Commlink #48
Weekly Review
Philosophy matters at Community DAO. One of the things that sets our organization apart is our constant attention to the theoretical underpinnings of the entire crypto web3 movement. What could be said to have begun with Bitcoin, erupted with Ethereum, has distilled into Ravencoin, as our foundation blockchain, with the purest grasp of modern principles. This enables us to continue to develop the scope of a fresh philosophy. We express this in constantly writing on the themes of decentralization, community, and technology and in demonstrating how those apply to our current projects and endeavors.
Connecting current developments with political theories, literary examples, and historical experience, all components of “philosophy,” (aka “Layer 3”) enable us to gain a level of consciousness and perspective about the direction not only of the organization but of the world around us, outside of the space in which we operate. By doing this, we can see larger purposes converging in our experiment, which is a part of an agelong drive towards a new paradigm.
In this week’s review, I want to briefly focus on a literary example in the greater project of worldwide Decentralization. Studying more examples like this might help in giving us some of that larger cosmic perspective that inspires our work with a higher purpose. I will be brief and just set up some pointers to deeper directions readers can follow up on as time permits.
In 1965, author Frank Herbert published Dune, the first of 6 novels to come that took up a distant future world based on a desert planet named Arrakis (aka “Dune”). Humanity has long evolved out of planet earth and has risen again after a series of wars with machines known as the Butlerian Jihad. Dune takes up a significant moment in time centering around the emergence of a type of avatar, the kwisatz haderach, Paul Atreides, the biological result of a millennial long breeding program by a female order of initiates known as the Bene Gesserit. The Atreides dynasty culminates in the appearance of the God Emperor, Leto II, Paul’s son, who becomes a type of immortal worm/human hybrid gifted with incredible genius, oracular power, and superhuman physical abilities. Leto II rules for 1000s of years as a tyrant with absolute, centralized power and unquestioned authority. God Emperor was published 16 years later in 1981 and represents one of the most intensive explorations of political philosophy undertaken in a literary format in the context of a dramatic narrative unfolding.
If you have not seen the recent Dune movie from Denis Villeneuve, released in 2021, find a way to watch it and then follow up by reading the original books. Tons of material has been generated from this contemporary retelling of the classic sci-fi story:
The God Emperor, art by Joe Tuscany
As it turns out, in the larger scheme of the series, the God Emperor Leto is a type of “enlightened despot,” who is executing a larger plan that will result in the Golden Path, which is cryptically referred to at various points in sequences tracing all the way back to the original Dune novel, with Paul’s early visions. The Golden Path is depicted and referred to as ushering in a type of “Scattering,” essentially diffusing the power concentrated by the Emperor across the known universe for the foreseeable future, after his death. This is depicted as the salvation of humanity, a realized process of Decentralization, which forever keeps civilization from the inertia and suffocating devolution that results from totalitarian or centralized power structures controlling in the name of security and safety. Humanity rots under that dispensation. The Golden Path, therefore, is the realization of a healthy multi-polar universe able to perpetually evolve from all of its diverse facets.
There are many parallels that could be drawn to contemporary thinking on transitions towards web3 governance models based firmly on the philosophy of Decentralization here, especially in automated DAO models, which are evolved methods of governance built from representative government theories in development for 1000s of years but enhanced through technology.
What Dune gives us is not only a hopeful future of healthy growth moving outward, centrifugally away from the center, but also upward, as literary inspiration helps us find meaning in our contemporary struggles in life.
That is all I have this week. Let’s hear from the rest of the Community! Our report list continues to grow. Remember to add your update to the roster each week by Sunday.
Best, Dow
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How We Can End the War in Ukraine Using DAOs and Contractual Vision
Dear Mr. President,
One thing is clear: It looks like no one is backing down. Putin and his allies are hellbent on creating a new world order. The world trade ecosystem is splitting down the middle between the communists and the liberal west. As data becomes the real economic system, countries are becoming more aware of how others can access their data if they have access to the machines that make their technology. Specifically, two of the world's largest markets, the United States and China, are separating their technology markets and making increasingly strong stands against each other with their military prowess. Perhaps it is the correct strategy in both cases, given the number of people in China right now.
Calling for an imminent cease-fire on all sides.
