Category: collaborative thinking

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The Power of Free Thought

THOUGHTS MIGHT LOOK SCARY AT FIRST

Unleashing the Mind

Korsakowian thinking—allowing ideas to roam without the shackles of preconceived notions—sparks innovation and reshapes perspectives. It’s the mental equivalent of wild horses galloping freely, unbound by the reins of convention. This untamed approach to thinking fosters connections between real-world observations, leading to insights that challenge and expand our understanding.

Breaking Free from Constraints

Traditional systems like academia often prioritize structure over creativity, urging us to control thoughts to fit established narratives. But controlling thoughts leads to stagnation, like a carriage stuck on a predetermined path. Free thought rejects this, embracing the chaos of unfiltered ideas. By letting go of the need to align with familiar frameworks, we open ourselves to seeing the world anew—whether it’s a tree that suddenly appears magical in the focus of awareness or a societal trend spotted years before it emerges.

The Spark of Innovation

Sparkling ideas, those rare gems that transform humanity—like the wheel or the internet—often and maybe always arise from free thought. No one thought of it before but now it is easy enogh to copy. Sparkling ideas don’t just solve problems; they redefine how we live, impacting millions and enduring through time. However, they’re buried in a sea of noise. Platforms like X amplify both signal and noise, but korsakowian thinkers can filter the chaos, spotting patterns and connections others miss. This ability to see clearly, unclouded by conventional wisdom, accelerates learning and discovery.

Learning from Reality

Books archive what at some point was considered valuable knowledge, but reality offers infinite knowledge, one just has to explore and look. Korsakowian thinking draws from life’s raw data—conversations, observations, fleeting moments—reconnecting these dots in novel ways. Unlike academic study, which I felt like a worm digging through a pile of old data, Korsakowian thinking (that I am now trying to learn) feels like a rocket, propelling toward insights at breakneck speed. Personal journeys, like abandoning academia for real-world exploration, show that true learning happens when we engage directly with life’s messiness.

The Courage to Think Differently

Korsakowian thinking isn’t always welcomed. It can confuse or frustrate those who prefer predictable ideas. Critics may call it erratic or irresponsible, but embracing wild thoughts requires courage. It’s not about pleasing others; it’s about following what excites the mind. This pursuit, though challenging, is deeply rewarding, offering a sense of clarity and purpose that rigid thinking can’t match.

An Invitation to Think Freely

Korsakowian thinking is a call to action. It invites us to question, connect, and explore without fear of judgment. Some, like the author of these reflections, have foreseen trends—digital design, the internet’s potential—years before others, simply by trusting their untamed ideas. You’re invited to join this journey. Let your thoughts run wild, see where they lead, and share what you find. If this feels too chaotic, that’s okay—step back. But if it sparks something in you, dive in. Follow me, contact me, whatever you like.

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Interaktiver Dokumentarfilm ist tot. Es lebe der interaktive Dokumentarfilm.

Interaktiver Dokumentarfilm: Vergangenheit, Gegenwart und Zukunft

Seit 1997 beschäftige ich mich mit dem, was wir heute als interaktiven Dokumentarfilm kennen. Zehn Jahre später erfuhr ich, dass meine Arbeiten in dieses Genre fielen, lange bevor der Begriff selbst existierte.

Interaktive Dokumentarfilme gab es für mich also schon, bevor es den Begriff gab. Und ich bin überzeugt, dass es diese Form weiterhin geben wird, selbst wenn der Begriff eines Tages in Vergessenheit gerät – ähnlich wie der Begriff “Multimedia” inzwischen historisch ist, obwohl das Konzept dahinter weiterlebt.

Die Zukunft des Interaktiven Dokumentarfilms

Wie könnte dieser “interaktive Dokumentarfilm” der Zukunft aussehen? Können wir ihn heute schon erkennen? Ja, das können wir. Ein Blick auf YouTube zeigt die bereits verwirklichte Zukunft des interaktiven Dokumentarfilms. Einzelne Videoclips, sogenannte SNUs (Smallest Narrative Units), werden durch Algorithmen miteinander verknüpft. Diese Methode, die ich seit 25 Jahren anwende, mag heute alltäglich erscheinen, doch für frühere Generationen war sie in einem Massenmedium undenkbar. Diese neue Art, Informationseinheiten zu verbinden, hat das Potenzial, unser Denken zu beeinflussen.

