I know I haven’t been posting much lately. I don’t want to write one of those “I’ve been really busy, here’s why” posts but it might be helpful to try and collect my thoughts for a moment.
This won’t be a newsflash for any Australians, but it’s been extremely hot lately and this has impeded my desire to do much of anything (except, occassionally, retreat to the air conditioned library.) Parts of Australia – Melbourne, Adelaide and Launceston come to mind – have been experiencing temperatures of upwards of 40 degrees celsius. I don’t know how they cope, especially since power shortages have accompanied these weather patterns. My heart goes out to the poor people. Stay cool – both literally and metaphorically.
But even more than that I’ve been a bit preoccupied with some things that probably sound quite crazy. I guess I am a bit isolated and prone to overthinking things. Questions about human nature and the characteristics of the world have been weighing me down. I’ve noticed a lot of people in my life becoming very fickle lately. I’ve really felt like I’ve been micromanaging parts of my (if you’ll forgive the expression) “community.” I’ve grown increasingly envious of people who produce things and then just release them to the world without the time and energy consuming task of managing the reactions of others to those things, post-creation.
Technobabble and Tech Support
Social media is wonderful, it really is. It is great fun. However I am increasingly of the opinion that “the conversation” and “the distraction” are one and the same. A disproportionate amount of time has been going into these channels. It can be a blackhole. And I usually have little to show for the time investment.I feel, too, that I’ve been spreading myself too thinly. I’ve committed myself to projects that I did – and do – believe in, with extraordinarily talented people who I care about and want to support. However I’ve come to realise I have finite resources. I have to admit also that some of these initiatives were motivated merely by a desire to be liked by others, or to be associated with people more successful or talented than I regard myself.
I have a lot of technical knowledge. I’ve come to regard that as a strength. But I can’t be everybody’s “go to” technical guy. Nor do I want to. What I really want to do is help educate and empower individuals to take control of their own technology and use it to reach their goals. And I also want other people to be less dependent on me so I too can take control of my own digital destiny.
Future Plans
The podcast – and other initatives – are continuing at JohnOfJordan.com. At times it is difficult to know exactly what is being built over there, however I have come to notice that it has developed a momentum of its own. I don’t need to ask people to be on the podcast, people are lining up, wanting to be interviewed. I will admit I am less enthralled with the video making process than I once was. Waning view and comment numbers, plus being a little self-conscious in front of the camera (plus the relative convenience of audio only communication) has stifled the process.I have started a new YouTube account in the hopes of rediscovering the joy of video creation away from the constant gaze of subscribers. I am not ready to promote that profile, though if you find it, I always appreciate feedback. This seems counterintuitive on many levels since the JohnOfJordan account is part of the YouTube Partner program and this new account likely won’t ever be. But I’ve decided I need this outlet to rediscover my passion. It’s either this or put away the camera permanently… so I am hoping at least some of you can find a way to be patient with me during this process.
I am also going to unveil (hopefully some time in February) a brand new website. It is going to be a showcase of my talents, a collection of videos, photographs, and articles on specific topics. It is going to be my professional presence on the internet. I’ve worked hard to differentiate between JohnOfJordan and John Lacey. This isn’t motivated by some Clark Kent/Superman or Miley Cyrus/Hannah Montana need for secrecy and privacy, just an expectation that different things will be of interest to different people.
So yeah… that’s where I am right now.
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
I’ve gotten by, but it’s been a very sedentary week. I got through probably half as much as I would have in any other week at work (but so did everyone else in my office), and I rolled up my sleeves and ditched my tie. The only time I really felt shit was on Friday – up until then the train cancellations had mostly affected other lines, but mine stopped running too that day so I spent a couple of hours around the city, still in a suit, trying to find some way to get home.
Hey J…
I like to think of my online efforts much like anything else…there are certain stages of development. I’m definitely still in the ‘going in too many directions’ stage, though I have felt a slight shift toward more focus. I think it’s natural to be overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of the possibilities to be found on the web. But yes, as we grow and if we desire to make use of it (the internet) for more than just a hobby, managing that ‘black hole’ is paramount.
Let me know if you figure out the solution.