Manifestation, Reflection, Iteration

With some trepidation, I have decided to once again change the title of my blog. I see this to be a good sign, however, as I've struggled with an imbalance favoring trepidation most of my life. From my current perspective, trepidation seems to be a manifestation of resistance.

According to Wikipedia, the term resistance may refer to:
Electrical resistance: A measure of the degree to which an object opposes an electric current through it
Friction/Drag: Fluid or gas forces opposing motion and flow.

According to Google's new Augmented Reality Game, Ingress:
Opposition to the Enlightened.

As evidenced by my choice of Ingress faction, I'm not siding much with resistance these days. So, trepidation by damned, the blog title gets changed again.

Evolution
The exposure I've had to the software industry over the last 20 years or so is what first allowed me to make the connection between iteration and evolution. It allowed me to see the relationship between iterations of software programs and iterations of biological entities. Biology iterates through reproduction, software through revision. Software is the electronic manifestation of an idea, and while the program itself may die, the experiences of the users contribute a portion of the idea's DNA into the creation of future software programs. There's really not all that much difference between a germinating flower and the software manifestation of an idea. One has the assistance of a bee, the other the experiences of a user, to carry the seed where it needs to go. It seems to be the process of manifestation, reflection, and iteration, embedded into life everywhere around us. 

The Life Cycle

For me, each previous change in the title of this blog is a good delineation mark for the beginning of the manifestation of the latest iteration. To continue the flower perspective, each iteration is an attempt at a fuller, more beautiful bloom. Perhaps I'm pulling them out by the roots too soon and the previous would have been their own blooms if given enough time, but above all I want to be honest. As I better understand what this blog is actually meant to offer potential readers, I have found myself compelled to relabel it in an attempt to more accurately reflect its contents. 

The Answers was the first manifestation. During the formative iteration process, that is what I wanted to offer. That's still a major goal of mine. I thoroughly enjoy solving problems - generating possible solutions, trying them out, going back to the drawing board - the whole process. 

Over time though, during the manifestation phase, the results seemed to be something altogether different. As content was created, the limitation of addressing specific problems was too restrictive. Other thoughts demanded a voice, and Answers were no longer even the majority of what a reader might find here. These things became apparent during the reflection phase.

There was at least one other life cycle, short-lived, as I got swept up in this possibility or that. A sad stunted iteration, ill-suited for the harsh realities it would find itself manifesting in. 

Grim's Issue:, the current manifestation, was conceived in no small part to bury the memory of the prior and the stench of failure and decay that dominated its reflection page. It also more honestly described what a reader might find here. My personal favorite part during the iteration phase was the multiple meanings of the word issue, and that even though the meanings were very different from each other, all accurately described the blog from the right perspective. I also liked that one of the meanings was "dirty."

Reflections though, is far more honest about what a reader can find here, and this post is part of that phase of this blog's life cycle. At this moment, I'm somewhere between with the boundary between reflection and iteration. Having reflected on the current title and having assessed it as lacking, I've decided that there will be another iteration. 

Reflections works from the truthfulness angle, because what I post here is the product of reflecting on my life experiences and the world around me. I started writing this with that new title in mind. Those few moments ago, I thought that would be the title of the next iteration. Somewhere between "trepidation be damned" and this paragraph though, Reflections has become not good enough. 

The iteration process is not complete, and the beginning of the new manifestation phase is thus postponed. While more accurately reflecting my movement away from compensatory egotistical tendencies, Reflections isn't distinctive enough. From a business perspective, it presents unnecessary branding challenges. 

So, the Iteration process continues....

Suggestions and discussion are both welcome and appreciated.