Thread by @swardley

X : Can you explain a bit more about capital flow?
Me : I've lots of old posts on the topic but try this one from 20106, it puts it in a modern setting talking about the future of software -> Thank you Amazon. Boom! Everything in business will change.- hackernoon.com/building-a-bus…

X : What's your current interest in serverless?
Me : I'm cutting back. Once a field gets to a point that it's on the path to dominance, practices are co-evolving and future is clear then I tend to retire from it to find the next space. Ditto Cloud, which I retired from in 2010.

... I have a long history of doing this across many fields - from 3D printing to Open Source to Agile etc. It's just the way I like to work. I don't enjoy the invasion of business consultants popping up to rename stuff that is already set in stone in order to claim novelty.

You can either fight it or just accept it will happen and move on. It doesn't change the game as the path is set, it just becomes endless debates over semantics and the exploitation of inertia to keep alive pre-existing business models etc. It's not my cup of tea.

X : You were involved in 3D printing?
Me : Heavily between 1998 to 2005 (plus printed electronics). I bent everyones ear over 3D printing at EuroFoo in 2004 - gyford.com/phil/writing/2…

Claim to fame, @bre was there presenting an early DrawBot - makezine.com/2006/09/15/wee…

... however, I met many amazing people in my journey of 3D printing / printed electronics including the marvellous @drkatestone. Always keep an eye on what Kate is up to - virgin.com/person/dr-kate…

X : So where next?
Me : I'm taking a wander into culture, there's a couple of things I need to deal with / talk about. After that ... I need to do a bit of exploration, see how fields have matured.
X : Blockchain?
Me : LOL, no. Last involvement was hyperledger (bought by DAH).

... there's some interesting spaces being explored in conversational programming (see @simalexan) part of a broader theme of immersion but my focus is usually on when industrialisation is right. Hence, I also need to go explore bio-manufacturing and sensor as a service again ...

... also, I have unfinished work on nation state competition e.g. comparative lessons from Iran and India. There are some fascinating geopolitical and economic shifts at play, and there are uses of mapping I have yet to explain. So, lots to do.

X : How do you know that mapping is right?
Me : I can guarantee you that it's both wrong (will be shown over time) and imperfect (aspect of all maps). Doesn't mean it's not useful nor that it can't be used to anticipate change. It does so by allowing us to discuss and challenge.

... the best way of thinking about my maps are Babylonian Clay tablets. Utterly hopeless in comparison to today's Ordinance Survey Maps but a starting point and better than nothing.

X : Aren't you concerned that your maps will be wrong?
Me : Quite the opposite. One of the first patterns you learn is everything evolves. In order to progress, it is necessary that my form of mapping is surpassed by something better. If it isn't then mapping itself dies.