Diderot
My reset has continued for last couple of weeks, certainly in terms of notable #52in52 adventures. That's partly because of new projects at work, catching up after being away, and a general lack of focus on my part.
I did however finally launch Diderot by adding paid tiers to the website. What is Diderot? It's a site I created to provide a place for everyone to store their memories. It allows you to record a short recollection of a particular moment in time, to which you can also add a place, people and photos. You can create your own personal timeline, share memories with friends and family, or publish your memories anonymously to everyone on the site.
To get people started the system provides multiple questions that you can answer. Such as, “What could you see out of the window of your first bedroom?”
Everyone has a story. Everyone’s life is interesting if we take the time to ask the right questions and listen to the answers. There are many places where you can read about the lives of the famous. Diderot is meant for everyone else.
So please try it out and let me know what works and what doesn’t. No need to sign up for a paid subscription - there’s a free tier that does almost everything. I'm using it with my parents and some friends and it's already providing me with great memories and new insights.
More features are planned, as and when I have the time, including audio and video recordings.
Speaking of websites, I also wanted to mention a few sites that I’d recommend.
If you're at all interested in technology I try to always read both of these:
- https://pluralistic.net: Cory Doctorow is a science fiction author, activist and journalist. His take on the technology questions of the day is usually way ahead of that of most people.
- https://www.404media.co: 404 Media is a journalist-founded digital media company exploring the ways technology is shaping–and is shaped by–our world.
For those more interested in life and culture:
Maria Popova
The Marginalian is compiled by Maria Popova and I can't recommend it enough. She calls it, "a record of my reading and reckoning with our search for meaning: sometimes through science and philosophy, sometimes through poetry and children’s books, always through the lens of wonder."
Alternatively, if visual art is more your thing, this is usually good:
Grace Ebert
Back to #52in52.
I’ve mostly kept on track with my habits, although ironically I didn’t post much to Diderot over the last couple of weeks. I also fell a little short on my piano practice. Failing is part of getting better though. Also, I’m currently reading a very interesting book about time and how we use it, which questions the need to fill every moment of every day with something, which I think is a nice counter-balance to this #52in52 initiative. Details to follow once I’ve finished it.
This week I have poker and a visit to a baseball game planned; plus I've already snuck in another 5K run. So there should be more to read about next week!
