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Influencer marketing taps into the power of influential individuals. These folks have amassed a in specific niches. It’s hot. The global market size for according to the research firm Statista. loyal following influencer marketing is expected to reach 22.2 billion U.S. dollars by 2025 Our digital world is like a crowded city street at rush hour. This makes reaching your target audience challenging. We live in a time of constant digital noise and information overload. Influencer marketing is like having a trusted friend recommend your business to their friends and family. When an influencer recommends a product or service, their followers are more likely to trust and be interested in it. The key is to ride the wave of influence and engagement these individuals have established. Let’s have a look at the about influencer marketing. seven most important things entrepreneurs need to know 7. Influencer marketing can be a very effective way to reach your target audience By collaborating with influencers who have a substantial following and influence, you can tap into their loyal fan base and leverage their credibility to promote your brand or product effectively. In a digital sphere where about blatant advertising, influencer marketing emerges as an incredibly powerful tool. consumers are notoriously skeptical Like modern-day, tech-savvy Pied Pipers, influencers lead throngs of faithful followers who hang onto their every word and emulate their lifestyle choices. But the potential of influencer marketing goes beyond merely broadcasting your message. It paves the way for organic conversations around your brand in the social media landscape. Influence marketing provides valuable insights into how different segments of your target market interact with your product or service. 6. There are different types of Influencers, each with their own unique strengths and weaknesses Take ‘ ,’ a new breed storming the digital space with their tight-knit communities of fewer than 1,000 followers. Despite the humble crowds they pull, these influencers offer something invaluable – trust and authenticity. nano-influencers Their close relation to their audience , making them powerful tools in niche markets that value sincerity over popularity. mimics word-of-mouth recommendations On the other side of the spectrum are “ ” You know them because their enormous influence creates massive follower counts. This strength can also be a weakness. With such far-reaching audiences, messages can often become diluted and less impactful. celebrity influencers. For marketers obsessed over engagement rates rather than just reach, stars may not shine as brightly as they seem. 5. It is important to choose influencers who are a good fit for your brand and target audience Have you ever had a pair of shoes that were just perfect? Maybe they weren’t the flashiest or most expensive, but they fit your feet like a dream and boosted your confidence with every step. Choosing an influencer for your brand operates on the same principle. It might not always be about teaming up with the most popular influencers, but rather those who relate to and embody your brand the best. Think about it this way – no matter how great an influencer’s following might be, if their values aren’t in line with yours, those millions of followers hold little value for you. Bottom line: A well-matched influencer partnership is just like having that perfect pair of shoes – comfortable, complementary, and without which everything else feels incomplete! 4. When working with influencers, it is important to set clear goals and expectations Imagine you’re a busy business owner, launching a new product or service. You’re excited to tap into the power of influencer marketing, but you’re not sure where to start. You could start blasting out messages to influencers and hope for the best. But kill that thought. Without a clear plan, you’re likely to crash and burn. Why waste your time and money? Instead, take the time to develop a . This will help you to identify the right influencers, create compelling content, and track your results. strategic influencer marketing plan Whether it’s elevating brand visibility, nurturing customer engagement, or escalating product sales – clearly stating what you want from the collaboration is crucial. 3. Provide influencers with the resources they need to create high-quality content Want to increase the effectiveness of your influencer marketing campaigns? Give your influencers the resources they need to create top-notch content. It is a win-win approach. I’m talking about more than just compensation. I mean providing complete clarity on your brand message. This includes equipping influencers with product samples. Provide them first-hand experience with your services. You might even grant influencers access to creative teams for collaborations. This enhanced access doesn’t only boost creativity. It positions your influencers to align perfectly with the brand. It helps them become compelling storytellers. By positioning yourself as an enabler for their professional growth, you’re building a real relationship. Not only do you enrich their content creation skillset, you also deepen their commitment toward promoting your brand. 2. Track the results of your influencer marketing campaigns and make adjustments as needed In the ever-evolving landscape of influencer marketing, tracking results is critical to ensuring your campaign’s success. It’s like navigating a vast ocean – sure, you have a good ship and competent crew (your selected influencers), but without keeping an eye on your compass (data analytics), how will you know if you’re heading in the right direction? Key metrics to track include the engagement levels, followers’ growth, clicks, conversions and any changes in brand sentiment or visibility. This treasure chest of insights can be leveraged to optimize ongoing strategies. If a certain post underperforms, don’t hesitate to change course. Keep adapting your approach until it resonates with your target demographic effectively. 1. Building ongoing partnerships with influencers can lead to more authentic and effective campaigns Imagine creating a marketing campaign that no longer feels like a one-time transaction, but more like an ongoing conversation with your target audience. That’s the power of establishing long-term relationships with influencers. Happy influencers can become long-term partners. While it’s easy to move on to the next project and forget about them, neglecting influencer relationships can be a huge missed opportunity. These individuals have already shown their support for your brand. Why not continue nurturing that connection? Ask them how they’re doing, what projects they’re working on, and encourage further engagement with your product or service. As the relationship evolves over time, influencers become effective brand ambassadors. They understand and champion your values authentically. This makes your campaigns more compelling and meaningful to your target audience. Next Steps – Influencer Marketing Strategy You’ve now gained valuable insight into the power of influencer marketing. It helps businesses effectively reach target audiences. An effective campaign will boost online presence of the brand and increase sales. Influencer marketing builds trust and authority with attractive audiences. This strategy is proven to increase awareness for local businesses. If you are considering using influencer marketing, be sure to do your research and choose the right influencers for your brand. You should also set clear goals and objectives for your campaigns, and track the results carefully. If you need help with your plan be sure to reach out. Are you ready to get started with your influencer marketing strategy?

