1.6.21 - Mostly about data
Entry 1/6/21 - Lots of stuff about handling data and storing it for convenient future use. A 3D printing project finished and the future is considered.
Storage and refined data
A central tenet to my investment belief is the value of refined data. Data is the fuel of this current fourth industrial revolution, and refined data is like its diesel fuel. Around any technology or study of which I am a part, the process of data interpretation/storage ought to have some consistency for future retrieval.
Most important is this method of organization. An essential worry of my operations is the trust that things which have been set aside for future use will continue to be available for future use. Achieving consistency between different storage platforms and file formats will continue to plague me until a universal, automatic, and instantaneous converter is created. In the meanwhile, I just have to try and manually save projects as universally as I can and adhere to my system of adding to this storage. When studying/accumulating new data, I use a process of mental models to organize and save information.
The process
Read, write, record, publish. Though each segment may have a longer/more complicated time frame than others, this model represents the various mental framing approaches to exercise through respective parts of the creative process.
Reading is a factor with regards to both quantity and quality of new ideas. The mental model’s first priority is the consumption, contextualization, and comprehension of new information. The second priority is “marking” passages for later use. This process is more effective as I focus more attention into the second priority: into preparation for writing by selecting passages with brackets or highlighter.
Writing accomplishes several things at once by copying the selected passages (from Step 1) and writing commentary. The process organizes thoughts and ideas while strengthening the retention of the other author’s ideas. The process of writing builds neural pathways based around the information processed allowing for future recognition to varied exposure. Writing the commentary has a major positive effect on comprehension, integration, and further application.
At this point we may feel like the data is refined already. After all, I’ve comprehended, selected, and prepared it for future use. Up until now, my mental model has been to identify critical information and add it to my library. The mental model through the next two steps are focused the further refinement for use by others. This shift in mentality is critical to creating quality content.
*note on the definition of “recording”. This is not in the historic sense of recording, meaning to take down records. That is clearly step 2, Writing. Recording here should take the modern sense of recording media, such as to a tape recorder or print magazine. It is the translating of information (from step 2) onto a certain media.
Recording is where significant amount of work happens.
Between “writing” and “recording”, a significant amount of work happens. Standout ideas from the writing phase are expounded upon and refined into various forms of media: audio, video, blog, etc. For our R&D, this is most of their documentation process
Publishing is the execution and “sharing” of the final product, usually to the public. This is a stressful event for many amateur artists as it opens the work to criticism, versus the professional who lives for the attention their work receives. Through this process I build my library of prepared information which I, or any I need to, can access virtually anywhere with internet connection. I’m building a “toolbox” of functions and data for future Grant.
Though the concept of refined data is specific to the occasion/need, this process can be applied to the mindset of any accumulation of information. In a world where refined and accessible data provides exponential value, the method of its storage is quite important to me.
Recent printing project
Printing and testing of a rotating turntable gear system along with its stand was completed this week with success. Approximately 26 hours of operating time spread over 3 separate prints. This project gave stronger understanding of gears, supports, and a wealth of knowledge regarding print spacing in CAD.
Documentation is in the work log, pictures below. This project was originally designed by Brian Brocken and can be found here.
Next direction
As could be confirmed by most of my peers and many of my colleagues, my career is in a state of limbo. Having left the Garden Studio in June during the COVID pandemic, the period between has seen me taking jobs in CAD design, 3D printing, video production, advertising, and content creation. Certainly this period has been wildly unpredictable, to the point where often the wise decision was to abandoning all attempts at making predictions and instead focusing on unfinished projects. I believe that this next stage will be intense for me personally (I shall attempt to make it so), but I’ll continue to write.