Just like we have cameras on our civilian police, we also have cameras on our military troops, our planes, our missiles, and in space. We can accurately verify that a military person was shot by the other side by using visual data, whether through street cameras, simulations, or hand-to-hand combat games. We already do it all the time, and we literally call it “War Games.” It’s time we accelerated them.
It is clear the war in Ukraine is going to end badly, with a large number of people dying. It is time we ended all actual wars by invading Russia and China through an agreed-upon and public war game that aims to reduce casualties while ensuring the beauty of the earth and the love of humanity continue to progress into infinity.
Escalating military power in the world
It is clear that simulations are more than sufficient for proving that one side will be able to conquer the other and that, as it stands right now, both sides are evil. Don’t get me wrong, people are good, and there is much beauty in the world, but creating economies that escalate tensions with foreign powers and leave people dead on battlefields is despicable. Creating economies that rely so heavily on oil and other fossil fuels when there are sustainable alternatives is a disgrace to our planet. Not focusing more heavily on educating our children is destroying our future. I think it’s time to create a new educational system that gamifies learning about engineering and science to accelerate our sustainable industries and fortify our position as caretakers of this planet.
This is why accelerating our warfare is important. We must learn the magnitude of scale at which we can defend our planet from each other, alien invaders, you name it. But most importantly, we must be able to defend ourselves from ideas. Even the idea of freedom can come at a deadly cost when people are disgruntled with their position in life. What is the point of working hard when we run out of water and a rioter throws a Molotov cocktail at your house? Why work to set up a government when it just works to set up a class system? It’s stupid unless we find another way to live more harmoniously with nature and guarantee the safety of every person.
It is clear that making weapons will only become easier, and there must be a way to feel safe that does not involve banning weapons. That can be done using the same contractual vision system that makes our wartime battlegrounds safe. It is already possible to monitor a person’s emotions using machine learning. We can create new safety standards around the use and manufacturing of weapons that ensure they do not fire at innocent people but still allow a bystander to take down a person who is going on a stabbing spree.
Through the reindustrialization of our sustainable economy using mock warfare, it will be possible to take on massive infrastructure projects that revitalize financially restricted economies. Most fire escapes in New York City apartments are not up to code, and fire escapes, in general, are a poor solution to fire issues. Through staged warfare, we can simulate bombings and raids as if it were Germany bombing London during WWII.
The games can be planned in conjunction with Hollywood, Russia, China, or any of our adversaries, with the students planning a new vision of New York that incorporates its history, aesthetics, and culture. A wartime effort would speed up production by bringing new technologies to old communities and rebuilding infrastructure that could last. With everyone in agreement, bombings, invasions, and fighting can all be staged while, in the background, a diverse crowd of multinational beings is working together to build a better future and publicly showcase it to the world.
Warfare is going to culminate in robot vs. robot battles. Military jets are already being sent into battle without humans, and if someone were to release an army of robot dogs with guns for eyes into Europe, it would be over, or at least a lot of human casualties would result from the robot dog wars. But, seriously, we can progress to make these technologies and have them fight each other without hurting anyone. We can fortify every barn in Alabama so it looks like a modern castle with the same red aesthetic but doesn’t burn down when your neighbor is mad at you or a drone shoots a rocket at it. In Star Trek, they have a force field around the earth that protects it from invaders. If that forcefield is possible, I am not qualified to say; however, there is a chance that if independence day comes, whether from aliens, robots, or nukes, freedom shall be protected, and we will live on to fight for liberty another day.
This is the reason for the escalation of military armament. If it’s not a bombing of a school, it's a shooting at a school, and if it’s not a shooting at a school, it's a reeducation facility or the deletion of ideas from official sources. We are at war because we eat it up on the news, in our schools, and in our video games. It’s been used as a scare tactic to suppress cooperative establishment, and it’s time we used the lessons we learn to end the global conflict without having to rewrite history or hurt people.
By making a cooperative system that continues to learn how fighting principles can help shape our landscapes, we will be creating a surplus economy with the knowledge and infrastructure that will help us become a space-faring society and give us a global cooperative-competitive infrastructure that will help us find a lot of natural resources in our galaxy and beyond. We will, in effect, be reaching toward the most infinite versions of humanity.