Decoding the Art of Influencer Marketing: 7 Essential Insights for Entrepreneurs

A Floating City and The Blockade Runners by Jules Verne, is part of the HackerNoon Books Series. You can jump to any chapter in this book . A southern general here A SOUTHERN GENERAL. The “Dolphin” on arriving at the Charleston quay, had been saluted by the cheers of a large crowd. The inhabitants of this town, strictly blockaded by sea, were not accustomed to visits from European ships. They asked each other, not without astonishment, what this great steamer, proudly bearing the English flag, had come to do in their waters; but when they learned the object of her voyage, and why she had just forced the passage Sullivan, when the report spread that she carried a cargo of smuggled ammunition, the cheers and joyful cries were redoubled. James Playfair, without losing a moment, entered into negotiation with General Beauregard, the military commander of the town. The latter eagerly received the young Captain of the “Dolphin,” who had arrived in time to provide the soldiers with the clothes and ammunition they were so much in want of. It was agreed that the unloading of the ship should take place immediately, and numerous hands came to help the English sailors. Before quitting his ship James Playfair had received from Miss Halliburtt the most pressing injunctions with regard to her father, and the Captain had placed himself entirely at the young girl’s service. “Miss Jenny,” he had said, “you may rely on me; I will do the utmost in my power to save your father, but I hope this business will not present many difficulties; I shall go and see General Beauregard to-day, and without asking him at once for Mr. Halliburtt’s liberty, I shall learn in what situation he is, whether he is on bail, or a prisoner.” “My poor father!” replied Jenny, sighing; “he little thinks his daughter is so near him. Oh that I could fly into his arms!” “A little patience, Miss Jenny, you will soon embrace your father. Rely upon my acting with the most entire devotion, but also with prudence and consideration.” This is why James Playfair, after having delivered the cargo of the “Dolphin” up to the General, and bargained for an immense stock of cotton, faithful to his promise, turned the conversation to the events of the day. “So,” said he, “you believe in the triumph of the slave-holders?” “I do not for a moment doubt of our final success, and as regards Charleston, Lee’s army will soon relieve it: besides, what do you expect from the Abolitionists? admitting that which will never be, that the commercial towns of Virginia, the two Carolinas, Georgia, Alabama, fall under their power, what then? Will they be masters of a country they can never occupy? No, certainly not; and for my part if they are ever victorious they shall pay dearly for it.” “And you are quite sure of your soldiers?” asked the Captain; “you are not afraid that Charleston will grow weary of a siege which is ruining her?” “No, I do not fear treason; besides, the traitors would be punished remorselessly, and I would destroy the town itself by sword or fire if I discovered the least Unionist movement. Jefferson Davis confided Charleston to me, and you may be sure that Charleston is in safe hands.” “Have you any Federal prisoners?” asked James Playfair, coming to the interesting object of the conversation. “Yes, Captain,” replied the General, “it was at Charleston that the first shot of separation was fired. The Abolitionists who were here attempted to resist, and after being defeated they have been kept as prisoners of war.” “And have you many?” “About a hundred.” “Free in the town?” “They were until I discovered a plot formed by them: their chief succeeded in establishing a communication with the besiegers, who were thus informed of the situation of affairs in the town. I was then obliged to lock up these dangerous guests, and several of them will only leave their prison to ascend the slope of the citadel, where ten confederate balls will reward them for their federalism.” “What! to be shot!” cried the young man, shuddering involuntarily. “Yes, and their chief first of all. He is a very dangerous man to have in a besieged town. I have sent his letters to the President at Richmond, and before a week is passed his sentence will be irrevocably passed.” “Who is this man you speak of,” asked James Playfair, with an assumed carelessness. “A journalist from Boston, a violent Abolitionist with the confounded spirit of Lincoln.” “And his name?” “Jonathan Halliburtt.” “Poor wretch!” exclaimed James, suppressing his emotion; “whatever he may have done one cannot help pitying him. And you think that he will be shot?” “I am sure of it,” replied Beauregard. “What can you expect? War is war, one must defend oneself as best one can.” “Well, it is nothing to me,” said the Captain; “I shall be far enough away when this execution takes place.” “What! you are thinking of going away already.” “Yes, General, business must be attended to; as soon as my cargo of cotton is on board I shall be out to sea again. I was fortunate enough to enter the bay, but the difficulty is in getting out again. The ‘Dolphin’ is a good ship; she can beat any of the Federal ships for speed, but she does not pretend to distance cannon-balls, and a shell in her hull or engine would seriously affect my enterprise.” “As you please, Captain,” replied Beauregard; “I have no advice to give you under such circumstances. You are doing your business, and you are right. I should act in the same manner were I in your place; besides a stay at Charleston is not very pleasant, and a harbour where shells are falling three days out of four is not a safe shelter for your ship; so you will set sail when you please; but can you tell me what is the number and the force of the Federal ships cruising before Charleston?” James Playfair did his best to answer the General, and took leave of him on the best of terms; then he returned to the “Dolphin” very thoughtful and very depressed from what he had just heard. “What shall I say to Miss Jenny? ought I to tell her of Mr. Halliburtt’s terrible situation? or would it be better to keep her in ignorance of the trial which is awaiting her? Poor child!” He had not gone fifty steps from the governor’s house when he ran against Crockston: the worthy American had been watching for him since his departure. “Well, Captain?” James Playfair looked steadily at Crockston, and the latter soon understood he had no favourable news to give him. “Have you seen Beauregard?” he asked. “Yes,” replied James Playfair. “And have you spoken to him about Mr. Halliburtt?” “No! it was he who spoke to me about him.” “Well, Captain?” “Well! I may as well tell you everything, Crockston.” “Everything, Captain.” “General Beauregard has told me that your master will be shot within a week.” At this news any one else but Crockston would have grown furious or given way to bursts of grief, but the American, who feared nothing, only said, with almost a smile on his lips,— “Pooh! what does it matter?” “How! what does it matter?” cried James Playfair; “I tell you that Mr. Halliburtt will be shot within a week, and you answer, what does it matter?” “And I mean it—if in six days he is on board the ‘Dolphin,’ and if in seven days the ‘Dolphin’ is on the open sea.” “Right!” exclaimed the Captain, pressing Crockston’s hand. “I understand, my good fellow, you have got some pluck; and for myself, in spite of Uncle Vincent, I would throw myself overboard for Miss Jenny.” “No one need be thrown overboard,” replied the American, “only the fish would gain by that: the most important business now is to deliver Mr. Halliburtt.” “But you must know that it will be difficult to do so.” “Pooh!” exclaimed Crockston. “It is a question of communicating with a prisoner strictly guarded.” “Certainly.” “And to bring about an almost miraculous escape.” “Nonsense,” exclaimed Crockston; “a prisoner thinks more of escaping than his guardian thinks of keeping him; that’s why, thanks to our help, Mr. Halliburtt will be saved.” “You are right, Crockston.” “Always right.” “But now what will you do? there must be some plan; and there are precautions to be taken.” “I will think about it.” “But when Miss Jenny learns that her father is condemned to death, and that the order for his execution may come any day—” “She will know nothing about it, that is all.” “Yes, it will be better for her and for us to tell her nothing.” “Where is Mr. Halliburtt imprisoned?” asked Crockston. “In the citadel,” replied James Playfair. “Just so!—On board now?” “On board, Crockston!” About HackerNoon Book Series: We bring you the most important technical, scientific, and insightful public domain books. This book is part of the public domain. Jules Verne (2022). A Floating City and The Blockade Runners. Urbana, Illinois: Project Gutenberg. Retrieved October 2022 https://www.gutenberg.org/files/67829/67829-h/67829-h.htm This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at , located at . www.gutenberg.org https://www.gutenberg.org/policy/license.html

A southern general.

A Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne, is part of the HackerNoon Books Series. You can jump to any chapter in this book . OUR VOYAGE TO ICELAND here CHAPTER VI - OUR VOYAGE TO ICELAND The hour of departure came at last. The night before, the worthy Mr. Thompson brought us the most cordial letters of introduction for Baron Trampe, Governor of Iceland, for M. Pictursson, coadjutor to the bishop, and for M. Finsen, mayor of the town of Reykjavik. In return, my uncle nearly crushed his hands, so warmly did he shake them. On the second of the month, at two in the morning, our precious cargo of luggage was taken on board the good ship . We followed, and were very politely introduced by the captain to a small cabin with two standing bed places, neither very well ventilated nor very comfortable. But in the cause of science men are expected to suffer. Valkyrie "Well, and have we a fair wind?" cried my uncle, in his most mellifluous accents. "An excellent wind!" replied Captain Bjarne; "we shall leave the Sound, going free with all sails set." A few minutes afterwards, the schooner started before the wind, under all the canvas she could carry, and entered the channel. An hour later, the capital of Denmark seemed to sink into the waves, and we were at no great distance from the coast of Elsinore. My uncle was delighted; for myself, moody and dissatisfied, I appeared almost to expect a glimpse of the ghost of Hamlet. "Sublime madman," thought I, "you doubtless would approve our proceedings. You might perhaps even follow us to the centre of the earth, there to resolve your eternal doubts." But no ghost or anything else appeared upon the ancient walls. The fact is, the castle is much later than the time of the heroic prince of Denmark. It is now the residence of the keeper of the Strait of the Sound, and through that Sound more than fifteen thousand vessels of all nations pass every year. The castle of Kronborg soon disappeared in the murky atmosphere, as well as the tower of Helsinborg, which raises its head on the Swedish Bank. And here the schooner began to feel in earnest the breezes of the Kattegat. The was swift enough, but with all sailing boats there is the same uncertainty. Her cargo was coal, furniture, pottery, woolen clothing, and a load of corn. As usual, the crew was small, five Danes doing the whole of the work. Valkyrie "How long will the voyage last?" asked my uncle. "Well, I should think about ten days," replied the skipper, "unless, indeed, we meet with some northeast gales among the Faroe Islands." "At all events, there will be no very considerable delay," cried the impatient Professor. "No, Mr. Hardwigg," said the captain, "no fear of that. At all events, we shall get there some day." Towards evening the schooner doubled Cape Skagen, the northernmost part of Denmark, crossed the Skagerrak during the night—skirted the extreme point of Norway through the gut of Cape Lindesnes, and then reached the Northern Seas. Two days later we were not far from the coast of Scotland, somewhere near what Danish sailors call Peterhead, and then the stretched out direct for the Faroe Islands, between Orkney and Shetland. Our vessel now felt the full force of the ocean waves, and the wind shifting, we with great difficulty made the Faroe Isles. On the eighth day, the captain made out Myganness, the westernmost of the isles, and from that moment headed direct for Portland, a cape on the southern shores of the singular island for which we were bound. Valkyrie The voyage offered no incident worthy of record. I bore it very well, but my uncle to his great annoyance, and even shame, was remarkably seasick! This mal de mer troubled him the more that it prevented him from questioning Captain Bjarne as to the subject of Sneffels, as to the means of communication, and the facilities of transport. All these explanations he had to adjourn to the period of his arrival. His time, meanwhile, was spent lying in bed groaning, and dwelling anxiously on the hoped—for termination of the voyage. I didn't pity him. On the eleventh day we sighted Cape Portland, over which towered Mount Myrdals Yokul, which, the weather being clear, we made out very readily. The cape itself is nothing but a huge mount of granite standing naked and alone to meet the Atlantic waves. The kept off the coast, steering to the westward. On all sides were to be seen whole "schools" of whales and sharks. After some hours we came in sight of a solitary rock in the ocean, forming a mighty vault, through which the foaming waves poured with intense fury. The islets of Westman appeared to leap from the ocean, being so low in the water as scarcely to be seen until you were right upon them. From that moment the schooner was steered to the westward in order to round Cape Reykjanes, the western point of Iceland. Valkyrie My uncle, to his great disgust, was unable even to crawl on deck, so heavy a sea was on, and thus lost the first view of the Land of Promise. Forty-eight hours later, after a storm which drove us far to sea under bare poles, we came once more in sight of land, and were boarded by a pilot, who, after three hours of dangerous navigation, brought the schooner safely to an anchor in the bay of Faxa before Reykjavik. My uncle came out of his cabin pale, haggard, thin, but full of enthusiasm, his eyes dilated with pleasure and satisfaction. Nearly the whole population of the town was on foot to see us land. The fact was, that scarcely any one of them but expected some goods by the periodical vessel. Professor Hardwigg was in haste to leave his prison, or rather as he called it, his hospital; but before he attempted to do so, he caught hold of my hand, led me to the quarterdeck of the schooner, took my arm with his left hand, and pointed inland with his right, over the northern part of the bay, to where rose a high two-peaked mountain—a double cone covered with eternal snow. "Behold he whispered in an awe-stricken voice, behold—Mount Sneffels!" Then without further remark, he put his finger to his lips, frowned darkly, and descended into the small boat which awaited us. I followed, and in a few minutes we stood upon the soil of mysterious Iceland! Scarcely were we fairly on shore when there appeared before us a man of excellent appearance, wearing the costume of a military officer. He was, however, but a civil servant, a magistrate, the governor of the island—Baron Trampe. The Professor knew whom he had to deal with. He therefore handed him the letters from Copenhagen, and a brief conversation in Danish followed, to which I of course was a stranger, and for a very good reason, for I did not know the language in which they conversed. I afterwards heard, however, that Baron Trampe placed himself entirely at the beck and call of Professor Hardwigg. My uncle was most graciously received by M. Finsen, the mayor, who as far as costume went, was quite as military as the governor, but also from character and occupation quite as pacific. As for his coadjutor, M. Pictursson, he was absent on an episcopal visit to the northern portion of the diocese. We were therefore compelled to defer the pleasure of being presented to him. His absence was, however, more than compensated by the presence of M. Fridriksson, professor of natural science in the college of Reykjavik, a man of invaluable ability. This modest scholar spoke no languages save Icelandic and Latin. When, therefore, he addressed himself to me in the language of Horace, we at once came to understand one another. He was, in fact, the only person that I did thoroughly understand during the whole period of my residence in this benighted island. Out of three rooms of which his house was composed, two were placed at our service, and in a few hours we were installed with all our baggage, the amount of which rather astonished the simple inhabitants of Reykjavik. "Now, Harry," said my uncle, rubbing his hands, "an goes well, the worse difficulty is now over." "How the worse difficulty over?" I cried in fresh amazement. "Doubtless. Here we are in Iceland. Nothing more remains but to descend into the bowels of the earth." "Well, sir, to a certain extent you are right. We have only to go down—but, as far as I am concerned, that is not the question. I want to know how we are to get up again." "That is the least part of the business, and does not in any way trouble me. In the meantime, there is not an hour to lose. I am about to visit the public library. Very likely I may find there some manuscripts from the hand of Saknussemm. I shall be glad to consult them." "In the meanwhile," I replied, "I will take a walk through the town. Will you not likewise do so?" "I feel no interest in the subject," said my uncle. "What for me is curious in this island, is not what is above the surface, but what is below." I bowed by way of reply, put on my hat and furred cloak, and went out. It was not an easy matter to lose oneself in the two streets of Reykjavik; I had therefore no need to ask my way. The town lies on a flat and marshy plain, between two hills. A vast field of lava skirts it on one side, falling away in terraces towards the sea. On the other hand is the large bay of Faxa, bordered on the north by the enormous glacier of Sneffels, and in which bay the was then the only vessel at anchor. Generally there were one or two English or French gunboats, to watch and protect the fisheries in the offing. They were now, however, absent on duty. Valkyrie The longest of the streets of Reykjavik runs parallel to the shore. In this street the merchants and traders live in wooden huts made with beams of wood, painted red—mere log huts, such as you find in the wilds of America. The other street, situated more to the west, runs toward a little lake between the residences of the bishop and the other personages not engaged in commerce. I had soon seen all I wanted of these weary and dismal thoroughfares. Here and there was a strip of discolored turf, like an old worn-out bit of woolen carpet; and now and then a bit of kitchen garden, in which grew potatoes, cabbage, and lettuce, almost diminutive enough to suggest the idea of Lilliput. In the centre of the new commercial street, I found the public cemetery, enclosed by an earthen wall. Though not very large, it appeared not likely to be filled for centuries. From hence I went to the house of the Governor—a mere hut in comparison with the Mansion House of Hamburg—but a palace alongside the other Icelandic houses. Between the little lake and the town was the church, built in simple Protestant style, and composed of calcined stones, thrown up by volcanic action. I have not the slightest doubt that in high winds its red tiles were blown out, to the great annoyance of the pastor and congregation. Upon an eminence close at hand was the national school, in which were taught Hebrew, English, French, and Danish. In three hours my tour was complete. The general impression upon my mind was sadness. No trees, no vegetation, so to speak—on all sides volcanic peaks—the huts of turf and earth—more like roofs than houses. Thanks to the heat of these residences, grass grows on the roof, which grass is carefully cut for hay. I saw but few inhabitants during my excursion, but I met a crowd on the beach, drying, salting and loading codfish, the principal article of exportation. The men appeared robust but heavy; fair-haired like Germans, but of pensive mien—exiles of a higher scale in the ladder of humanity than the Eskimos, but, I thought, much more unhappy, since with superior perceptions they are compelled to live within the limits of the Polar Circle. Sometimes they gave vent to a convulsive laugh, but by no chance did they smile. Their costume consists of a coarse capote of black wool, known in Scandinavian countries as the "vadmel," a broad-brimmed hat, trousers of red serge, and a piece of leather tied with strings for a shoe—a coarse kind of moccasin. The women, though sad-looking and mournful, had rather agreeable features, without much expression. They wear a bodice and petticoat of somber vadmel. When unmarried they wear a little brown knitted cap over a crown of plaited hair; but when married, they cover their heads with a colored handkerchief, over which they tie a white scarf. About HackerNoon Book Series: We bring you the most important technical, scientific, and insightful public domain books. This book is part of the public domain. Jules Verne (2006). A Journey to the Center of the Earth. Urbana, Illinois: Project Gutenberg. Retrieved October 2022 https://www.gutenberg.org/files/18857/18857-h/18857-h.htm This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at , located at . www.gutenberg.org https://www.gutenberg.org/policy/license.html

