Technomancy: A Digital representation of the Ellis Web

[Rasafar]

The idea is in its conceptual stages at this point, some of the finer points go beyond my technical knowledge outside of basic familiarity.

It combines equal portions folding@home, Bitcoin/blockchain technology, p2p networking, and magick. The idea is to take current technology and create a digital representation of the Ellis web.

Sigils would be empowered via donated CPU/GPU cycles, a la folding@home or bitcoin mining's proof-of-work models. Distribution and verification could also take place in this fashion, and/or on top of a decentralized file-sharing system such as a central magnet link/torrent.

The torrent itself, along with a central tracker/server would be easy enough to implement, however creating or even piggybacking on bitcoin/blockchain technology is beyond my scope of expertise. Brand new technology need not be created from scratch, existing cryptocurrencies could be co-opted or a new one could be forked from existing.

Some preliminary research seems to indicate perhaps creating a new cryptocurrency may not be as difficult as initially imagined, but I will continue to do some research and see how this can be approached. If anyone cares to lend any insight or expertise, feel free.

[Versling]

If the goal is the empower our LS related sigils using donated computer power we don't have to get very technical at all. An html page with an image and a link are enough to get things going.

For example, if you click the following link your device automagically becomes a node in an LS network.

http://reality.rip

Sorry, there is no uninstaller but closing the page with intention works nicely.

Mining could be made possible but what would the individual machines be mining for and what could a user do with them afterwards? To ask a different way, "Why do they have to prove they've done the work and what does that get them?"

Bitcoin uses that technology to make sure that one can't simply print as many coins as they want to help control the value of the bitcoins in existence. I don't believe we need to limit the number of people using LS at one given time.

Folding@home has a LOT of computing they need done and not enough computer power to do it. I don't believe LS has that particular problem.

My point is, simpler is better unless you're solving for a specific problem.

[Rasafar]

The points you make are spot on. I hadn't mentioned them because I hadn't come to any conclusions myself. It's mainly why I posted the concept.

If one simply wants to set up a node on the network, linking it to a webpage that serves a sigil image does seem to serve the purpose, yet takes little to do on any modern machine (though if we're following that sort of thinking, rendering on the oldest machine possible could take more "work" expelled in heat etc. than a new-fangled rig).

Perhaps there are more efficient ways of going about it, but I was considering the actual work/energy put into the charging itself. Maybe gnosis > computing power, which may make the energy required by the machines a drop in the bucket; as you state the power-issue isn't really existent.

I think your assessment of  the mining and/or currency aspects add an unneeded layer of complexity, which really just leaves us with another sort of yo-dawg web...which...is it even necessary? Or would it be better suited to a separate experiment isolated from the LS network?

[Versling]

Technomantic LS


The value of technomancy for me has been when applying the Principle of Correspondence.


If science has shown a thing to exist or happen on the material plane, it is safe to say it can be used in the other planes with some amount of effectiveness.


Encyclopedias of information on the archetypes of gravity, strong force, weak force and electromagnetism are available for for the price of an internet connection.


I could dent this server's storage space with information on how to use these forces for magic/technomancy. When these four forces are used in conjunction with the four states of energy (fire, air, water, earth) surrounding the mediator (consciousness, which is a primal state and a force) interesting things can be imagined. If interesting things can be imagined...


In my professional life I'm a hacker who's been raised up to Senior Software Engineer because I have an almost-supernatural ability to find leverage points in complex systems. The most valuable tool in that aspect of my life has been the ability to read and write code in many different programming languages.


In my magical life the most valuable tool I've found is the esoteric programming language. One can program their woo by simply thinking at it. That approach kinda worked for me but wasn't satisfying and it left lots of room for disbelief (and outside influences) to creep in.


I've defined a lot of sigils using what we could call pseudo-code with varying amounts of success. If an off-the-cuff code language can work then a more rigidly defined system should probably work better. That is the reality I've found. (Perhaps this just helps me suspend disbelief...)


I've since created my own using the forces as operators and elemental states for flow control. The details of which I can get into in another thread if anybody has interest.


You don't have to develop your own; it is possible to program your woo with Javascript. It is effective to create a JS model of the effect you desire, print it out, burn it and stuff the ashes in a mojo bag or cup of wine (destroying the source files leads to more immediate, yet chaotic results while storing them on a sacred flash drive leads to longer-term, subtle and stable results).


Any language works but most don't lend themselves to astral use unless you're the guru of gurus. Additionally most languages have conventions that are necessary and/or helpful on the material plane but are just baggage on the astral or don't work at all.


For example, defining scope in Javascript is complex but works well when your code has to fit into a text file and be quickly parsed and control aspects of a browser window or its contents.


Defining scope in an esoteric programming language could be as easy as imagining or drawing a fucking box around something. But perhaps that's just a personal preference.


I think a DKMU specific esoteric language would be the first step. :)

[Moon1ight]

Versling, this sounds very interesting. Please share some details. Also on the very basics. I cannot imagine how to make JS into a tool for magick :D Please elaborate :)


When I understand your ideas, I'll gladly help making a DKMU esoteric programming language, having some years of experience in both magick and programming  ;)

[Versling]

Every spell is a model of what we intend.

Here is a simple JS model of Joseph De Munchkinhumper getting cursed with my favorite DKMU curse. You can change the parameters at the very bottom of the fiddle. Notice if you wiggle the parameters you can remove a curse as well.

Click the Run button when ready. I would argue that this code represents some variety of sigil. I prefer to call them Super-cala-fragalistic-expiali-sigils, but others may feel differently. ;D


https://jsfiddle.net/fsgya94f/2/


If the thing is premeditated and you have time to model the situation you want then this method can work as well as any other. Say you print off this code, burn the page with intention and sprinkle/blow the ashes on the intended or mix them into the wax of a vousdeux dahl.

If it is your style it will definitely work but I'm more of an astral caster. I've gotten the JS stuff to work astrally by intensely imagining something similar to the Last Line Of Code of the linked fiddle (with specific parameters for what I want to accomplish) but they weren't very statistically significant.


Another method that is more effective for me is turning the URL into a mantra. Using a tinyurl service doesn't seem to diminish the strength of the mantra either.


Imagine the target and chant the mantra until you feel it has taken hold. Rinse. Repeat as necessary.


But there are easier ways.

The power of a language is in its reuse. If Manky Taint were something I were going to cast often I would turn the intention into a border/box with special features. Then when I want to curse somebody with Manky Taint all I must do is imagine them surrounded by this one specific box. If I had multiple curses I could have one specifically for each curse and imagine the target inside them.


In my own system I invoke the archetype of Gravity as an operator to create these boxes/borders. This defines the, "scope," of the intention. These are also the perfect place to put a RoboFish.

You can also turn the intention into a, "particle," of energy. Lets say I have a specific box I use for casting curses in general. Then when I picture the person in the box I also imagine energy made of MankyTaint particles flowing into the box and the individual. I might also throw in a stream of OhYesYouCANSmellYourOwnCrotch particles as well and maybe even a OhYesTHEYCanAlsoSmellYourCrotch stream as well.

To create these particles I invoke the archetype of The Strong Interaction as an operator.

So much can be done with just these two forces that it is mostly unnecessary to go into using The Weak Force and Electromagnetism.

I can add more later though.