Seventh Sanctum

Steve’s Update 12/14/2014

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No, I didn’t vanish – but work and the holidays are keeping me real busy.  So what’s going on?

At Muse Hack I did two columns on the question “is there a gap in hiring in IT” – if you work in IT you’ve heard the claim it’s hard to hire people.  In part one I examined the basic numbers and what they tell us, but then dived deeper into specifics and reached some surprising conclusions.  Short form, there’s probably a gap for senior people, it’s concealed due to certain factors – and we’re making it worse.  If you work in IT check it out – it’s very educational

Muse Hack is going to be, as noted, more personal, so I’m still getting it quite right.  I’ve got some more intense, deeper pieces, weekly links, and Way With Worlds as my focus.  Let’s see how it goes.

Another update to the Civic Geek Catalog today – after taking a break.  The more I do this the more I find I like resource gathering, so I may always have one of these “resource” projects in mind for cultivated geek stuff.

Starting to form my next book plans or two.  I’m debating geek citizenship, but i’m also thinking I should bundle up Epic Resume Go! and Quest For Employment with my other job advice columns for a definitive “Steve Talks Careers” book.

Otherwise, some new generator work at the Sanctum planned, you can read more at The Codex.

Thanks everyone, and if I don’t post before Christmas, Happy Holidays!

 

 

– Steven Savage

Steven Savage is a Geek 2.0 writer, speaker, blogger, and job coach.  He blogs on careers at http://www.musehack.com/, publishes books on career and culture at http://www.informotron.com/, and does a site of creative tools at http://www.seventhsanctum.com/. He can be reached at https://www.stevensavage.com/.

Crossroads Alpha: Meet Seventh Sanctum

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And so, let me discuss the final member of Crossroads Alpha, Seventh Sanctum, a site you may know me from as I’ve been running it for fourteen years.

Seventh Sanctum is a site that started as a subsite and a bit of a joke on how anime powers sounded randomly assembled, then grew into an obsession and a full site, exploring random tools to inspire people.  It’s been fourteen years and at last count there’s about 170 generators or so.  Yes, I have to take time to run a count.

Seventh Sanctum’s goal is to provide inspiration to people as well as amusement, to get their creative juices flowing so they can make art, games, etc.  Procedural content for the soul.

Beyond the generators, I recently decided it needed its own content section (well again), and added The Codex so I had one spot in the domain to post things that wasn’t just a separate blog.  This is allowing me to post updates and rewrite my worldbuilding column, Way With Worlds.  I’m also talking to new people about coming on board with other helpful columns.

Seventh Sanctum’s role in Crossroads Alpha is twofold.  First it provides a creative pillar for our alliance, a place for people to get inspired and creative.  Secondly, it focuses on utility – it’s a tool-first site, which helps us focus on keeping a broad amount of sites in the alliance.

So head on over and enjoy!

– Steven Savage

Way With Worlds: Intelligent Life

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Intelligent Life

[Way With Worlds appears at Seventh Sanctum and at MuseHack]

I’m going to start by assuming the setting of your story has intelligent life in it. If not, well that sounds like a challenging write, and feel free to skip this part until you need it.  Or don’t because hey, you never know.

Now first, allow me to define intelligent life, so we’re on the same sheet of virtual paper here. Intelligent life is that form of life that can process information, adapt and retain this information, pass this information on to others, and possesses a level of self-consciousness or self-awareness. Intelligent life is essentially a kind of conscious computing, even if I personally dislike that simplistic terminology.

I would especially argue that intelligence contains a level of self-awareness as intelligence life as we think of itis self-modifying and self-directing. You can’t separate intelligence from consciousness, because someone has to “be in there” to be intelligent. “I think therefore I am” is also “I know I am as I think.”

With that all-to brief (and doubtlessly incomplete) journey into the philosophy of intelligence, let’s continue a to why it’s important. I’ll also try not to overdo the words “intelligent life,” but no promises here.

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