OUR VOYAGE TO ICELAND

Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne, is part of the HackerNoon Books Series. You can jump to any chapter in this book . IN WHICH THE RED SEA AND THE INDIAN OCEAN PROVE PROPITIOUS TO THE DESIGNS OF PHILEAS FOGG here CHAPTER IX. IN WHICH THE RED SEA AND THE INDIAN OCEAN PROVE PROPITIOUS TO THE DESIGNS OF PHILEAS FOGG The distance between Suez and Aden is precisely thirteen hundred and ten miles, and the regulations of the company allow the steamers one hundred and thirty-eight hours in which to traverse it. The “Mongolia,” thanks to the vigorous exertions of the engineer, seemed likely, so rapid was her speed, to reach her destination considerably within that time. The greater part of the passengers from Brindisi were bound for India some for Bombay, others for Calcutta by way of Bombay, the nearest route thither, now that a railway crosses the Indian peninsula. Among the passengers was a number of officials and military officers of various grades, the latter being either attached to the regular British forces or commanding the Sepoy troops, and receiving high salaries ever since the central government has assumed the powers of the East India Company: for the sub-lieutenants get £280, brigadiers, £2,400, and generals of divisions, £4,000. What with the military men, a number of rich young Englishmen on their travels, and the hospitable efforts of the purser, the time passed quickly on the “Mongolia.” The best of fare was spread upon the cabin tables at breakfast, lunch, dinner, and the eight o’clock supper, and the ladies scrupulously changed their toilets twice a day; and the hours were whirled away, when the sea was tranquil, with music, dancing, and games. But the Red Sea is full of caprice, and often boisterous, like most long and narrow gulfs. When the wind came from the African or Asian coast the “Mongolia,” with her long hull, rolled fearfully. Then the ladies speedily disappeared below; the pianos were silent; singing and dancing suddenly ceased. Yet the good ship ploughed straight on, unretarded by wind or wave, towards the straits of Bab-el-Mandeb. What was Phileas Fogg doing all this time? It might be thought that, in his anxiety, he would be constantly watching the changes of the wind, the disorderly raging of the billows—every chance, in short, which might force the “Mongolia” to slacken her speed, and thus interrupt his journey. But, if he thought of these possibilities, he did not betray the fact by any outward sign. Always the same impassible member of the Reform Club, whom no incident could surprise, as unvarying as the ship’s chronometers, and seldom having the curiosity even to go upon the deck, he passed through the memorable scenes of the Red Sea with cold indifference; did not care to recognise the historic towns and villages which, along its borders, raised their picturesque outlines against the sky; and betrayed no fear of the dangers of the Arabic Gulf, which the old historians always spoke of with horror, and upon which the ancient navigators never ventured without propitiating the gods by ample sacrifices. How did this eccentric personage pass his time on the “Mongolia”? He made his four hearty meals every day, regardless of the most persistent rolling and pitching on the part of the steamer; and he played whist indefatigably, for he had found partners as enthusiastic in the game as himself. A tax-collector, on the way to his post at Goa; the Rev. Decimus Smith, returning to his parish at Bombay; and a brigadier-general of the English army, who was about to rejoin his brigade at Benares, made up the party, and, with Mr. Fogg, played whist by the hour together in absorbing silence. As for Passepartout, he, too, had escaped sea-sickness, and took his meals conscientiously in the forward cabin. He rather enjoyed the voyage, for he was well fed and well lodged, took a great interest in the scenes through which they were passing, and consoled himself with the delusion that his master’s whim would end at Bombay. He was pleased, on the day after leaving Suez, to find on deck the obliging person with whom he had walked and chatted on the quays. “If I am not mistaken,” said he, approaching this person, with his most amiable smile, “you are the gentleman who so kindly volunteered to guide me at Suez?” “Ah! I quite recognise you. You are the servant of the strange Englishman—” “Just so, monsieur—” “Fix.” “Monsieur Fix,” resumed Passepartout, “I’m charmed to find you on board. Where are you bound?” “Like you, to Bombay.” “That’s capital! Have you made this trip before?” “Several times. I am one of the agents of the Peninsular Company.” “Then you know India?” “Why yes,” replied Fix, who spoke cautiously. “A curious place, this India?” “Oh, very curious. Mosques, minarets, temples, fakirs, pagodas, tigers, snakes, elephants! I hope you will have ample time to see the sights.” “I hope so, Monsieur Fix. You see, a man of sound sense ought not to spend his life jumping from a steamer upon a railway train, and from a railway train upon a steamer again, pretending to make the tour of the world in eighty days! No; all these gymnastics, you may be sure, will cease at Bombay.” “And Mr. Fogg is getting on well?” asked Fix, in the most natural tone in the world. “Quite well, and I too. I eat like a famished ogre; it’s the sea air.” “But I never see your master on deck.” “Never; he hasn’t the least curiosity.” “Do you know, Mr. Passepartout, that this pretended tour in eighty days may conceal some secret errand—perhaps a diplomatic mission?” “Faith, Monsieur Fix, I assure you I know nothing about it, nor would I give half a crown to find out.” After this meeting, Passepartout and Fix got into the habit of chatting together, the latter making it a point to gain the worthy man’s confidence. He frequently offered him a glass of whiskey or pale ale in the steamer bar-room, which Passepartout never failed to accept with graceful alacrity, mentally pronouncing Fix the best of good fellows. Meanwhile the “Mongolia” was pushing forward rapidly; on the 13th, Mocha, surrounded by its ruined walls whereon date-trees were growing, was sighted, and on the mountains beyond were espied vast coffee-fields. Passepartout was ravished to behold this celebrated place, and thought that, with its circular walls and dismantled fort, it looked like an immense coffee-cup and saucer. The following night they passed through the Strait of Bab-el-Mandeb, which means in Arabic “The Bridge of Tears,” and the next day they put in at Steamer Point, north-west of Aden harbour, to take in coal. This matter of fuelling steamers is a serious one at such distances from the coal-mines; it costs the Peninsular Company some eight hundred thousand pounds a year. In these distant seas, coal is worth three or four pounds sterling a ton. The “Mongolia” had still sixteen hundred and fifty miles to traverse before reaching Bombay, and was obliged to remain four hours at Steamer Point to coal up. But this delay, as it was foreseen, did not affect Phileas Fogg’s programme; besides, the “Mongolia,” instead of reaching Aden on the morning of the 15th, when she was due, arrived there on the evening of the 14th, a gain of fifteen hours. Mr. Fogg and his servant went ashore at Aden to have the passport again Fix, unobserved, followed them. The procured, Mr. Fogg returned on board to resume his former habits; while Passepartout, according to custom, sauntered about among the mixed population of Somalis, Banyans, Parsees, Jews, Arabs, and Europeans who comprise the twenty-five thousand inhabitants of Aden. He gazed with wonder upon the fortifications which make this place the Gibraltar of the Indian Ocean, and the vast cisterns where the English engineers were still at work, two thousand years after the engineers of Solomon. visaed; visa “Very curious, curious,” said Passepartout to himself, on returning to the steamer. “I see that it is by no means useless to travel, if a man wants to see something new.” At six p.m. the “Mongolia” slowly moved out of the roadstead, and was soon once more on the Indian Ocean. She had a hundred and sixty-eight hours in which to reach Bombay, and the sea was favourable, the wind being in the north-west, and all sails aiding the engine. The steamer rolled but little, the ladies, in fresh toilets, reappeared on deck, and the singing and dancing were resumed. The trip was being accomplished most successfully, and Passepartout was enchanted with the congenial companion which chance had secured him in the person of the delightful Fix. On Sunday, October 20th, towards noon, they came in sight of the Indian coast: two hours later the pilot came on board. A range of hills lay against the sky in the horizon, and soon the rows of palms which adorn Bombay came distinctly into view. The steamer entered the road formed by the islands in the bay, and at half-past four she hauled up at the quays of Bombay. very Phileas Fogg was in the act of finishing the thirty-third rubber of the voyage, and his partner and himself having, by a bold stroke, captured all thirteen of the tricks, concluded this fine campaign with a brilliant victory. The “Mongolia” was due at Bombay on the 22nd; she arrived on the 20th. This was a gain to Phileas Fogg of two days since his departure from London, and he calmly entered the fact in the itinerary, in the column of gains. About HackerNoon Book Series: We bring you the most important technical, scientific, and insightful public domain books. This book is part of the public domain. Jules Verne (1994). Around the World in Eighty Days. Urbana, Illinois: Project Gutenberg. Retrieved October 2022 https://www.gutenberg.org/files/103/103-h/103-h.htm This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at , located at . www.gutenberg.org https://www.gutenberg.org/policy/license.html

