What is the purpose of this page

Welcome to my private blog. In the first post, I’ll explain the purpose of this site and what to expect in the upcoming months.

Purpose of this Site

This inaugural post provides some foundational information about the future development of this website and its projects. I’ve created a quasi-blog and several side projects to systematically organize the knowledge I’ve been gathering over the years. Perhaps by reading the materials here, you’ll find intellectual entertainment or inspiration for further exploration.

Sources and AI Declaration

In the “About the Project” section, you’ll find more detailed information about me and an AI declaration. However, I’d like to delve deeper into the topic of article creation here. I watch a plethora of movies, documentaries, and read many books related to espionage, industrial espionage, and investigative journalism. At the intersection of these subjects, elements of manipulation and propaganda often emerge, leading to the spontaneous or deliberate appearance of “conspiracy theories.” This aspect fascinates me. Thus, the articles are based on books I’ve read, which I’ve been tracking for several months in the “Reading Room” section.

I create outlines and notes and seek additional sources. It’s an intriguing endeavor, entirely different from generating ready-made articles via AI. Hence, I declare that none of the articles on this blog are generated by an LLM (language model or AI). Each article cites numerous sources, primarily in English. The books I read are mainly in Polish, unless I manage to get an English version. I’ve already ordered several interesting titles, including “The Psychology of Conspiracy Theories” by Jan-Willem Prooijen, a renowned conspiracy theory researcher who co-leads a research group on extremism. I primarily rely on my outlines and notes, collected using separate tools. Not all are made public for a simple reason - I lack the time to adequately edit, protect, and comment on shortcomings. Thus, I’m uncertain if the insights and agenda will be published.

Lack of Regularity

As many articles, like those on Big Pharma, cover broad topics, I’ll try to break them down into parts. Due to the entirely amateur nature of this project and my “after-hours” commitment, there’s no guarantee of regular updates. Many articles are still in the form of notes, drafts, and outlines, which I need to craft into something compelling, fueled by copious amounts of coffee.

INSIGHTS

In the articles, I might embed references to a database related to conspiracy theories, which I’m building as the INSIGHTS project. There you’ll find definitions, names, notes, and outlines. This subdomain site probably won’t be accessible until summer 2024 because it requires extensive editorial work, and I dislike showcasing unfinished projects.

I’d love to make these projects bilingual, even if some translations were done with AI support. Such a solution could introduce complications, so I’ll delay this decision for a few months.

Roadmap for the Upcoming Weeks

By the end of 2023, I aim to dedicate time to publishing the articles I have under the “notes” section, which require editorial work:

• An article on labeling as a “conspiracy theory” as a form of discrediting, using OxyContin as an example.
• A SWOT analysis of the Mastodon network and the Fediverse. While the topic may not be directly related to conspiracy theories, I address the manipulation of statistics and collectively publish selected reflections. The conspiracy theory angle is only discussed in the context of big tech and the narratives surrounding Facebook and Twitter.
• A piece dedicated to media narratives created by the police that become sources of conspiracy theories.
• Given that the knowledge base in INSIGHTS will not be public for a while, and I honestly don’t know if I’ll decide to publish it, as it might be too technical and scientific in its approach to the topic. However, it contains the definitions I rely on. Thus, one of the first posts will present the conspiracy theory in contrast to the conspiracy using a specific book as an example to describe what a conspiracy theory is and isn’t. (I ultimately hid this article because I’m not satisfied with its form - it’s overly intellectualized and too specialized; I need to refine it).
• Climate change in the context of conspiracy theories - discrediting scientists and historical analogies.
• The “common sense” of the Anglo-Saxon tradition as fuel for conspiracy theories and many other concerning matters…

Lack of Support for ActivityPub

After consideration, I decided not to implement the Vercelapp + Hugo solution based on Paul Kinlan’s documentation because it’s a niche solution. I prefer solutions with broader community support and long-term support. The Fediverse is minuscule in terms of reach, so my presence there is motivated by reasons other than promoting my articles. I’ll discuss this further in the SWOT analysis.

• insights
• dadalo