As a result of the homogeneous nature of human duality, we need to create cooperative, self-balancing, artificially intelligent systems. We are incredibly balanced creatures who subconsciously strive to live in a state of homeostasis with our environment. We have two eyes, two arms, two legs, and two base chromosome pairs, and we shall soon have similar yet distinct existences here on this planet matching that which we do in cyberspace.
We can harness the power of informational technology and finance to provide this fair and statistically manageable system by empowering a more creative society now. Currently, our system is incredibly vulnerable, and a deep history of an individual's data is available through a few lines of code in a Python script. New buildings are being built with a dual architecture frame of mind, and we will live not in our buildings but through them. We must rapidly expand this effort to include every civilian household so that every citizen has access to transformational technology and power to repair these systems to ensure they are bulletproof. It is imperative that the permissions to the digital structure of the future are connected through an open-source cooperative network that respects the individuals at the root of their existence without the incentive of profit-driving access to personal data.
Mr. President, I believe the future of the existence of the human race is at stake, and you are the only man with the power to fix it. I believe we need to declare a formal declaration of war on China, Russia, Large Monopolies, and Big Banks until we receive due justice for the cyberwarfare and societal engineering crimes that have been enacted on our people. That is to say, they are manipulating Americans into believing that they are not slaves to a society that doesn’t care about their well-being. Please use your war powers to massively increase spending until our world is deemed safe by the children we are fighting so hard to protect. Create new cabinets and force Congress to massively progress us into a more statistically sound environment where we are not at risk of environmental, economic, or wartime efforts that could end the freedom of citizens around the planet. Do these things in the name of Love and Peace with the help of free people and computers, and do it fast so I can fight Putin one on one before he’s too old to keep his mitts up.
Sincerely Yours,
A concerned citizen
"The Me"
Most of the time, it's captivating, but occasionally, it's perplexing how people perceive me.
Others may ask, "Who are you?" despite the fact that you are amazing and have many different colors. How did you accomplish it, some people may ask?
“I'm still figuring out who the real you are,” the person of the opposite gender will say.
{smiles}
Sometimes I wonder if anyone will ever know the true me. My focus is on making someone smile and solving an issue; I don't really care what other people think of me. That makes me happy inside because I'm always eager to remove a mountain.
My name is Victoria, but I prefer it when people call me Vicky. Let's start with that, since this is the first thing people know about me.
I was unquestionably raised in a godly manner and am the sixth and final kid in my family. A story for another time: I lost my father when I was a young child, and my mother has been the world's most loving person ever since. I adore my mother; she always refers to me as her "baby," and I appreciate both her wisdom and her patience.
As I've already said, I have many different shades. I am not just her mother's daughter; I am a woman who shares ideas. In all my experience, academics is one of the things I take seriously. I'm a student in my last year, a teacher, a content writer, an editor, a screenplay writer, an actress, a singer, and a professional fashion designer. Yes, I perform even more than the aforementioned tasks, and learning new things is always magical.
Faithtino’s First Experience in the Swimming in Pool
My first swimming experience was when I was almost 21 years old. Our friends had planned to go to the pool party. I went there with all my coursemates, where we had already booked a resort in Abak Road Uyo, Prismar Hotel. Once there, I found out that they also had shallow swimming pools.
I’m scared of water. I get suffocated in water. I never wanted to learn to swim as I knew it was not my cup of tea. I didn't even go to the river in the village when my friends forced me to do so! Everyone always told me that learning to swim would be helpful to me when I grow up, and I may also need it in difficult situations.
As we had a swimming pool in the camp, a lot of students were interested in swimming. I stood aside and watched them having all the fun. Suddenly, someone pushed me from behind, and I fell into the pool. I couldn't understand what was happening to me; the water was very cold.
I screamed out of fear, “please help me get out.” I was struggling with my hands and legs in the water around me. The water was going inside my mouth and nostrils. I couldn’t breathe for a while. The worst thing was that the swimming trainer was not there at that moment. One of my friends saw me struggling in the water, held my hand, and brought me up.
He told me to paddle my hands and legs continuously in the water. Observing others, I started doing it. He held my hands in the front and told me to paddle my legs behind. I gripped his hands tightly because I was afraid of drowning. I followed his commands, and after some time, I felt like I could swim smoothly without any support.
I told him to let me try swimming by myself once. I tried, but because of nervousness, I again started to go under water. But then, I tried to get out of it on my own. I paddled my legs with my hands in the front, and I got out. I was very happy that I tried and now I can say that I know how to swim.