Mustererkennung und Multiperspektivität

Auf YouTube sehe ich, wie viele Menschen beginnen, bestimmte Zusammenhänge zu erkennen – Zusammenhänge, die ich durch meine Arbeit im interaktiven Dokumentarfilm ebenfalls entdeckt habe. Es geht darum, Muster zu erkennen, in denen mehrere, oft widersprüchliche Geschichten gleichzeitig existieren. Wo viele nur eine einzige Wahrheit sehen, erkennen andere den Wert aller widersprüchlichen Geschichten, die zusammen ein vollständiges Bild ergeben. Dieses Bild ist komplex, aber nicht unverständlich; manche Muster sind sogar ziemlich eindeutig.

Meine These

Das was ich “Korsakowianische Praxis” nenne, hat einen verstärkenden Einfluss auf das multiperspektivische Denken einer Gesellschaft. Indem wir lernen, verschiedene narrative Stränge zu erkennen und zu verknüpfen, entwickeln wir ein tieferes Verständnis für die Komplexität der Welt und die Vielzahl der Geschichten, die sie formen.

In diesem Sinne lebt der interaktive Dokumentarfilm weiter – in neuen Formen, auf neuen Plattformen und mit ähnlichen Methoden. Und er wird den Blick auf unsere Welt erweitern und vertiefen.

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From Film School to Bitcoin: A New Vision for Documentary Makers

For IFM2024, a conference on interactive documentary, I, like everyone else, prepared a video presentation outlining my research. For the panel, participants are asked to summarize their papers.

Instead of summarizing my paper, I would like to take the opportunity to react to the other presentations in this panel from a Korsakowian perspective, which is the focus of my research. By doing so, I aim to provide insights into my research and offer solutions to the problem described in the presentation by Umer Bilal and Manuel Contreras, which I would summarize as follows:

There is substantial criticism of the Western gaze in documentary filmmaking, and rightly so. The issues highlighted by Umer and Manuel indicate that documentaries, both past and present, often portray a distorted image of reality. They rightly argue that some individuals in the West act as gatekeepers, controlling the production and dissemination of images. Umer and Manuel point out that the lack of funding plays a major role in perpetuating this problem.

Sonali Sharma presents a case study of an artist who uses Instagram as a platform to share his perspective on a particular aspect of the world—his observations and comments on the Delhi metro.

I am a 52-year-old human ape, and I have struggled with the issue of distorted perspectives since I developed an interest in documentaries over 25 years ago. In response to this struggle, I developed Korsakow, a system that shares similarities with Instagram, such as the tagging system that Sonali described. In Korsakow, tags are called “keywords” and play a central role. At that time, I had to create my own tool as Instagram or YouTube were not available. These tools now allow for different strategies of ordering and sense-making, moving away from linear storytelling forms.

I generally agree with the points presented and would like to offer a concrete idea to address the problem of under-complex and mono-perspectival views on people and societies in the Global South. To explain this idea, I would like to conduct a playful thought experiment and invent a fictional character named Jan.

Jan is a 26-year-old who lives in Delhi, Karachi, or Bogotá. He understands that the images of the world presented in the media are often wrong, distorted, or incomplete. Jan considers becoming a documentary maker and thinks about attending a film school to learn the craft, write proposals for funders, and build a network within the industry. If Jan asked me for advice, it could trigger the following thoughts:

If Jan follows the traditional path of attending film school and learning to navigate the system, he will likely become the kind of documentary maker the market has learned to value. He will produce media products that align with the perspectives of those willing to pay for them. As Bilal and Contreras note, if Jan does not adhere to the “Western gaze” formula, he will likely lack the resources to continue his work.

So, what can a young person do when they see the problem of distorted reality and want to improve it? What could be a feasible path?

