Instead of staying at the log cabin, the old man takes the younger man into the woods, which are a-plenty here in Finland, for long hikes. Instead of drinking all the alcohol, the old man proceeds to bury them! In the middle of nowhere! Expensive stuff!

All the accumulated booze is scattered in to the wilderness. Shortly after the trip, the old man dies and leaves the younger man the locations of all that booze… The younger man soon becomes a skilled orienteerist and a cross-country runner, with the occasional prize of a nice bottle of single-malt, instead of slowly drinking his brains out in his flat.

All the above paraphrased from memory. That was the story that sparked my interest (way-back when I was a kid) and made me ask one of his story-collections (“Matikanopettaja”) for Christmas. I was pretty much sold. I’ve been reading his stuff over the years, not really extensively, but enough to keep the fan-flame alive. Pretty much a year ago, one of the finest gentleman in the world, Sam The Bedrock, held his graduation party in Sotkamo, where Veikko lived all his life. We went to get a view to his house, overlooking a river. I took a photograph or two and in one of those photos, if you squint your eyes, you might just imagine seeing Veikko in the window looking outside, pondering… hmmm… pondering… about what…?