This was indeed an unforgettable experience for me. I was happy that my friend taught me how to swim at last and that I tried. After overcoming my fear, I started going to swimming classes with my friend, and I've perfectly learned how to swim now.
My clarion call experience
A well-berthed story is like smoke moving in the direction of the sky. It must definitely come from a fire set somewhere. Before my clarion call, the journey actually started in my birth month, October 2016, when I was admitted to the University of Uyo in Akwa Ibom State Nigeria.
After years of toiling on the campus, just like Peter toiled in the river throughout the night before meeting Jesus, I graduated from the university, and just like several others, I was called upon to serve my father's land.
I was posted to an unknown land, where I knew no one nor understood the language of the region. Initially, I decided to stay lonely since I didn't understand the language and couldn't communicate with the people around me. But on a faithful day, I made up my mind and adapted Ubuntu philosophy (South African term) which means a person is who he is because of other people.
So I started getting close to people and trying to communicate in a way they'll understand. The first person I related with was a Muslim whose name was Sheriff.
And surprisingly, during the process of striving to relate with people, I got to know people from my region who pretended not to understand the language I speak.
Taking the first step on the journey to my dreams and beyond
I recall my first day of secondary school like it was yesterday. I had my brand new school uniform, with a baggy shirt and trousers. Although I felt excited, I was also overwhelmed by the challenge that lay ahead.
On my first day, I got to know my classmates and made friends with some of them. I noticed how much different the school environment seemed compared to primary school. There were no more colorful walls, nor was there a jungle gym. Instead, this time everything felt more serious and organized.
The teachers were also much more formally dressed, and they paid extra attention to living up to the expectations of their profession. The overflowing enthusiasm made the classroom feel even more like a learning environment, while also providing me with new thrills and excitements that I had never experienced before.
The teachers guided us through all kinds of different subjects—chemistry, biology, mathematics—but perhaps the best of all was our history class.
I was a scared 11-year-old on my first day of secondary school. The enormity of the building, the emotional disconnect from family, and my anxiety all combined to create an overwhelming feeling of dread. I nervously followed along with the other children, trying to make sense of what was being said and done by teachers and older students alike.
After a few wrong turns, I made it to my first class. My teacher was an intimidating figure. He had the aura of someone who had seen it all before, although he was visibly sympathetic towards us newbies. As we awkwardly took our seats in the classroom, he began giving us a tour and telling stories about his experience at this school when he was a student here many years ago.
After a while, there were moments where I finally felt like part of something real, even though it seemed surreal at times too—as if I'd stepped into another universe never explored before.
Conclusion
I remember how nervous I was on my first day in secondary school. It wasn't my first time in an unfamiliar environment, but this was different. Excitement mixed with a little fear as I prepared myself to start this new chapter.
I jumped out of my bus and took the walk down the hallway, which leads to the main office, hoping to make all of the right impressions on my first day. Once I got inside, I was given a tour, met the teachers and staff, and learned more about the extracurricular activities I could do.
As we went along, I felt increasingly comfortable in my new surroundings, until we stopped outside my first classroom door. My heart started racing as I opened it and stepped into a room full of strangers who didn't know me from Adam.
Stages of Life
Being the only son of my mother, I was loved and cherished as a child, which made me feel happy all the time.
There was always food on the table, clothing to wear, and shoes to put on my feet, so I had nothing to worry about.
If wishes were horses, I would want to live forever as a youngster.
Then as I became older, I understood that being a child is merely a stage and that everyone must move on to another stage, whether they are living or dead.
I was raised to be honest and to avoid being a fool.
I was instructed to face my concerns, widen my perspective, and exercise caution around my classmates.
I was raised to have huge dreams because, if I can do that, anything is possible.
As I enter the adult stage, I understand that in order for my big aspirations to become a reality, I must put in a lot of effort in addition to dreaming big.
I have to make decisions; sometimes, they hurt me, and other times they shape who I am.
I'm still striving to fulfill my lifelong goal of becoming a valuable man who gives to others instead of taking from them.
Jayekoi here!
Content creator
a vocalist, Nft designer, and influencer on social media.
