I think it will be good if contributors have a chance to ‘publish’ or ‘make public’ their contributions. This will help create some form of privacy and also allow more publicity/ interest. At the end of the day, you don’t want to make things too complex as it will put people off. That is one of my main concerns about it at this stage. It’s a bit like a blog… a bit like a fluffpet… a bit like a RPG. If you get what I mean!

Thanks. These comments are valuable as I whip the place into shape. By the way, all contributions are “published” and “public”. I’m probably going to push the “pet” element into the background so it doesn’t distract new guests.

Yes, I agree it has to be simplified. So far it’s been a laboratory for a bunch of ideas I had. In the coming months, I will be trimming, distilling and simplifying things.

As they say, less is more, and more is lazy. I confess, I’ve been lazy. So, feedback like yours is what helps me decide “how” and “what” to clean up.

If you don’t mind, please create a Persona and make a contribution. Don’t worry about writing anything serious or breaking anything. (Idea: you can create a ____ Room for us).

There are some new interactions I want to discuss with you, but you can only see it after you create a post.

Before any interesting work can happen, you first need a certain amount of plumbing. You first have to do the dirty work.

This takes a certain amount of grit. Because the mountain of poo may be high. The swamp may be full of gators. And it may be too foggy to see the green valley and blue waters on the other side.

Press on.

Eventually, you’ll get to a place where conversations can take place, and ideas can blossom.

The first few seconds of any interaction is critical. How do you tickle someone’s interest? How do you tickle it in away that sticks and sucks them in?

Deadly Sin # 7: Vanity

The Inn will soon feature a “Discover your natural Persona” test as the first interaction.

I’m still bumming around the Inn. I am exploring with part of my academic/ analytical hat on. Firstly, I think the scribes are well written and welcome the guest. However, I do not see sufficient content to attract my interest or understanding on what the Inn is really meant to be. I get drips and drabs… more vibes of what you are trying to create but as a guest, I want something to mentally grasp upon. Perhaps some content. Perhaps something or someone ‘else’ at the Inn who can stir my psyche. Perhaps it is useful to have some faithful ‘founders’ lead the way by example or at least have some ‘open source’ content. An example is if I write my thoughts on ‘disease’ or ‘clinical care’ and then have this as a string for someone to grasp on. The question then is how does this defer from a blog site? If the bazaar is about encouraging talent, maybe you can post some art or music of yours to tease guests (or once again, provide a mental anchor or thread).

Thanks. I expect nothing less from a scientist.

I agree with the lack of content. Since you’re the first guest, there is, in fact, zero content 🙂 I specifically wiped the slate clean before you arrived. No, I wasn’t trying to make it difficult for you. You just happen to enter at the early early stages… it’s so fresh even my wife hasn’t had a chance to see it yet! (Our baby is still waking up every few hours.)

What you astutely noticed is the “chicken and egg” problem: Good content attracts people, who create more content, which attracts more people, which cultivates more content, etc.

But in a new system, the chain has to start somewhere. In this case, we’re starting with a state of “zero content” and 2 users (you and me). I’ll be inviting more people as time goes on, but slowly, because this is like a new, untested ship fresh out of the shipyard. I want to make sure it’s seaworthy before we fill the ship up to capacity and sail across the world on risky adventures. It’s like a baby still learning to walk, and it will still trip and bump its head and cry.

So, yes, what you see is a void. That’s because the people to create the content aren’t here yet (except you).

But first, it is important to create a unique place that breeds a unique nature of content and attracts unique people. E.g., most places elsewhere are created for children (Millienials — the first generation of people who can’t comprehend a world without the Internet), and there aren’t many interesting social places for educated adults.

Patience. When M starts getting some free time, I’m going to invite her too. It has to start somewhere, so it starts with a few of us. Slowly we’ll invite others.

To start, I’m seeding it with imagination, and people like you. I will be very picky about who I invite, because the only way to create a place where good content can flourish is by inviting winners, not losers.

BUT — the fact that you are thinking about writing your thoughts on “disease” or “clinical care” is encouraging to me. It tells me that even with nothing, this place gave a little spark for you to imagine writing about those topics. Because, think about it, how many other places can you have those sort of conversations, off the record?

How it’s different from a blog? That is a good question. There are differences, and I’ll answer that better in the future. Probably with a demonstration.

But for now, try this as a simulation:

1. Create a persona
2. Find the room “Test”
3. Create a new, not-so-serious post, just as a test
4. Reply to the one I created called “Straandbeest”

I’ll then interact with you to point you to a few unique features of the Inn.

Yes, I agree, it is valuable to have some faithful “founders”. And that’s why I invited you 🙂

I know, it’s a little lonely still. But patience. I don’t know how it’s going to play out yet. Maybe nothing will come out of this. That’s okay. I had an idea last year and I got tired of mulling over it, so I decided to do something about it and made this.

What I do know is that I don’t want to flood it with a herd of faceless people.

So over the next few months, I will work out the kinks, build, renovate, adapt, etc. And I will recruit others slowly — I have a few people in mind.

That’s not nice, mama’s been taking good care of you.

Because you’re here, I can’t work as much into the nights.

But because you’re here, I’m more inspired to.

Democracy sucks. Because the majority is always wrong. If America were a true democracy, Justin Bieber would be president.

After all, more people tune into him than they do for the current president, or the news.

So when designing the Inn’s interactions, it’s important to have ways to make sure everyone does NOT have equal power or privilege.

There has to be a competition. A natural selection for the fittest to win. Any other non-organic or artificial method will produce artificial biases, like bailouts propping up a phony economy that ought to fail.

The Inn’s newly installed natural selection mechanism is the 30-day Leaderboard. Each Room will have a Leaderboard. Members climb the leaderboard by the number of positive responses they receive for their Stories. Not views. Responses. 

And members at the top of the leaderboard earn privileges to make changes in a Room.

It’s kind of a nifty, happy by-product I didn’t forsee when designing the leaderboard. If  there are no leaders, the Room is a democracy where anyone can rule. When leaders emerge, the leaders have authority for as long as they can remain in power. And the power comes from “votes” cast by fellow members.

Amanda Palmer said, “We can only connect the dots that we collect.” And that’s why we should never strive to be perfect, because we can never have all the dots to start. Instead, we just have to get moving.

“Show up, show up, show up, and after a while the muse shows up,too.” – Isabel Allende