Technology/Gopher permanence, (sdf.org), 01/29/2019
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It feels like it's been more than 5 days since visiblink
started a gopher discussion on the topic of "phlog
revision," or the "etiquette around editing."[1-6]* Setting
aside the interesting self-imposed notion that I'm late in
my response-the result of not having eliminated my
technology-driven time perception problems[7]-I want to toss
a few related ideas into the ether.

(Before I ramble, let me say that I agree with visiblink's
concluding advice: "Do what you want to do." It is, as
stated, one of the best things about gopher, and spring's
"small internet.")

I see this topic as two primary issues: first, whether or
not all gopher content should remain accessible in
perpetuity; and, second, whether or not the things we write
should remain in their original completed forms. Whether or
not these two concepts align with what everyone else means
to discuss I'm not positive; in any case, I'll spout my
opinion on these two ideas in as brief a way I know.


# Perpetual Access

I've previously noted[8] that I'm not fond of the assumption
that content should last forever. Durability is wonderful
for great works, and durability is guaranteed only as a
natural result of their greatness and the continued
appreciation thereof, but everything else should be allowed
to rot. The information age has created a digital horde of
astronomical proportions, with an equally ponderous heap of
digital hoarders.

My personal advocacy (as in, what I advocate for in my own
behavior) here is for content to remain accessible only as
long as the author or reader wishes to maintain it. This is
natural, and this is default behavior in most systems
(big-brother and big-data excluded.)

The above mentioned principles and ideas might be seen as
inconsiderate of my neighbors in gopher space. Loose linking
and important context are at risk. These issues do matter to
me, but they don't overpower my staunch insistence that all
information that is not great should be allowed to rot -not
to die necessarily, but to rot.


# Original Completed Forms

Experience and thought coalesce into spoken words, which fly
from our lips and echo in another's ears, minds, and souls;
they can't be unspoken or unheard. If we want to change
our words, we have to speak new words; and if we want to
change the effects of our words, we have to speak new words
with even greater conviction, compassion, and completeness.

Experience, thought, and speech coalesce into writing; from
drawings in the dust, to carvings in clay and stone, to
scribblings on paper, and eventually to print, our writing
has always been more permanent than speech. If we want to
change what we've written, we have to write new material;
retractions, apologies, and clarifications. If we want to
change the effects of our words, we have to write with even
more conviction, compassion, completeness, and clarity.

Enter the Information Age.

Whereas in the past you published, and nothing could change
what had gone out into the world (it could only be added
to,) you publish in the Information Age and you can (from a
technical perspective, though not in all cases) modify your
words on a whim. The original, completed form is no longer;
works are now fluid, always in process, evolving.

With this loss of the intrinsic original, completed form
comes a choice: to simulate the old form, to embrace a new
one, or to do something in-between. Being a capricious and
inconsistent human, I apply forms on whims. In one place I
use one rule, and in another I diverge. With phlog posts I
attempt to leave them alone, but with other gopher documents
I edit at will. In my mind, there is no real completed form
in gopher.


# Conclusion, and Apology

Gopher is awesome because people are here writing,
conversing, playing, and sharing. We're exposing our hearts
and minds and hobbies, our fears and loves and explorations.
We're imperfect, impatient, and impetuous (well, I am at
least, and I think you are too, even if you won't admit it.)
All of this, and perhaps especially the imperfect bits, are
what make gopher awesome.

None of us- I believe- wants to be an outcast in this
space, even the ones of us who are reclusive and largely
antisocial (again, this is me I'm talking about, but I'm
sure I'm not alone.) So, if my gopher hole management gets
your goat, or if my verbosity irks you, or if you just don't
agree with me at all, please know that no offense is
intended, and that I love how different we are.



* Side-note: I am not sure I've seen this [1-6] format in
preference of the [1][2][3][4][5][6] format, but it's
certainly more appealing visually, I feel[9].

[1] gopher://zaibatsu.circumlunar.space:70/0/~visiblink/phlog/20190124
[2] gopher://zaibatsu.circumlunar.space:70/0/~visiblink/phlog/20190128
[3] gopher://1436.ninja:70/0/Phlog/20190125.post
[4] gopher://zlg.space/0/phlog/2019-01-25_1644.txt
[5] gopher://zaibatsu.circumlunar.space/0/~yargo/clog/yq-phlog-revisions.txt
[6] gopher://sdf.org/1/users/cdmnky/phlog/2019/01-25/
[7] https://www.jcu.edu.au/news/releases/wired-society-speeds-up-brains-and-time
[8] at least, I think I have previously noted this somewhere
[9] gopher://sdf.org:70/0/users/tfurrows/phlog/2019/anb_gopherRefs.txt

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