My weekend
Hi, my name is Joel Maxwell, and I want to share how my weekend went. It wasn't that a busy weekend because my club Liverpool is not playing yet, but it was fun. I was invited over to my friend's house. I went, and when I got there, I was welcomed and offered a drink. After that, my friend and I zoomed off to a game shop close by, where we had so much fun. First, we played the snooker game. Although I played well, I still lost.
After the snooker game, he challenged me to a chess game and also won. It wasn't really my day. We also played other games, and I really enjoyed myself. After the games, we stopped by a cafe and ordered sharwama for launch. After 25 minutes, our sharwama was ready, and I really enjoyed it.
After a good time, I traveled back home to visit my people, and I must say I was happy to see my siblings. We played and took pictures.
After that, I waited for my dad to return from work. We talked about how business and his work are going before I returned to school later in the evening. This weekend was really a happy one, and I enjoyed myself.
Yesterday was quite a unique day, as I was involved in an NGO education program for young secondary school children. We visited Santa Familia Academy in umuabi, Udi local government area of Enugu state. Our journey was a smooth one as we took a vehicle from Holy ghost park to Nkwaoagu, and then we picked a bike umuabi.
The students were very welcoming, and the principal gave us a big welcome as we gathered the students. I spoke to them about the importance of education in their daily lives and the importance of science education and information communication technology in the twenty-first century. I also moved from educating them to informing them on the new subjects included in the revised curriculum of education. With the saying that "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy," we engaged them in games and interactions.
We didn't come empty-handed. We distributed a ball pen to each student.
Narrative of me
My name is Rachel Dominic, and I'm from Africa, specifically Nigeria. I live in the city of Uyo, and I'm the second of my mother's four wonderful children—there are three girls and one boy.
As a student in the esteemed department of communication art at the University of Uyo, where I am now in my final year, I attended Saint Brain Nursery and Primary School.
Introduction to Communication Art is one of my favorite courses in the department because it helps me think creatively about how to combine my artistic abilities with everyday interpersonal communication.
My interests include singing, book reading, and event planning. What I do for a living is write articles, organize events, and bake cakes and small treats to make money to pay my bills. I'm still working on developing my other creative side so that I can improve as a person and influence my generation.
Week 48 Update
To be proud of something, you must have some level of esteem bestowed upon it or a kind of heroic prehistoric story behind it.
Visiting a site at the University of Uyo was among the things that I've wanted to do since the beginning of this year.
Earlier this week, a friend of mine called me on the phone to solicit my support in his business as he seeks to expand his reach and services.
I responded very well on the phone, but deep down, something was off about the phone call.
Well, I have no other choice than to visit the site to see for myself.
Getting to the exact location where he proposed to be hosting the business was something else because it never existed.
What?!
After about an hour, I decided to retract my way home, but my mind was not certain about what to do. I decided to get in contact with one of my friends who lives around the university area.
He was around and also happy to see me.
We walked around the university for some time, and I also took these pictures.
The street art was something to get a closer look at, but we had no time to take more shots.
For me, I'm not proud of my friend who called me out for nothing. Bad for him.
At Calabar Carnival
Last year was the first time I had the pleasure of experiencing the incredible Calabar Carnival, one of the most important cultural festivals in Nigeria. The music, dancing, and colorful costumes created an electrifying environment.
I was immediately drawn in by the crowd's energy as soon as I arrived. The air was filled with the sweet smell of street food, and people were dancing and singing to the beats of the drums. I felt right at home at the festival, which had a relaxed, joyful vibe.
For me, a high point was witnessing the procession of masquerade groups. The groups, all decked out in elaborate costumes, danced to the rhythm of the drums. Beautiful colors, elaborate patterns, and eye-catching accessories characterized the costumes.
Seeing the cultural village and learning about the history and traditions of the Calabarians was also a great experience. During my stay, I witnessed traditional dances, listened to live music, and enjoyed some of the region's best cuisine.
To summarize, I had a fantastic time at Calabar Carnival, which was full of exciting performances and a palpable sense of community. Everyone who wants to learn more about Nigeria's history and culture should read it.
My Visit to the North East (Taraba State)
I was posted to the northeast, Tarabar State to be precise, to spend my service year. This is a one-year compulsory service that all graduate citizens are expected to do. The posting cuts across all geopolitical zones in the country.
When I first saw the posting, I fidgeted because of the negative news of insurgencies that frequently occur in this part of the country, but I kept my calm because I felt I was not alone.