I think that at this particular point in time, there are numerous opportunities. I would like to connect two seemingly unrelated fields. First, as Sonali Sharma exemplifies, the internet and platforms like Instagram or YouTube (which I have studied much more deeply) offer possibilities to reach people without dealing with the old gatekeepers mentioned by Bilal and Contreras.

My solution might sound laughable or ridiculous to some, and if it does, I invite you to take it as a joke. But maybe there is a young future documentary maker who can sense the path and just needs a bit of encouragement from an old ape like me.

My suggestion to Jan: Don’t go to film school, art school, or university. Take the money it would cost and invest it in Bitcoin. Use the time you would spend at film school to learn everything about films using the internet and available tools. Study film history, theory, and practice. I recommend YouTube as a place to find some of the best teachers, no matter where you are. Learn about films and also study the workings and philosophy of Bitcoin, which will teach you about how people come to their perception of reality. Don’t trust old or even new knowledge blindly—Think through everything you recognize as relevant, use your own brain. Don’t trust, verify.

Use online platforms to conduct your own experiments. This hands-on experience will teach you a lot. There are many students like you out there doing the same, and you can learn from them as well and you can learn and experience how to think collaboratively. When you are finished with your curriculum after lets say four years Bitcoin should be ready and provide you with the funding you need.

That is my 10 cents of advice.

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Falling in love with a ghost

The system makes it possible to fall in love with a spirit. With someone’s mind without relating to the body.

I met a friend today. The friend told me about his life in an online system. About the friendships he has found there and what goes beyond friendships. He described a system, a society in which people meet who have a similar views of the world, similar dreams and fantasies. They follow similar paths to get closer to happiness or at least contentment. Those online people give themselves avatars that they choose themselves, that they design themselves according to their wishes and ideas.

Strict rules apply in the system, every now and then people disappear, sometimes because they have died in “real life”, more often they have been banished from the system. The rules give the system structure, a framework that holds it together as a system and prevents it from falling apart again, from dissolving back into its component parts. The individuals within the system are aware of the system and adhere to the rules. Everyone knows that anyone who does not abide by the rules runs the risk of being banished. Being banned means no longer being part of the system. In this sense, it is a free decision to submit to the rules of the system or not. There are many other systems, systems that function according to different rules. Everyone is free to choose a system. But there is no system without rules.

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Sich in einen Geist zu verlieben

Das System ermöglicht es, sich in einen Geist zu verlieben. In den Geist von jemandem, ohne den Körper in Beziehung zu setzen.

Ich habe heute einen Freund getroffen. Der Freund hat mir von seinem Leben in einem online System erzählt. Von den Freundschaften, die er dort gefunden hat und dem was über Freundschaften hinausgeht. Er hat ein System beschrieben, eine Gesellschaft, in der sich Menschen treffen, die einen ähnlichen Blick auf die Welt haben, ähnliche Träume und Fantasien. Die ähnliche Wege gehen um dem Glück näher zu kommen oder zumindest der Ausgeglichenheit. Die Menschen dort geben sich Avatare, die sie sich selbst ausgesucht, die sie selbst nach ihren Wünschen und Vorstellungen gestaltet haben.

Im System gelten strenge Regeln und hin und wieder verschwinden Leute, es ist schon vorgekomen, dass sie im “Realen Leben” gestorben sind, öfter kommt es vor, dass sie aus dem System verbannt wurden. Die Regeln geben dem System Struktur, ein Gerüst, dass das System zusammenhält und verhindert, dass es wieder auseinander fällt, sich auflöst in seine Bestandteile. Die Individuen innerhalb des Systems wissen um das System und halten sich an die Regeln. Jeder weiß, dass wer sich nicht an die Regeln hält Gefahr läuft, verbannt zu werden. Verbannt zu werden, bedeutet nicht mehr Teil des Systems zu sein. In dem Sinne ist es eine freie Entscheidung, sich den Regeln des Systems unterzuordnen oder nicht. Es gibt noch viele andere Systeme, Systeme, die nach unterschiedlichen Regeln funktionieren. Jeder ist frei, sich ein System auszusuchen. Doch es gibt kein System ohne Regeln.

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