IN WHICH THE RED SEA AND THE INDIAN OCEAN PROVE PROPITIOUS TO THE DESIGNS OF PHILEAS FOGG

A DISCOURSE

I’m confused about Web3’s building blocks. , s, the , DAOs, … I’ve thought about them, created them, sold them, bought them and written about them. I still don’t get it. I bet you don’t either. Crypto NFT Metaverse Blockchain really Instead of looking for answers, I have resigned myself to asking questions instead. There is a good reason for this. Proponents of these technologies constantly and consistently fail to calmly and intelligibly explain why they are good for the world By being specific about what’s being asked, I’m hoping to create an environment within which a discussion can be had. . Below is an attempt to do that. . If you can’t get good answers… ask better questions What’s Wrong with Centralization? Is a safe word for the tech community? If that’s the case, the regularity at which it’s uttered is proof no one aboard the good ship of Web3 is feeling very safe. I understand that in the context of Web3, decentralization means having the freedom to own one’s data, and the freedom to choose what to do with it, across a galaxy of applications. That’s great. But must we be so adamant about it? decentralization Is centralization such a bad thing? I like that the government centralizes trash collecting. I like living in a place that has a centralized set of laws, . I like that Google centralizes my search results. Heck, you may as well call the United States the Centralized States of America, as it’s how the supposed land of the free came about. like the age of consent Isn’t centralization a spectrum anyway? I’m sure many of the arguments promoting crypto would be better heard if people on Twitter were not so binary about the topic. Who Wants to Build and Own a Platform? One of Web3’s core idea is that we own our digital assets, not the companies in/on/for which said assets have been created. In order to own your data, you’d have to store it locally, in your own home, right? That would mean owning and operating your own servers, right? fully I’m an adult. I pay taxes. I own cryptocurrencies and create NFTs. . Even organizations building software full-time do not want to run their own servers. As such, we will continue to rely on corporations to build APIs that can plug into existing tools so that we may access various blockchains. I do not want to run my own servers I struggle to understand how that’s different from Web2. Is it a question of choice again? I can to create my own API if I want? I’d like to understand how we aim to convince the majority to use anything more complex than a browser. If you’ve ever spoken to anyone over the age of 50, you know what I’m talking about. choose Is Web3 Really Decentralized? Let’s assume decentralization is good, and that we should work in that direction. Then why are platforms like Coinbase and OpenSea, which cater to Web3 fans, so prominent? Are they not a centralizing force in a universe that claims to want none? Are they not able to ? Could they not launch competing assets alongside those of their users? remove users if they break the rules It’s impossible to access a blockchain on one’s own browser or mobile. So, we have to rely on APIs, as described above. The best APIs, from the best companies, will gain more clients and become the standard for the industry. Sure, new companies can be created to access the underlying asset that is the blockchain. But will they be able to compete against the brand recognition of established player? That would be assuming in the market, something we know does not exist in the real world. perfect information Looking beyond the platforms, we see that the top 9% of accounts hold of NFTs on the Ethereum blockchain. Bitcoin is even more centralized: the , and are responsible for half of all mining output. None of this is tenable in the long term for a technology that claims to be democratizing in nature. 80% of the $41B market value top 2% of accounts own 72% of the $800 billion supply of Bitcoin 0.1% of Bitcoin miners will argue that decentralization is not a feature of Web3. For them, I have more difficult questions. Smart people key Is it Really the “Early Days”? People proudly chanting that we’re still in “the early days” do so in the hope that more people will buy their assets, as it’s the only way they will go up in value. This is the very definition of a pyramid scheme, and I’m tired of pretending we’re not all seeing it. Bitcoin has a trillion-dollar market cap and is the 10th most valuable asset in the world. Ethereum is #15. Large companies are now buying these assets. That’s not a sign of being “early”. And yet, I’ve never used Bitcoin and Ethereum for anything other than to make a quick buck. Bitcoin has been around for a decade. When the web was the same age, . VR headsets first came out 2 decades ago. The idea for blockchains is 30 years old. If it was ever going to be anything but a speculative asset, we’d know about it. Wouldn’t we? it had half a billion users around the world What’s Up With the Scams and Thefts? I’m sorry, it appears there use cases for Web3’s building blocks. , tax evasion, and outright . Also, drugs. are Money laundering scams theft Is there anything else? I’m actually asking. Has anyone purchased anything with cryptocurrencies, except other crypto, dollars, or NFTs? Has anyone used NFTs for anything other than wild greed? Is there a single DAO out there that has managed to ? If not, what are we doing here? scale Is it Inevitable or are You Working for Someone Else to Make it True? . They’ve got a lot of money riding on Crypto, NFTs, DAOs & Web3. Dozens of billions. Logically then, they will do everything in their power to facilitate widespread adoption of these technologies. And they’ve got a lot of power. A lot of money and influence, too. Many large investors have been making headlines recently because of their wild investments This should make us question whether these technologies are truly revolutionary, or if they’re being driven forward by people who have put millions of dollars into ensuring its success, and cannot afford to see it fail. Amazingly, even as millions are (unknowingly) doing Venture Capitalists’ bidding… to turn a profit. Doesn’t that tell us everything we need to know about the industry’s health? they’re still failing Do You Think it’s the Next Big Thing… or do You Need it to Be? These technologies are fascinating. But people aren’t dropping everything because they believe it’s the future. . They need it to be true because the world absolutely sucks. They need the premise of a new paradigm to be true We can’t afford homes. The world is burning. We live on platforms that thrive on anger and discontent. Corporations post memes on Twitter as they enslave children abroad. We wish upon shooting stars that are actually billionaires going to space for fun. We laugh at cows wearing VR headsets, while letting Netflix automatically play the next episode. literally There is nothing to do except gamble. Web3 offers an escape. A community in a world that’s sorely lacking them. A place where we could build a better world. Or at least gamble it all, because what have we got to lose anyway? You know what? I don’t want an answer to this question. Good luck out there. Also Published Here