During the orientation exercise, we were warned never to encroach on the traditions and customs of our host communities, as some communities have sacred things which should not be seen or defied by strangers to avoid punishment. I heed the instruction and deterred myself from such an act.
After proper posting had been made, I was sent to a community where “CROCODILE” is revered, and this prompted inquisitiveness in me, and I decided to see it for myself.
I stylishly visited the palace of the chief where the supposed crocodile was said to be living inside a “well with no water.” I wondered how it survives, knowing that it is a typical aquatic animal. The answer I got was that it is a “god” so it cannot die. The villager who escorted me in the company of friends instructed us not to shout when we see the live crocodile coming out of its abode.
He immediately began to speak and make some incantations in the local language. We began to feel uneasy and had to leave the scene. Then, I knew that the race was for the swift. We all took to our heels.
After the incident, I became the preacher of the message of “respect people’s tradition” and not encroach on it to avoid problems.
Immediately after my service year was completed, I didn't wait for even one moment to gather myself and return home to avoid getting in trouble with harmful traditions in a strange land.
My personal narrative
My name is Johnson smart, and I'm from Nigeria in Africa. I live in the city of Lagos with my parents, Mr. and Mrs. Richard. I was raised in a Christian home where my mother regularly took me to church and to bible studies, which helped me deepen my faith and have an impact on my neighborhood through the music I played on my keyboard.
I attended the music department at the University of Lagos as well as faith nursery and primary school. I adore music because it captures every aspect of the human experience. When I'm feeling down, music cheers me up and heals my soul.
Things I do include writing material, trading cryptocurrencies, playing the keyboard in my local church, and being a sound engineer and producer.
As a person who believes there is always space for development, I am open-minded and enjoy making new acquaintances and learning new things in my daily activities.
The Apocalypse is here! 😱
A new NFT game has arrived – “Survive The Bite” by the Humble Mining Game Co. NFT Collectors that own a Survive the Bite NFT card are eligible to play an interactive game of survival trials.
The reward? Life, Ravencoin, NFTs and leveling up your NFT!
If you are interested in learning more about the game visit the Humble Mining Game Co Discord - http://discord.gg/vKQxJ2VMbX
NFTs are available at Mellori, Ravenist, NFTRVN.
My Best Moment Performing A Cultural Dance
We all have moments that stand out in our lives. For me, one of those moments was when I was performing a cultural dance for the first time. The occasion was to celebrate the culture and traditions of our community. It was a great opportunity to showcase my talent and connect with my heritage. It wasn't just any dance; it was an old traditional dance from my culture I had wanted to perform since I was a little boy. My best moment performing this dance occurred when my family and friends were watching me from the audience. I felt so connected to the music, my culture, and the people around me—it truly felt like a magical experience.
Dancing is a fantastic opportunity to meet people from different cultures and discover new ones. Both the dancer and the audience may find it to be enjoyable and fulfilling. Cultural dances come in a wide variety of styles and origins from throughout the world. Each dance has its own distinct steps and movements, and they are frequently particular to a culture or place. Some of the most popular cultural dances in my culture include Asian Ubo Ikpa, Oko, Nkerebe, Asian Mbre Iban, Ndok Ufok Ebe, Ekombi and Ebre. Each of these dances has its own rich history and tradition and is beloved by those who practice it.
I was proud and happy while doing the traditional dance. The reason it was the best moment was that it reflected my culture and heritage, and I was able to teach others about my culture through my performance.
3 Memories of Technology
Technology didn't use to be this popular as it is today. There were no smartphones, no cloud. The only cloud available back then was the one that forms in the sky. There was no wifi, and messages had to be sent for days and even months through postal companies before they arrived at their destination. Right now, in a split second, a man in Uyo, Nigeria, can send his friend in Kentucky, USA, a message on social media.
Personal computers were box-like analog heat-producing machines with some blue lights that hurt the eyes, coupled with the fact that they were stationary. It's so amazing how technology has changed our lives, and now it is the new normal.
I was oblivious to the tech world and thought it was boring and complex and was meant for geek-like people. I later realized I was wrong, and I joined this world changer.
Digital Printing
In 2014, right after high school, my parents arranged for me to become a protégé of a lithographer whose name was Mr. Abbey. According to my parents, I was "idling around the house," and I needed to get a skill.
