up:: My Newsletter MOC tags::newsletter dates:: 2021-02-21
LYT Kit, Pace layers, and the power of language
I’ve been secretly revising the LYT Kit over the past few weeks, and since you are obviously into this sort of stuff, I wanted to share with you some of the changes I’ve made so far:
- I have refined the Home note 🏡. It’s even cleaner.
- I’ve incorporated nested tags. Nested tags are a big development.
- I’m really leaning towards taking away the numbers on my top ten MOCs (like 010 Mindsets) because it’s led some people to get really caught up thinking they have to number everything. But what do you think? Before I announce anything, I’m curious if you have a strong opinion on this.
- I took away the Calendar MOC because: I didn’t use it, other people got the wrong ideas about it, and frankly, the “Calendar” plugin is wonderful.
- I shifted my Back Matter meta-data-y stuff to Front Matter; and I hid most of the Front Matter to keep control over the story being told. (Note: YAML functionality isn’t quite there yet, but ask me again in a few months!)
- I worked in a lot more “Art of Link Curation”, where the creator responsibly guides the reader with fewer, more curated links. It’s basically an attempt to use “Choose Your Own Adventure” concepts to improve reader engagement.
- I hid Easter eggs in the forest :)
You can actually re-download the new version using the link at the top, if you want to give it a spin.
(By the way, would you like me to do an in-depth walkthrough of the LYT Kit? Like a 20 minute video? I feel like it might be helpful to unpack how this can scale with you over the decades to come. Reply to this email and let me know!)
On Pace Layers
I must admit, I wasn’t aware of the term “Pace Layers” until last year. Have you heard of it? Stewart Brand is someone worth listening to! He proposes “six significant levels of pace and size in the working structure of a robust and adaptable civilization.”
Read this, but while you do, consider it through the lens of Pace Layers as a thinking tool. I.e., how can this model be used to help you make sense of other things you encounter?
On the power of language
George Orwell understood the power of language. In his novel 1984, the totalitarian government enforces a language called “Newspeak,” which has an extremely limited vocabulary. This brutal simplification of word choice actually prevents the people from being able to articulate the complex thoughts and emotions they’re having. It imprisons their expression.
Fast forward to the 2020’s, and who would have thought we’d imprison ourselves…wearing our simple vocabularies as some sort of badge of honor(?)—and scared that using the big words will somehow screw with our identity… …more on this soon
👣 A LYT footnote 🎵
The noise 🗑 is deafening. I promise to focus on the signal 🌿. For me, the signal is high-value, evergreen stuff like:
- how to think better and with more joy
- how to be a better note-maker instead of just a note-taker
- getting past the shiny surface and asking the deep questions
- spotlighting 🔦 people and ideas that have stood the test of time ✨
So until next time… Stay Connected,
Nick