Sharing is Caring

Not sharing ideas is a fear-driven activity.

The fear being: I will look bad if I share an idea that other people do not like.

This is what keep people from promoting their friend's music/art/resume/business until said friend's music/art/resume/business has already gained some popularity.

This is exactly how Facebook generates it's non-sequential news-feed. Your post does not see any engagement until someone comments on it. Only then do their friends see it and so on. Quite the chicken and the egg.

So when you share that article from your feed and post it on your wall, you saw it on your feed because it was popular in the first place.

But we like it this way. This way where the curation is someone else's problem.
Preferably an algorithm's problem.
Please, just don't make us do the work.

We are busy.

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This post is inspired by my friend who recently tried to quit Facebook and was faced with emotional sleight-of-hand to make him stay. He talks about his account on his podcast. You should subscribe, he is really good at it.

The World is Open for Play

It must have been about five years ago when my friend Goliath started noticing friends and acquaintances wishing him on his birthday on Facebook even though he had never mentioned his birthday to them. Facebook being the stalwarts of privacy that they are had advertized his birthday publicly.

Goliath decided to have a little fun.

He switched his birthday every day to the next calendar day.
For two whole months.

Acquaintances would wish him on his wall every day for two months. It was a little inside joke for a while. Fecebook dot com was the playground and all of Goliath's contacts were unsuspecting players.

The obvious joke was that the obligatory birthday wish happened only because Facebook reminded them of it. The joke was on the notification culture of social media dwellers who were oblivious to real connections.

People like Goliath have been instrumental in making me realize there abundant opportunities to tinker and play.
The only limitation is our imagination.
The world is a playground of ideas.
And the world is always open for play.

Happy cake day, old friend!

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I borrow the title of this post from the excellent video essay by The Nerdwriter about the Late Robin Williams. The video essay is on the same lines as this post, just like the title suggests. You should watch it.

Elucidate

Do you listen to podcasts?

Podcasts are a rich media that brilliant producers create. Shows are beautifully crafted and are super engaging. I subscribe to a dozen podcasts and listen to them daily.

Think DVR for your best radio shows downloaded to your phone seamlessly...we live in wonderful times!

My good friend and musical genius, Goliath Flores started a podcast. He is combining his love for story telling along with his love for sound-design and soundtrack creation.

I have been listening to his first episode this afternoon and it is simply brilliant. He tells a familiar story but with details that have gripped me into the narrative. The soundtrack helps build emotion but largely stays out of the way, like any good soundtrack should.

Subscribe to his podcast, Elucidate on iTunes, Stitcher, Overcast or where ever you get your podcasts.
Download, listen, tip on his website.

You will thank me.