Dear Crypto, NFTs, DAOs & Web3 Fans : I Have Some Questions

Artificial intelligence has been a brainless idiot for more than a half-century, but humanity has kept trying to replicate intelligence with the fervor of  “Young Frankenstein”. Now, technological rigor has delivered AI from the murky ferment of hype and science fiction. AI has become ubiquitous, but it is not close to human. Alan Turing, credited with inventing AI, challenged humanity to create an entity so artificially intelligent that a human could not distinguish whether they were talking with a ”robot” or another human, but passing the “Turing Test” isn’t our goal. The reality is, Amazon’s amazing customer service bot pretty much knows why you are chatting with it even before you type, that’s the kind of knowledge we want from our robots. AI takes a completely different approach from humans to tracking packages and playing chess. Yes, IBM created Deep Blue and beat humanity at chess, but Deep Blue isn’t going to pass the Turing test. Deep Blue doesn’t mimic humans, but instead searches every possible move into the future of the game, while the last human chess grandmasters rely on pattern recognition, their brains absorbed through repetitive play. To AI, tracking packages and playing chess are primarily the same, mathematics. Artificial intelligence models are generated by algorithms. An AI model of kung fu is just math, too, but what is kung fu for you and me? In the film The Matrix, the protagonist Neo settled back in the VR chair on the good ship Nebuchadnezzar to learn kung fu. He plugged his head into the network and his limbs twitching as he experienced the martial art. When the install was over, he opened his eyes and said, “I know Kung Fu.” Neo’s kung fu moves on Morpheus were convincing, but what did Keanu really know? And what is knowledge? That question has been pondered by philosophers for thousands of years. The Rationalists would argue that you can know things without experience, while Empiricists see experience as the only true source of knowledge. As Plato put it, “Knowledge is not given by the senses but acquired through them as reason organizes and makes sense out of that which is perceived.” One could say the same of AI, Socrates. AI can acquire kung fu moves. Train the AI with kung fu perceptions obtained by kung fu sensors and the AI acquires kung fu knowledge by organizing those perceptions in a machine learning framework. Plato would be proud. Once the AI knows kung fu, the model can then be installed in Neo’s brain or any “edge device”. When a kung fu move is detected, a kung fu response is triggered. Here’s a more realistic and reductionist example: training an AI to identify and count cells through a microscope. Researchers have been engaged in this monotonous activity for over one hundred years, but now AI can count cells 100x faster and more accurately. AI does seem to fit the Platonic Test for knowledge both in training with skills, AI “organizes and makes sense out of that which is perceived.” Neo “perceived” his kung fu moves in his VR cram session. Mr. Smith, his AIantagonist, knows kung fu, too. How Mr. Smith gained his wisdom is unknown, but Mr. Smith is part of the Matrix. T herefore, the Matrix must also know kung fu, perhaps having learned it from old Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan and Jet Li movies, along with martial arts instructional videos. Since the Matrix can serve up those ice cubes of kung fu knowhow, Neo and Mr. Smith may have learned kung fu from the same server, importing the same AI models. It’s a fair assumption since they are so well matched. Only the Oracle would know the answer, but as we witnessed in the movie, Mr. Smith is superior in one significant sense. Mr. Smith can be replicated, and his clones also know kung fu. Similarly, AI models that count cells can be installed on millions of microscopes. Tesla’s onboard processors are clones, and every time pedestrian detection is updated in a Tesla, the AI gets better. Soon, every car in the world will “know” to avoid pedestrians. It may feel odd to think that cars can know anything, but we can update cars to improve their sense of road signs, landmarks, and whether it’s about to rain. We can update refrigerators to know new snacks and give robots an edge in picking the ripest strawberries. Chess-playing or cell counting, kung fu fighting or bots chatting about packages, it’s all about training AI models with mad skills. This is how we are iteratively giving machines knowledge, like kung fu. Conversely, humans are learning iteratively from machines. More than 200 million Nintendo Gameboys have been sold and each of them inject the Tetris effect into our biological neural networks. If “knowledge is not given by the senses but acquired” then Tetris is acquired from machines just as much as flight simulators and phone apps upload artificial intelligence models to your brain. Microscopes and cars learn differently from you and Neo, but in each case, knowledge is acquired. Humans can train machines to understand the word “mama” and they can train babies, too. When we compare human and AI knowledge acquisition, however different the process is, the lines become blurred around the final result, which is making sense of perceptions. AI can know kung fu, pedestrian avoidance, or what cells look like. Sure, Morpheus explains to Neo in the Matrix that AI basically takes over the world and turns humans into batteries, but that’s not happening next week or anytime in the foreseeable future. AI is able to perceive, organize those perceptions, and know things, and that alone is a giant leap forward for artificial intelligence. We can now label any object in a frame of video, run the videotape, and quickly generate accurate AI models of anything visual (Disclosure: I Work at chooch.ai) in any spectrum of light, from microscopic to geospatial. We can also label kung fu moves, resulting in AI that can then make sense of perceptions like this move is “black tiger steals heart” and that move is “white snake spits venom.” Combine that with mechatronics, and it’s not hard to imagine a Boston Dynamics robot with kung fu moves, and eventually, a Mr. Smith. Neo eventually defeats Mr. Smith by using his imagination to bend reality and that is the strength of human beings. We humans don’t turn perceptions into models. You might be able to spot a microscopic imperfection in a painted metal surface, but you can’t do it endlessly, a million times per minute, while that surface is running at high speed through an industrial process. An AI can, but what an AI cannot do is shape the future with imagination. AI can spot scratches better, faster, endlessly. An AI can be copied and replicated to infinity. Thousands of cameras can stream their video to mathematical models that know what a nanometer-long scratch looks like or how an intruder acts when coming through a window of a house. Those cameras can be watching for scratches in factories or for burglars all over the world every millisecond of the day. Humans know what a burglar or a scratch looks like, and although humans can’t export and clone AI models, they can create symphonies and solve problems. We hear about AI being creative, but non-linear humans have flashes of insight that spawn new realities, AI being one of those paradigm shifts. Yes, AI will keep learning and humans will keep imagining the future, what we are going to collectively build. Cypher betrays his shipmates in the Matrix because he regrets taking the red pill and yearns to return to blissful ignorance, but humanity is not a weak, dithering lot, imprisoned by reality. The concept of the Matrix itself is a leap of faith, not an illusion generated by math. We don’t want movies from AI. We just want to know where our packages are and how many cells are on a slide, so we don’t have to count them. AI already can do these things faster and more accurately than we can, and various AI platforms are acquiring more knowledge every day, from visual to language to online behavior. AI can identify more celebrities faster and more accurately than any human, and pretty soon, AI is going to know pretty much everything. It’s a no brainer. Artificial intelligence has been a brainless idiot for more than a half-century, but humanity has kept trying to replicate intelligence with