Episode catch-up

Looks like the last episode we published here was at the start of 2024, with Episode 25 – Echanger. We’ll take the time to link one episode a day, getting caught up, starting from then.


The indie version is also getting up to speed. Not quite to the point where I’m publishing simultaneously to both, but the archives are coming along nicely. We have full episodes of the newsletter available, and we’re working on a couple different feeds too. I’m excited to get those going. 🙂

The big job, of course, will be moving all the previous blog posts over. Still looking at a way to automate that effectively, as it’s way easier than doing that by hand.

I’m also going to try and post some of the content that feeds the sections of the newsletter here first, things like the Current Reading and Multi-Melting sections, as well as podcast episodes and other feed info. We’ll still have something unique for each issue, so feel free to subscribe here.

Indie version

The Implausi.blog is hosted on a WordPress site, and let’s be honest, we’re not really using all the functionality of it. We’re pretty much plain text with a few nice elements. It grinds my gears a little bit that the site is as slow to load as it is, with ridiculous file-sizes, and requires javascript to show a basic page.

So with the recent turmoil in the WordPress community, I started looking for options, and one of those is right here. Apparently I had the option of running a subdomain on the site, so currently indie.implausi.blog is available, as a very lite version of this site. (Raw HTML, baby! We’ll add some basic CSS in the near future).

We’re moving some of the basics over, not all at once, as described on the landing page there. The blog will mostly be raw xml, with podcast full text available as we go.

Over time, we may switch the main channel to a non-WP version entirely, but right now we’re doing some parallel development. See you there (or here)!

Remote work

Couple quick bullet points today, as we return to semi-regular blogging:

(Nothing like an eclipse to shake things up.)

  • Working on a monthly newsletter to keep things up to date. This will be hosted here, not on substack or elsewhere.
  • Along with that will be a bit of a refresh on the site contents, with a focus more on pages than the blog roll.
  • Warhammer content will mostly be moving to AppendixW.com
  • And more original artwork too.

More soon. 😁👍

Artwork

Thinking about the artwork on the podcast today, and how I’d like to get something that isn’t procedurally generated. I used one of the early generative tools for it (forgot which one) when I was trying to get it launched, and while it helped, and I like it overall, I know the “look” of the generative art isn’t necessarily for everyone, and might be an active turnoff.

So, thinking of a couple different approaches:

  1. Photography (plus a little editing):

Take a picture, of something that roughly matches, and then process it so it keeps the same overall “feel”, but had a human involved in the steps rather than an automated tool.

Pros: not AI generated, original to me, own the copyright

Cons: at a certain level, what’s the point? What’s the difference between something that’s procedurally generated, and something that’s heavily processed? They’ll end up looking similar by the end of it, with the original barely recognizable. If one of the benefits of the generative tools is that they automate the work, as we’ve argued several times on both the podcast and on this page, then what’s wrong with using the tools?

  1. Contracted Work:

This would involve finding one of the many artists accepting commissions to create am icon, a logo, some splash art, something like that. I’m fine with this, even though the cost might scale, depending on what (or how much) I’m asking for. Licensing might be an issue, and terms of the agreement. Copyright to the artist, obviously.

Pros: something that looks good, created by a professional, business to an artist.

Cons: negotiations, cost, rights to the work. Obviously this gets done and happens all the time, but it’s still outside my experience. And the ability to change and modify the work for different contexts, like special podcast episodes, or for different places (Podcast v Youtube v here, frex).

I’m not against it, but I’m still a little wary.

  1. Self-created:

Using an art tool, like Canva, Moho, or something similar to create the work. This is what I’ve been using for everything aside from the banner and logo for the podcast. Again, not bad, but limited, especially with my artistic skills and Canva’s free options. I’m not 100% happy with the look of stuff that I’ve created. Maybe that’s a me thing, but I know it could be better as well.

Pros: Already started down the path, would have ownership of the material as well.

Cons: Doesn’t look great, kinda sends off an amatuerish or unprofessional vibe, cost could increase significantly to possible little effect (if the issue is with my “eye” or style more than the tools).

Could be (or “can” or “is”) a massive time sink, spending hours doing something outside my skillset where I could be working on the writing and recording. So, perhaps not the best use of my Friday nights?

And there may be other options I’m missing. But it feels like this is where I’m at at the moment with respect to the art for the blog, podcast, and YouTube channel.

I’m excited that there’s an opportunity to try new things with each of the above options. But I’m a little worried by each of them too.

I think the best way might be to explore each one in turn, and see which one gives me a result I’m most happy with (without breaking the bank, of course!).

I’ll link back here, and update, with examples of each as we give it a shot.

Recombinant Innovation

Was shared a link today, to a video showing off the newest Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra:

It’s fantastic technology, showing off the ability to translate (almost) live between Korean and English, functioning as a middle-man, or middleware, between the Sender and Receiver in the communication channel, reducing the overall noise in the system (in this case in the difficulty of two very different languages).

But in discussion today, we noted how simple some of the various components are: the translation, which exists already at both ends, Google translate, or any of a number of dedicated devices.

And this is the point: there are very few completely new things in the world. Most new things are combinations of existing things.

The interesting thing is how you put them together.

Hence, recombinant innovation.

The ability of these innovations to reduce friction (or appear to, at least; there can often be a dark side of it as well) can determine how well these tools get adopted. It depends on if people can see themselves using it.

And in this, the Youtube video above is very effective: we can readily picture ourselves in that situation needing to make a reservation at a restaurant, and deciding that this would work for us. And from there it’s a quick jump to see how we could use it in other areas of our lives. Talking with loved ones, or their families, and being able to speak directly (or with at most a quick pause), and share with them too.

There’s a lot of magic in our innovations. Let’s start the discussion.