It's been a long held theory of mine that the history of cyberspace will be seen as analogous to the history of colonised continents like the Americas, Africa and Asia. First you have native tribes, independent startups carving out their own little niche.Then come the corporations like the Dutch East India Company or the Hudson Bay Company, Google or Microsoft.
The third step is colonisation. This is either happening really soon or right now, depending on where you are. Real world countries extending control over cyberspace the only way they know how: censorship.
The fourth phase is at the same time optimistic and outlandish: independence. It may take decades, but if the internet and the people who understand what it can do are oppressed long enough, something big will happen.
The disturbing part is that at the moment, the most fervent freedom fighters are Anonymous. I doubt the English language could yet describe that free state.
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Pointless apologies
I'm sorry that the address for contributions didn't come. I was busy finishing school, and that project just ran out of momentum. Some other things I'm thinking about doing right now, after I catch up on everything I've been planning to post here.
If you would like me to keep working on an urban fantasy in an entirely fictional universe, that's what comments are for.
As of writing this, however, I have no evidence that anyone has ever seen this blog. Hence the pointlessness.
If you would like me to keep working on an urban fantasy in an entirely fictional universe, that's what comments are for.
As of writing this, however, I have no evidence that anyone has ever seen this blog. Hence the pointlessness.
Monday, August 25, 2008
Understanding Australia
Here are three facts that say a lot about my country:
- Our first prime minister was responsible for resolving the first international cricket riot.
- We use the metric system, but you can still get a quarter pounder with cheese.
- We have an unofficial national anthem (one of many) usually reserved for when the singer is drunk.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
God doesn't love you
At least not the way you think.
If you accept the existence of a god, that implies a being who has witnessed the deaths of billions of loved ones. This could not be countenanced by any definition of love humanity has devised, therefore God does not love in a way you can understand, if at all. QED.
This meshes neatly with the deist argument, that God retreats from the universe after its creation, in this example due to psychological damage.
If you consider the idea of a man in the sky loving everyone irrelevant, please disregard this.
If you accept the existence of a god, that implies a being who has witnessed the deaths of billions of loved ones. This could not be countenanced by any definition of love humanity has devised, therefore God does not love in a way you can understand, if at all. QED.
This meshes neatly with the deist argument, that God retreats from the universe after its creation, in this example due to psychological damage.
If you consider the idea of a man in the sky loving everyone irrelevant, please disregard this.
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Major Project
I'm an amateur writer, and a big fan of speculative fiction. It always struck me as odd how fantasy was always stuck in the past, and if it showed a modern setting, it was always the real world, never a fictional one. So I set out to create a mid-twentieth century fantasy universe.
It's hard. But the hardest part is the culture. I have essentially destroyed every song, film, painting, sculpture, book, historical reference, figure of speech and religion. Now I need to replace them.
Dear (potential) readers, that's where you come in. Any of the above pieces of culture that you submit, that can exist in my universe, will exist. Every character could hate it, it could be the equivalent of a rickroll, but it will exist.
If you don't think music can be expressed in novels, I recommend Sergei Lukyanenko's Night Watch series.
Personally I'm hoping that someone notable will participate.
An email address for submissions will be up soon, as well as more information about the universe.
It's hard. But the hardest part is the culture. I have essentially destroyed every song, film, painting, sculpture, book, historical reference, figure of speech and religion. Now I need to replace them.
Dear (potential) readers, that's where you come in. Any of the above pieces of culture that you submit, that can exist in my universe, will exist. Every character could hate it, it could be the equivalent of a rickroll, but it will exist.
If you don't think music can be expressed in novels, I recommend Sergei Lukyanenko's Night Watch series.
Personally I'm hoping that someone notable will participate.
An email address for submissions will be up soon, as well as more information about the universe.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Webcomics
Most of you probably noticed the Penny Arcade reference in one of my earlier posts. Artistic content on the net has by now diversified into three groups: webcomics, blogs and videos. With that in mind, here are some of the webcomics I enjoy.
Current:
Concluded:
Get through these and you might get some of my jokes. Hopefully.
Current:
Concluded:
Get through these and you might get some of my jokes. Hopefully.
As long as the server doesn't crash
Anyone who's read Slaughterhouse-5 by Kurt Vonnegut should recall that the fatalistic characters treated death with indifference as the person was alive at many other moments, like looking along a mountain range.
That's what blogs, and especially services like twitter, make me think about. It's 11:00 at night, and this blog post is the only evidence I'm alive. It is, basically, my existence at this very moment. People who tell the world their entire lives will have their entire lives live forever.
That's what blogs, and especially services like twitter, make me think about. It's 11:00 at night, and this blog post is the only evidence I'm alive. It is, basically, my existence at this very moment. People who tell the world their entire lives will have their entire lives live forever.
Sunday, July 6, 2008
The Name
It doesn't really mean anything. Just a compound word that got three hits in a Google search, all in German.
But, much as I hate to admit it, the name does reflect my style: a post-modern take on the fantastic.
Try to remember it, there will be a test afterwards.
But, much as I hate to admit it, the name does reflect my style: a post-modern take on the fantastic.
Try to remember it, there will be a test afterwards.
Opening Lines
My name is Nicholas Hobday. I was born in October 1990. I am starting this blog in July 2008 for three purposes:
1. This is a blog. That means copious linking to the latest AWESOME!1! content on the web. I'll try to contain myself.
2. To work on and publicise my writing.
3. To get all my bizarre ideas out of my head, off my desk, and into the world.
Just one more thing to get out of my system before I begin: First post. That is all.
1. This is a blog. That means copious linking to the latest AWESOME!1! content on the web. I'll try to contain myself.
2. To work on and publicise my writing.
3. To get all my bizarre ideas out of my head, off my desk, and into the world.
Just one more thing to get out of my system before I begin: First post. That is all.
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