the fervor of  “Young Frankenstein”. Now, technological rigor has delivered AI from the murky ferment of hype and science fiction. AI has become ubiquitous, but it is not close to human. Alan Turing, credited with inventing AI, challenged humanity to create an entity so artificially intelligent that a human could not distinguish whether they were talking with a ”robot” or another human, but passing the “Turing Test” isn’t our goal. The reality is, Amazon’s amazing customer service bot pretty much knows why you are chatting with it even before you type, that’s the kind of knowledge we want from our robots. AI takes a completely different approach from humans to tracking packages and playing chess. Yes, IBM created Deep Blue and beat humanity at chess, but Deep Blue isn’t going to pass the Turing test. Deep Blue doesn’t mimic humans, but instead searches every possible move into the future of the game, while the last human chess grandmasters rely on pattern recognition, their brains absorbed through repetitive play. the last human chess grandmasters To AI, tracking packages and playing chess are primarily the same, mathematics. Artificial intelligence models are generated by algorithms. An AI model of kung fu is just math, too, but what is kung fu for you and me? In the film The Matrix, the protagonist Neo settled back in the VR chair on the good ship Nebuchadnezzar to learn kung fu. He plugged his head into the network and his limbs twitching as he experienced the martial art . When the install was over, he opened his eyes and said, “I know Kung Fu.” the the martial art Neo’s kung fu moves on Morpheus were convincing, but what did Keanu really know? And what is knowledge? That question has been pondered by philosophers for thousands of years. philosophers The Rationalists would argue that you can know things without experience, while Empiricists see experience as the only true source of knowledge. As Plato put it, “Knowledge is not given by the senses but acquired through them as reason organizes and makes sense out of that which is perceived.” One could say the same of AI, Socrates. One could say the same of AI, Socrates. AI can acquire kung fu moves. Train the AI with kung fu perceptions obtained by kung fu sensors and the AI acquires kung fu knowledge by organizing those perceptions in a machine learning framework. Plato would be proud. Plato would be proud. Once the AI knows kung fu, the model can then be installed in Neo’s brain or any “edge device”. When a kung fu move is detected, a kung fu response is triggered. Here’s a more realistic and reductionist example: training an AI to identify and count cells through a microscope. Researchers have been engaged in this monotonous activity for over one hundred years, but now AI can count cells 100x faster and more accurately. AI does seem to fit the Platonic Test for knowledge both in training with skills, AI “organizes and makes sense out of that which is perceived.” Neo “perceived” his kung fu moves in his VR cram session. Mr. Smith, his AI antagonist, knows kung fu, too. How Mr. Smith gained his wisdom is unknown, but Mr. Smith is part of the Matrix. T herefore, the Matrix must also know kung fu, perhaps having learned it from old Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan and Jet Li movies, along with martial arts instructional videos. Since the Matrix can serve up those ice cubes of kung fu knowhow, Neo and Mr. Smith may have learned kung fu from the same server, importing the same AI models. It’s a fair assumption since they are so well matched. Only the Oracle would know the answer, but as we witnessed in the movie, Mr. Smith is superior in one significant sense. Mr. Smith can be replicated, and his clones also know kung fu. Similarly, AI models that count cells can be installed on millions of microscopes. Tesla’s onboard processors are clones, and every time pedestrian detection is updated in a Tesla , the AI gets better. pedestrian detection is updated in a Tesla Soon, every car in the world will “know” to avoid pedestrians. It may feel odd to think that cars can know anything, but we can update cars to improve their sense of road signs, landmarks, and whether it’s about to rain. We can update refrigerators to know new snacks and give robots an edge in picking the ripest strawberries. Chess-playing or cell counting, kung fu fighting or bots chatting about packages, it’s all about training AI models with mad skills. This is how we are iteratively giving machines knowledge, like kung fu. Conversely, humans are learning iteratively from machines. More than 200 million Nintendo Gameboys have been sold and each of them inject the Tetris effect into our biological neural networks. Tetris effect If “knowledge is not given by the senses but acquired” then Tetris is acquired from machines just as much as flight simulators and phone apps upload artificial intelligence models to your brain. Microscopes and cars learn differently from you and Neo, but in each case, knowledge is acquired. Humans can train machines to understand the word “mama” and they can train babies, too. When we compare human and AI knowledge acquisition, however different the process is, the lines become blurred around the final result, which is making sense of perceptions. AI can know kung fu, pedestrian avoidance, or what cells look like. AI can know kung fu, pedestrian avoidance, or what cells look like. Sure, Morpheus explains to Neo in the Matrix that AI basically takes over the world and turns humans into batteries, but that’s not happening next week or anytime in the foreseeable future. AI is able to perceive, organize those perceptions, and know things, and that alone is a giant leap forward for artificial intelligence. We can now label any object in a frame of video, run the videotape, and quickly generate accurate AI models of anything visual ( Disclosure : I Work at chooch.ai ) in any spectrum of light, from microscopic to geospatial. generate accurate AI models of anything visual Disclosure I Work at chooch.ai We can also label kung fu moves, resulting in AI that can then make sense of perceptions like this move is “black tiger steals heart” and that move is “white snake spits venom.” Combine that with mechatronics, and it’s not hard to imagine a Boston Dynamics robot with kung fu moves, and eventually, a Mr. Smith. Neo eventually defeats Mr. Smith by using his imagination to bend reality and that is the strength of human beings. We humans don’t turn perceptions into models. You might be able to spot a microscopic imperfection in a painted metal surface, but you can’t do it endlessly, a million times per minute, while that surface is running at high speed through an industrial process. An AI can, but what an AI cannot do is shape the future with imagination. AI can spot scratches better, faster, endlessly. An AI can be copied and replicated to infinity. Thousands of cameras can stream their video to mathematical models that know what a nanometer-long scratch looks like or how an intruder acts when coming through a window of a house. Those cameras can be watching for scratches in factories or for burglars all over the world every millisecond of the day. Humans know what a burglar or a scratch looks like, and although humans can’t export and clone AI models, they can create symphonies and solve problems. We hear about AI being creative, but non-linear humans have flashes of insight that spawn new realities, AI being one of those paradigm shifts. Yes, AI will keep learning and humans will keep imagining the future, what we are going to collectively build. Cypher betrays his shipmates in the Matrix because he regrets taking the red pill and yearns to return to blissful ignorance, but humanity is not a weak, dithering lot, imprisoned by reality. The concept of the Matrix itself is a leap of faith, not an illusion generated by math. We don’t want movies from AI. We just want to know where our packages are and how many cells are on a slide, so we don’t have to count them. AI already can do these things faster and more accurately than we can, and various AI platforms are acquiring more knowledge every day, from visual to language to online behavior. AI can identify more celebrities faster and more accurately than any human, and pretty soon, AI is going to know pretty much everything. It’s a no brainer.

