Am I missing a step with webmentions?

🔗 A recent post on People First was syndicated to Micro Blog.

I replied to that post in MicroBlog.

And it seems to be approved

So, shouldn’t it appear here?


🇳🇿 Small Businesses in New Zealand - And Elsewhere

The particular comment I was responding to was in a private group hosted in New Zealand - hence the opening paragraph. BUT - I think it pertains to any country. In that post, this link was provided — I think New Zealand has more businesses (and hence ‘small’ businesses) per capita than pretty much any New Zealand just doesn’t have the people to support it.

BUT - when you leave New Zealand … there has been something happening for a while now. I will try to discover the article I wrote a while back ….

Here’s the nub … In the US (but I am pretty sure this applies to most countries) 50 to 60 years ago, big employers like GM and GE were the dominant market cap companies on the financial exchanges. Not entirely un-coincidentally, they were also the companies that employed the most people. Fast forward to today … the market caps of the biggest companies are an order of magnitude higher than the ones back then and the number of people they employ is an order of magnitude less. Meanwhile the population of America has doubled? Tripled?

So where are all those people now working? Answer small … or at least smallER businesses.

Some of this has been achieved by improved efficiencies … we no longer need banks of people directing calls, typing up documents, manufacturing cars …. But also … since the 70s there has been a steady drip of those organizations getting those people ‘off the books’ .. why employ people if you can off shore, outsource, automate processes … and the new one - use AI. The result is that more and more people are in smaller and smaller businesses but often working in service to a larger organization.

Quite simply - If I am building a house (actually - or metaphorically) .. do I employ everyone full time … or contract with the right resources at the right time to get the job done?

Tongue in cheek .. but for the longest time, I have had this vision of the ideal company comprising a single individual with ‘agents’ managing their ‘virtual supply chain’ that they need to deliver value to their customers.

This thought informs the graphic below - 'The Business Equation' - and is foundational thinking in the People First domain.

The Business Equation 001

🔗 Clubhouse is laying off more than half of its workforce - The Verge

Quel surprise … I wrote this when I was still on the wait list … and once in I even guested on a couple … my one word summary of the experiences, the site, the conversations, the quality … ‘crap’.


Ten things that you can do to embrace the future of AI whilst mitigating the threat of losing your liveliehood.

The Newsletter.


1. Stay informed: Keep up-to-date on the latest developments and trends in AI and automation, and how they are affecting your industry and job market.

2. Develop new skills: Continuously learn new skills to stay relevant in the job market, such as programming, data analysis, or other skills related to AI.

3. Pursue higher education: Consider obtaining a degree or certification in a field related to AI, such as computer science or data science, to prepare for the jobs of the future.

4. Explore new career opportunities: Look for opportunities to work with or alongside AI, such as in fields like robotics, automation, and machine learning.

5. Be adaptable: Embrace new ways of working and be open to adapting to changing work environments as AI and automation continue to transform the workplace.

Photo by Andrea De Santis on Unsplash

6. Build a strong professional network: Connect with other professionals in your field and seek out mentorship and guidance to stay up-to-date on the latest developments in AI.

7. Be creative: Explore new ways of applying your skills and expertise to stay ahead of the curve and capitalize on emerging opportunities in the AI economy.

8. Consider entrepreneurship: Starting your own business or pursuing self-employment can provide greater control over your livelihood and allow you to take advantage of emerging opportunities in the AI economy.

9. Advocate for policies that support workers: Encourage policymakers to create policies that support workers and address the potential negative impacts of AI on employment, such as job retraining programs and income support for displaced workers.

10. Stay positive: Embrace the potential benefits that AI can bring, such as increased productivity and efficiency, and stay positive about the opportunities that lie ahead.


Ten things that corporations can do to empower their employees and their use of AI whilst NOT reducing their workforce to increase profits.

The Newsletter.


  1. Invest in upskilling and reskilling: Provide opportunities for employees to learn new skills and develop expertise in areas related to AI, such as data analysis, programming, or robotics.

  2. Foster a culture of innovation: Encourage employees to experiment with new technologies and processes, and provide the resources and support necessary to implement new ideas.

  3. Promote collaboration: Encourage cross-functional collaboration and knowledge sharing, to bring together employees from different departments with diverse skill sets and expertise.

  4. Ensure transparency and communication: Be transparent about the company’s AI strategy and communicate clearly with employees about how AI is being used and how it will impact their work.

  5. Emphasize ethical considerations: Ensure that AI is being developed and used in an ethical and responsible manner, and prioritize the well-being of employees and society as a whole.

Photo by Andrea De Santis on Unsplash

  1. Implement AI for augmentation rather than automation: Use AI to enhance human decision-making and productivity, rather than replacing human workers with automated systems.

  2. Prioritize employee well-being: Consider the impact of AI on employee well-being, and take steps to mitigate potential negative effects, such as stress or burnout.

  3. Encourage employee feedback: Solicit feedback from employees on how AI is being used and how it could be improved, to ensure that employees feel empowered and engaged in the process.

  4. Reward creativity and innovation: Recognize and reward employees who come up with innovative ways to use AI to improve the company’s operations or products.

  5. Invest in long-term goals: Focus on the long-term benefits of AI, rather than short-term cost savings, and invest in initiatives that will create sustainable growth and benefit both the company and its employees over the long term.


