Marching Into March

Odin's got a PKM video, thoughts on TTRPG design, and so much more!

Hello, world!

Welcome back to my regular newsletter, updating you on my life, work, thoughts, and random discoveries from the Internet.

My first big thing to share this week is yet another video over on our Unenlightened Generalists account. If you don't want to use YouTube, you can also watch on our PeerTube account, here.

In this video, I delve into the nuanced relationship between information and knowledge management, particularly within the domain of personal knowledge management (PKM) as a tool for individual self-betterment.

I critically examine foundational theories such as the cybernetic information theory, the SECI model of knowledge conversion, and the Data-Information-Knowledge-Wisdom (DIKW) Hierarchy, highlighting their implications for enhancing personal knowledge synthesis and application.

Through this exploration, I argue for the significance of incorporating a social context in knowledge sharing, the reflexive nature of PKM systems, and the transformative journey from data collection to wisdom attainment.

I posit that while these theories have traditionally been applied within organizational contexts, their principles are equally vital to understanding and improving individual knowledge management practices. I further suggest that the future of PKM lies in the innovative integration of these theories into strategies that prioritize the developmental needs of individuals, advocating for a more intentional and reflective approach to managing personal knowledge in the pursuit of lifelong learning and personal growth.

This is the sort of thing that I nerd-out about, you guys.

Elsewhere in my creative sphere, I published two more articles. Both of these swing toward the world of video games, for those interested in that art form.

• IGN Unionizes! The famous video game news service forms a union in a powerful statement for worker solidarity.

• How Enshrouded’s Voxel World Captured Two Million Hearts: A survival crafting game for our inner kid.

The rest of my creative work this week has been randomly focused on my long-term project of developing a TTRPG system. I've been playing TTRPGs since I was 10, and this is a really low-key way for me to pass the time. It's nostalgic, low-pressure, and a whole lotta fun. It's also quite complex and requires a lot of double-checking statistics calculations.

I'd honestly love to publish this system some day, and I could see it taking shape pretty fast once I have the core mechanics working smoothly. Which, thanks to some recent breakthroughs, might actually happen!

Working on this TTRPG system has also been a nice break as, this week, I got hit with my worst-ever migraine. Laying down on Monday morning, I suddenly felt like both I and the room were spinning, but in totally opposite directions. This led to much being sick and 2-3 days of slow recovery. Having something quiet to focus on for fun has been a real life-saver.

Another lifesaver has been the book series I'm reading. The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher never quite captivated me, but this time around I'm listening to the audiobooks. It's fantastic.

I know I've mentioned this a few times already, but, look, it's a series of 19 books! I'm on the 8th one right now, and it's been a delightful masterclass in maintaining tension and building gripping plots. I'll be on this for a while longer, for sure.

Besides, the books are read by the incomparable James Marsters (who played Spike in Buffy the Vampire Slayer). He's got an incredible skill for making the characters come alive, especially since this is such a log series, and he gets to return time and time again to the same world.

My novel has stalled again for the time being with all that I've got going on. I do have another piece of it into a workshop, though, and I'll be sitting down to read all the other workshop submissions soon.

Other things in life and the world

Honestly, the world's got some bad things happening right now. I mean, it always does, but the current moment is especially fraught.

As such, I want to take a moment of silence for the bravery of U.S. Air Force serviceman Aaron Bushnell.

His ultimate sacrifice in the pursuit of peace in Palestine was stirring, heartbreaking, and deeply profound. It has also been treated pathetically by the mainstream media on all sides.

I don't use my newsletter to comment on certain aspects of current affairs, but Aaron's self-sacrifice really struck home for me. It is tragic, as Bernie Sanders said, and yet does speak "to the depths of despair that so many people are feeling now about the horrific humanitarian disaster taking place in Gaza". I think Cornel West's comments were equally clear:

"We've seen the example of our dear brother, Aaron Bushnell. When he set himself on fire, killed himself, what was he saying? These are moral issues and moral causes. These are not just brands and strategies and tactics."

It's too easy to distance ourselves from the moral heart of the events around us. Complexities and shades of gray are everywhere, but I there can never be a justification for the murder of children.

Alright… Now that I've hit you with something extremely heavy, here's something soothing for the spirit.

Watch this video. Bask in the delightful nature of this Norwegian news reporter who gets hit in the face by a flying fish.

And that's all for this week, folks.

Go easy. And, if you can't go easy, go as easy as you can.

~Odin