My dad was a graphic designer when people used hand-drawn designs and calligraphy, and my mother was a computer science graduate who knew a lot about technology.
Lithography is a printing technique in which a graphic design or writing is impressed on an aluminum or zinc sheet called a plate.
A Traditional Lithographer and his Machine
The process of lithography took a long time. Patience and precision were required to wait for the image to appear on the plates. Having mirrored lasers printed upright on finished prints required top skill in lithography.
We had two ways of exposing plates in Mr. Abbey's workshop: through the lighting chamber that is run on electricity and by exposing plates directly to the sun for a perfect impression. The plates had different sizes for different printing machines, from Sord plates to Cord, GTO, and the smallest being 201 plates for 201 Machines.
As technology advanced rapidly from 2015 onwards, the manual way of exposing plates became obsolete as a new technology—known as CTP (Computer to Plate)—surfaced. CTP proved to be highly effective, with perfect output in quality time. It was a direct impression taken from a computer to an aluminum or zinc plate without any exposure to external light. Over time, the traditional lithographers' patronage was reduced to a handful or zilch.
Computer to Plate Machine
After a while, I left Mr. Abbey's workshop because Kaduna City was filled with religious and political unrest, and his workshop was right in the heart of the city.
With the financial and emotional support of my parents and my sister Esther, I summoned the courage to open a business center that offered services such as typing, photocopying, and online registration for different kinds of examinations.
My startup was named Abasianam business center. The name Abasianam was my Vernacular name, which is given to a child in some parts of Africa in addition to an English name. Abasianam means God did it.
Prior to the opening of the center, I had limited knowledge of graphic design. I started to gain knowledge by taking lots of courses from Udemy, Cousera, and courses by graphic masters in Nigeria. As I sharpened my skill set, I got gigs from schools, churches, and individuals.
I also spread my interests to other aspects of digital printing through collaboration, like SAV printing, direct image printing, screen printing, and my favorite—sign design.
Programming, AI and Machine Learning, and IOT
During the Covid-19 period, I came across a book titled "Programming for Dummies.” It was exciting to know that I could create different things on the computer ranging from websites to games, mobile apps, and even cloud engineering. The book exposed me to a world of possibilities.
In order to know more, I began searching for a tutor. After many attempts but little success in finding a suitable computer course, I went to Hephzibah Computer Institute in the center of town. The receptionist at Hepzibah Computers told me that enrollment into the classes was suspended in adherence to the Covid 19 protocol, which forbids crowds from gathering.
She directed me to a private tutor, Lifidi Kugo. When I met him, he showed me a lot of IOT, programming, coding, and Machine Learning. I was not able to have classes with him because the long-suspended strike had been called off, and I had to return to school.
Instead of giving up, I started to learn on my own. I began by writing codes in HTML, which is a markup language used for giving websites structure. From there, I learned CSS, the language that gives websites their style. Finally, I persisted in learning frontend programming even though I found JavaScript hard at first.
Tired after hours of coding
I learned how to use artificial intelligence tools like rytyr to generate blog post in less than 5 minutes. I became familiar with AI tools like UnifyID, Emma, Apollo, Ara, and a whole lot more. These AI tools have made life so easy. For example, UnifyID identifies you, and Emma helps you plan your journey and the exact time for meetings.
Web3 and the Alterverse
In July 2022, I was introduced to Web3 by Daniel Nwosu, who became my guardian angel on my Web3 journey. Like any other technology, the transition to Web3 came with a unique fear. The virtual world looked like an abstract and vague concept to comprehend, but with Daniel by my side, I was getting more comfortable with terms like NFTs, DAOs, Alterverse, Metaverse, and more.
Furthermore, I got an ambassador job at The Community DAO and started learning, earning and investing.
Ambassador Report
Our aims and goals must not be forgotten. We're the voices of The Community DAO. Our team of professional designers and content/article creators has consistently shown how committed we can be over the years. In February, it will be a full year since the CommDAO marketing team has been alive and thriving on the platform. This program began with lots of wants and expectations which we've seen most of them coming to pass while few considered as our roadmap to be embarked on in the second year. In the previous week, we received over 400 quality designs from the team, and a good number of these unique designs are in the process of being minted into NFTs and added to CommDAO corral. Below is the summary of the activities that took place this week.