🎛️🎙️ Bitcoin is Still The Future of Payments

🔗 Calling It Now: Elon Musk’s Micropayments Gambit Will Flop Big Time

Though Musk and Twitter aren’t specifically called out, it is clear that Lightspark’s David Marcus agrees - mainly because Micropayments can’t work while we continue to organize our payments as we do.


You should really listen to the whole thing, but this snippet particularly pertains to the MicroPayment comment above.


🎛️🎙️ Whats good for the Goose is good for the Gander

13 seconds that neatly encapsulates the People First challenge. Maybe AI will finally push open the flood gates

The Full Podcast:

🎙️ Peter Kafka Talks AI


🎛️🎙️ Kafka and Lessin

Experimenting with clipping out of Overcast. (Side note - Jessica Lessin is the founder and Editor In Chief of ‘The Information’.)

The Full Podcast:

🎙️ Inside The AI Goldrush


🎛️🎙️ Micropayments. Have their time finally come?

I don’t know - and I sure can’t tell from this podcast - but David Marcus sounds confident.

A 15 second snippet, courtesy of Overcast …

The Full Podcast:

🎙️ Bitcoin is still the future of payments, says Lightspark CEO David Marcus


It’s been a while since People First released a newsletter - just put that to right.


䷓ Glossary Terms

Slowly building up my glossary links ( thankyou @AndySylvester ) … 4 active so far … more in the background - and none of the embedded terms are yet implemented (except that one at the bottom of this post). None of the click throughs are final text yet - but that is kind of the beauty of the 🔗 glossary.

Learn more about People First.

An experiment as I think about moving peoplefirst.business into MicroBlog.

About my position on The Future of Work.

I moved my old Humo(u)r archive into MicroBlog a while back. It has a fixed footer and some of the HTML is broken. Steadily fixing as I rediscover these old posts - and then adding this dynamic footer.


The glossary allows me to set one or more fixed footers on any post that are generated dynamically, so if I want to change anything - I change it once and it changes everywhere. This is an example of such a footer.

People: The Driver

I spotted this car parked near a Farmers Market - I walked on, wondering about the owner and what their story was.

The Driver

Returning a few hours later, I saw a couple of cars stopped at a junction. They weren’t moving and as I got closer saw an elderly man using his feet to propel him and his wheelchair backwards across this small, pot hole riven junction … up a small incline.

I walked over and asked him if he needed any help.

“No thanks. I’m fine.

Are you sure?

“No really. I’m ok … Thankyou.

Pushing harder with his feet for the final assault on the slope.

I waved to him ... ok then ... and kept going. He shouted out.

“Thankyou. Thankyou very much. I’m ok ... really."

I turned around to wav to see him by his car, wrestling with the door to get in, carefully watched by his lady friend, sitting patiently to one side of the road in her wheelchair.


I still don’t know the story of the car, nor it’s owner - but clearly, despite what the car might say to a passer by ... he was a proud, well mannered, graceful man. I really wish I knew his story.


Whilst you are waiting for Open AI to lose this message …

The server is currently overloaded with other requests. Sorry about that! You can retry your request, or contact us through our help center at help.openai.com if the error persists.

… and get on with generating your latest way cool graphic … know that I am seeing no wait time at Stable Diffusion and MidJourney plus images seem to be getting generated in less than 10 seconds.

Sure - they might not be as ‘hot’ as what you want - but unlike the Open-AI experience - you do at least get one!


Updated 23-04-03 : 20:15

And that’s a wrap for now. Finally

Turns out that ' " ' is apparently not the same at all as ' “ ' !!!

This post is written - and being updated - in Drafts, courtesy of a plugin by @donnydavis

I am using it to test and edit a set of terms that are the start of my new glossary (an @AndySylvester plugin)


Test Glossary

Terms


  • identity

  • data

  • tech

  • work

  • commerce

  • learning

  • Language is one of the 8 pillars of People First thinking where we explore the subtle art of manipulating conversation and dialogue through the careful choice of words. It’s rampant.

  • value

About People First

The Future of Work


What Is This Post?


Via Doc Searls

🔗 Project Sibol

… aims to make individuals become more aware of the risks and benefits of data trading and sales, and take steps to protect their own data … …. is the first step towards unpacking and untangling the complex world of data exchanges. … we hope to provide guidance on how industry groups and associations can develop better codes of conduct and best practices for data exchanges.


Interesting article on the cost of coordination.

That said, it’s mainly a webmention test.


🎛️🎙️ Embrace The Future

The excerpt is not the main thrust of the podcast, but neatly summarizes the problem of rejecting, rather than embracing, what is clearly something that is part of the future.

The Full Podcast: 🎙️ Why The Future Belongs To Intellectual Capitalists


This Is Not The End.

🔗 Nick Cave on Growing Older - older mind you … not ‘old’.

This IS The Beginning.

🔗 Nick Cave on Being Young.


🎛️ A couple of revised posts on the blog.

🖇️🎛️ Will Arnett doesn’t like the word content either.

🖇️🎛️ Why my term ‘English Progressive’ might make sense in musical genres.

Opening up a new category on the blog that I call ‘🖇️ snippets’.

More refinement might yet occur.


A Substack with bundles of links : 🔗 Digital Countries are the Next New Thing

Who’s already started : 🔗 The Network State Dashboard

The Book : 🔗The Networked State Book (free and downloadable)

Originally posted on John.Philpin.Com