On Joy and Computing...
Our buddy, Hartley, has said a few things lately that have really got me thinking. He's been talking about focusing on the things in computing that bring you joy -- and spreading happiness and kindness to others via those things.
I love that. I agree with that. Wholeheartedly.
We need more of that in the world of computing (and Tech, in general). There's so much fighting and gnashing of teeth going on. It's just... not healthy.
But there are also very real problems. Things that need addressing. People (and companies) that are doing some truly mean-spirited or bad things. Bullying and censoring others, spying on people, and whatnot. We also need more people speaking out about these things. Desperately.
I have been a man conflicted.
On the one hand, I just want to spread joy. Make people smile and laugh. Help lighten their lives through computing. It's something I love. And I want to spread that love.
On the other hand... I want to scream from the rooftops about the mean, bullyish, evil things that so many companies are doing. I, quite honestly, don't want to be the person doing the screaming. Just feel that things have needed to be highlighted. So I do it.
The net result is that I've ended up alternating between the two. And it just doesn't work for me. Both from a personal perspective (my own sanity) and from a branding perspective.
This is something I've been thinking about for a long time, really. And you can see it in the stuff I produce. I've toyed with multiple formats (in how I approach issues that need addressing in the Tech world). You can almost watch me grapple with this dichotomy, in real time, through my articles and videos. š
With this in mind, I'd like to try something. A variation on things I have already done in the past.
I'm going to only create content -- articles and videos -- that make me smile or laugh.
In the case of purely nerdy topics (retro computing, cool tech news, nifty gadgets, etc.) this is super easy. I talk about them, and I smile. Boom. Love it.
In the case of the less happy things (companies doing mean things, bullies in the tech world, etc.) this means a change in how I cover the topics. I need to find the funny angle. A happy angle. In essence... I need to cover the uncool or infuriating topics via parody (articles, videos, or comics).
Luckily that's nothing new for me. And the past parody articles I've written have performed pretty well. So, from a "business" standpoint, this actually makes a lot of sense.
What this means:
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I'll be doing a very minor rebranding of Lunduke.com. Making it clear that I'm focusing on "happy nerdy things". (Just a few text changes.)
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No more content that fails to bring a smile (at least to me). Focusing on:
-- Fun and/or goofy articles (how-to's, retro computing, fun gadgets, etc.)
-- Comics
-- Parody articles and videos
If I want to cover a serious, non-fun topic? I need to find a funny or amusing angle. This will be a little bit of a challenge, but worth it. Certainly for myself. š
The good news here, is that parody (when it's good) is an effective tool in spreading a message. So, quite honestly, this is likely a more effective long term strategy in bringing about positive change within an industry that, in my opinion, could really use it.
This starts now. Hopefully all of you like how it goes. š