'Bytes' of Fury: AI Knows Kung Fu

A list of lessons learned from the thrills and spills of various cloud migration projects. I’ve been in the fortunate position to have been involved in several cloud migration projects in my career. Here’s a few insights I’ve collected which should hopefully help others starting out on their own cloud migration journey. It’s hard work. This work isn’t easy. There can be a surprising number of challenges to overcome, and certainly not just challenges, for example: Technical s — e.g. stakeholders in the project may lose their confidence in the team if it takes a long protracted time for delivery of the work without any tangible results in the interim. Organisational Politic — e.g. some individuals may be better placed than others to work on the project, but they are too busy on other projects. Lots of testing resource is also needed but it’s not always clear what to test. Resourcing — e.g. costing of provisioning of testing servers, cost of time reaching out to consultants. Financial Pure ‘Lift and shift’ never works. Lifting and shifting in this context means to take a current software platform running in a hosting/data centre, and to move it in its exact and current state into a cloud based environment. This is the antithesis to rearchitecting and employing a solution and taking advantage of the benefits that fully using a cloud provider’s platform has to offer. Cloud Native It definitely makes sense to make as few changes as possible when you’re moving a big, hefty and terrifyingly complex platform into the cloud. But some things you do in a hosting centre, should stay in the hosting centre . Not only that, some of the things you do and the way you do them, . will only ever work in a hosting centre Multicast Headaches At one point in a migration we made a fundamental assumption which was ultimately proven incorrect about Multicast being available in the cloud. This led to significant rework close to the project deadline to re-implement session management in our tomcat application server cluster. We ultimately moved to a via Multicast and used a implementation. session persistence mechanism rather than session replication cloud based Redis cache The end result was ultimately more resilient and meant that releases could be performed quicker with no customer impact (no need to wait for a node to become usable as sessions are replicated to it via Multicast, the node could use the persisted sessions straight away). The trick it seems is to employ a compromise approach — start with the principle of but try to validate any assumptions early. least change When a technical roadblock inevitably comes up, explore a cloud native solution first rather than fighting the cloud and shoe-horning in a version of your data centre solution. glitter covered It’s absolutely terrifying. I recall a critical point in one of the migrations where we unavoidably had to instigate a full outage to cut over to the new cloud-based platform. There was a moment when it was a literal point of no-return — failure wasn’t an option anymore. _…_and I got to press the button that made it happen 😱. “Looks good, ship it.” At some point after all of the work, the platform you build will eventually have to be used by potentially all actual real clients / customers and must function in exactly the same way as it did previously — and this is a scary thought indeed… …but then is it? You’ve performed work that could have gone wrong before. You’ve produced things that have been put in front of customers. The only thing that is scaring you is perhaps the . sense of scale Recognise what exactly it is that is worrying you about the situation and do something productive about it. Not everyone will ‘get it’. Despite the complexity of cloud migration projects, the number of resources involved and the up-front expense — some people in your organisation just won’t get it. “Right, so you’re just moving servers then?” The are clear and numerous, but to those not directly involved in the project and who don’t know the intricacies of the problems you’re solving: it can be really hard to articulate how the migration will ultimately add value for the end-user. benefits of cloud migrations The taboo here is that cloud migration projects can get cancelled simply because a leadership or executive team loses their faith in the project, or fails to see and understand the benefits. “This cloud thing is probably a fad anyway, don’t worry about it.” They would understandably rather devote their finite resources to driving revenue and building new features rather than support a project which will cost a lot of money and time, but deliver the same software to the same customers and potentially cause them issues at the same time. This is where I propose that we as supporters of cloud computing become true advocates of the cloud. Let’s get really clear about what the benefits are and explain them in simple and concise language. There are all sorts of hidden benefits. One of the great spin-offs of rebuilding a platform in the cloud is the use of infrastructure and automation technology you are almost forced to use if you didn’t previously. In a previous migration project I was part of, there was almost no scripting or automation of any of the data-centre based environments whatsoever to start with. In addition to this, there was a single shared on-site testing server which in the organisation used and knew the private IP of everyone (we had a memorial service for it when it eventually kicked the bucket). If you’re taking full advantage of cloud computing, your servers should become like cattle, cattle that can be butchered mercilessly at any moment ….🔪🔪🔪 not specially cared-for kittens; “AWWW! you’re such a cutey 10.0.1.221” For this to be able to happen (as it does in the cloud) without customers becoming angry at the disruption, you need to ensure new instances of your services can spin up without any human intervention — which is why you automate the build of your infrastructure and provisioning of your servers. Test Environments Mine and my colleagues’ simple pattern of using infrastructure and provisioning technologies was the foundation with which we built the new cloud based platform. It ultimately meant we could spin up an entire functioning platform . within 30 minutes This was an incredible power we never had before. We ultimately used it to also solve the problem of test environments. As a result of the migration effort, we could spin up as many test environments, exactly mirroring production, for as many teams as we wanted and the only hard limit was the cost. …and all sorts of hidden disadvantages. You might quickly find, not long after cut-over to the new and shiny platform that you end up with an enormous headache. Shadow IT You could suddenly find that there are a large number of business processes and shadow IT that has grown up around the ability to connect to private IP addresses and specially cared-for, servers ❄️, that has not been accounted for at all. special-snowflake Now as a result of the migration, lots of people in the organisation are suddenly unable to do their jobs; your warm fuzzy feeling at a job well done quickly gets swallowed up by frustration and apathy as you have to accommodate lots of changes at a very late stage in the project 😩. There’s no easy way to address this other than to do your own research and to shout loudly from the hill-tops that a migration is going to happen; that you and the team need to know about all of the weird and wonderful configurations in the system and processes in the organisation that could possibly be affected by the migration. Remember the simple things and don’t burn out. I recall a situation where the night before we were due to give a demo of our progress at a project milestone to the CTO and we really wanted to impress him. Myself and a colleague were still working on the platform until 3am We were burning ourselves out but we wanted to get everything done and to get ahead of ourselves. A cloud migration project is truly exciting and spans across a whole lot of disciplines, so if you like solving problems, it’s incredibly easy to get sucked in. (by our own choice). We had encountered an issue where a certain proportion of the requests hitting the platform, were failing and we didn’t know why. Eventually my colleague tracked down the fault to something fairly simple around some configuration for one of the application load balancers. We added some manual changes and tested the result. Success! 😁… It worked and we could go to sleep happy . (for 4 hours) …however we made a 😔. fatal error The next day we attempted to demo the platform but the problem had resurfaced. Overnight the platform had rebuilt itself using the scripts we had wrote — with the faulty configuration reapplied and our manual changes obliterated… 😩. It was an embarrassing and stressful situation and could have been easily avoided. If we had only have rested, took a step back and taken stock of the problem we faced and enacted a plan — instead, the end was in sight, so we rushed and made . simple mistakes Another lesson to point out, if it isn’t obvious: If you make manual changes, . always automate them as soon as you understand them Don’t wait. Cloud migration projects should never be “done”. The project should not be considered “done” the moment the platform is switched on and users are using it. There are going to be problems, there will probably be outages. A project of this type has probably never been done before in your organisation, so there are inevitably circumstances and issues that simply couldn’t have been foreseen. All parties involved in a project should embrace this inevitability and not be surprised when things go wrong. A DevOps Mindset Embrace the mindset and continue to iterate on your newly deployed platform. DevOps While there are many advantages as a result of adopting this mindset and making it intrinsic to what you do , the benefit I feel most strongly about is the well-being of the team and the benefits a properly motivated and healthy team can bring. (e.g reduced costs, reduced customer impact during issues with the service) Psychological Safety When production issues arise — the team are ultimately going to have to solve the problem — so which way would you have it? Would you rather the team solve this under pressure in an environment where there is a … * *… I mean “ ” culture?… blame cough accountability …or in an environment where they feel , able to make mistakes (and learn from them) and they feel empowered to proactively solve future problems? psychologically safe Embrace the DevOps mindset and reap the rewards. The team is the most important thing. In the migration projects I’ve been involved in, I was fortunate enough to be in teams comprised of really talented and dedicated folk, without which the projects would have been a complete and utter failure. The team needs a good range of talent and skills because a cloud migration project is inherently so cross-cutting. I’ve seen cloud migration projects fail initially because it was assumed that one individual with a whole host of skills in one particular area could tackle everything else by themselves. An overlooked but important skill in the migration team is leadership. Leaders can be anyone, they don’t need to be a manager. The leaders’ job is to move the obstacles out of the way out of the team, keep up morale and confidence, generally serve the team and fulfil the roles that the team are otherwise preoccupied to do. Whatever the team needs, the leader should be the team’s servant and do it_.In previous migrations I’ve seen the leader take on the role of handling communications on the migration night, or even just make bacon sandwiches_ 🐷_._ Cloud migration projects need a team that is diverse, highly skilled and dedicated — and most importantly has a good sense of humour to get through the tough times ✨_)._ (I miss you Team Glitter …Thank You! Thank you all for reading — I really hope it’s been useful. Please give me feedback about content you’d like me to write more (or less) about, I’d appreciate it 🙂. P.S. Kudos to my friend Sam Tulip (Technical Architect), for the many conversations we’ve had around this and giving me a bit of inspiration for this article — also to Dom Gallagher — an amazing DevOps engineer who kept me sane during our migrations and taught me all about the finer points of network-y things like subnets. One more thing. If you’re new to this whole cloud malarkey and would like to know more — or you’re about to start out on your cloud migration journey in your organisation and would like to get some experienced help — you should reach out to my very wise colleagues in who have many decades of combined experience in cloud consulting. BlackCat Technology Solutions

Things No-one Tells You About Cloud Migration Projects

Christian Science by Mark Twain, is part of the HackerNoon Books Series. You can jump to any chapter in this book . PRICE OF THE PASTOR-UNIVERSAL here PRICE OF THE PASTOR-UNIVERSAL The price of the Pastor-Universal, Science and Health, called in Science literature the Comforter—and by that other sacred Name—is three dollars in cloth, as heretofore, six when it is finely bound, and shaped to imitate the Testament, and is broken into verses. Margin of profit above cost of manufacture, from five hundred to seven hundred per cent., as already noted In the profane subscription-trade, it costs the publisher heavily to canvass a three-dollar book; he must pay the general agent sixty per cent. commission—that is to say, one dollar and eighty-cents. Mrs. Eddy escapes this blistering tax, because she owns the Christian Science canvasser, and can compel him to work for nothing. Read the following command—not request—fulminated by Mrs. Eddy, over her signature, in the Christian Science Journal for March, 1897, and quoted by Mr. Peabody in his book. The book referred to is Science and Health: “It shall be the duty of all Christian Scientists to circulate and to sell as many of these books as they can.” That is flung at all the elect, everywhere that the sun shines, but no penalty is shaken over their heads to scare them. The same command was issued to the members (numbering to-day twenty-five thousand) of The Mother-Church, also, but with it went a threat, of the infliction, in case of disobedience, of the most dreaded punishment that has a place in the Church's list of penalties for transgressions of Mrs. Eddy's edicts—excommunication: “If a member of The First Church of Christ, Scientist, shall fail to obey this injunction, it will render him liable to lose his membership in this Church. MARY BAKER EDDY.” It is the spirit of the Spanish Inquisition. None but accepted and well established gods can venture an affront like that and do it with confidence. But the human race will take anything from that class. Mrs. Eddy knows the human race; knows it better than any mere human being has known it in a thousand centuries. My confidence in her human-beingship is getting shaken, my confidence in her godship is stiffening. About HackerNoon Book Series: We bring you the most important technical, scientific, and insightful public domain books. This book is part of the public domain. Mark Twain (2004). Christian Science. Urbana, Illinois: Project Gutenberg. Retrieved October 2022 https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/3187/pg3187-images.html This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at , located at . www.gutenberg.org https://www.gutenberg.org/policy/license.html

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