About
Year II
How do you do! Watch your head - it's been known to crack sometimes - especially if you don't have your thinking cap on. But then again, a thinking cap isn't a helmet; and there are many foes in here in the beyond regions of the new frontier, who can very easily blow that hat off with a single flick of their Ginsu knife talon - if they were so kind enough to leave the rest of your cranium intact and above your shoulders, that is. I guess I'm trying to say that you've wandered into a place where you may not want to be. There's a reason why there's a sign at the front door warning you not to enter; for strange ideas are born in strange places; and this would certainly qualify as one of those. If you don't find these ideas to be strange however, then I extend my congratulations to you! You have what people used to refer to as a "common sense"; for these ideas are nothing but based on such simple and basal views. You're not alone in the world after all!
The objective of this project still remains a mystery - at least to those of us who experience time in a linearly causal manner; so it's about the same as to what it was when it was launched a year ago (refer to the section below). But a few insights have revealed themselves during this very interesting annual sojorn; many of which may be deemed irrelevant or obvious to those who are advanced in their learning and prestige. I will let you come to your own conclusions as to what those insights might be; for this journey is as much yours as it is ours; and your own insights are the most valuable and useful to you.
So in light of these new revelations, we're opening another separate forum - whose focus is on understanding our common aspects as human beings, in our internal progression through life. It is an exploration of the shared ideas that we deem are important in our personal journeys as individuals participating in this larger family we call humanity. Are such ideals truly common among us? Do we really share these experiences and expectations? Are our perceptions fundamentally aligned at all? These questions and our chosen terrain are inherently personal - and very philosophical - and even existential - and perhaps downright mental. But let's try not to get stuck in these gymnastics and contortions of the mind. Instead, let us see if the human commonalities can be brought low (or rather, high) enough to yield objectivity. So be sure to wear your favorite sturdy footwear; trust me - you'll want your feet warm and free from blisters on this journey. And don't forget to bring your thinking cap. It's already proven to be quite useful on numerous occasions.
- Lettered by the scribe of AEIOUM on April 1, 2022
P.S.
Here's a collected PDF of the writings from Year 1.
Year I
Welcome! If you're wondering what this website is about, I'm sorry to disappoint you but I have no idea either. It's a virtual community structured as a message board but a community of what? What are its goals and what is it that we're trying to achieve? And why aren't we using an existing platform with all the bells and whistles of modernity and outreach potential far superior to a seemingly obsolete format of the archaic early days of the internet? All very good questions, and I do have very good answers to them, albeit I'd rather think of them as answers relevant to the here and now than something concrete and immutable.
In a nutshell, this is an experiment and an outlet for personal gratification, which I hope it can be for you as well. AEIOUM is a place where we can discuss ideas, not in the sense of technological extensions by experts with impressive affiliations in corporate and academic worlds, nor is it about discussing new ideas so that we can make money off of them or further our careers. No, this is not what we mean when we talk about ideas. It's rather about having a conversation beyond the confines of our daily lives, aimed at simplicity and clarity of meaning in a well thought out exchange of concepts and processes. There's a famous quote by Eleanor Roosevelt, who stated that, "Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people". I don't want to inflate my ego and say that I'm one of these great minds but dammit, discussing ideas is what I enjoy the most. And I want to share this with anyone who has similar sentiments. This is a journey and I haven't a clue as to where it will take us but I know that I want you with me. Perhaps together we can create a better world by simply talking to one another and taking on the challenges that nobody wants to pay for, discuss for free or are too afraid of confronting.
So why would an internet forum be the choice of platform instead of reusing a handful of existing behemoths with millions and billions of users? To this I answer with a rhetorical question. I don't mean to insult anyone, but how many of those millions and billions are willing to discuss ideas in high quality dialogue or are even vaguely interested in the topics? What we need is to be able to write and have meaningful exchanges without the clutters and distractions offered by these platforms. Under the hood, they're basically specialized forums anyways so it's a matter of going back to the basics and using what we need. We need time to think and carefully construct our responses without pressure and without word limits. We need the freedom to cover a large range of topics and not be constrained to a strict format of focused Q&A. And we need to promote anonymity to dissuade people from using credentials to support an argument by claiming to be experts. An internet message board fits these requirements nicely.
If you're like me and have bemoaned the lack of an outlet for your very niche psychological needs then I'm sure you've a big smile on your face right now. And if I was a slick salesman with outrageously shiny teeth and a cheshire cat smile, this is when I would urge you to sign up right away and start "contributing"! But I'm not one of those people. Rather I urge you to take your time and join us when you're ready. It's perfectly fine to lurk and browse, although we sincerely hope to see your thoughts manifest on these pages soon. With that, we again extend our warm greetings and our congratulations at having found us on the vast virtual space of the internet.
- Written by the staff of AEIOUM on April 1, 2021
