Liberty Tunes

Category: Blog

  • The Future of Web3

    The Future of Web3

    Brace yourself, this episode is a long one for me. Sorry about that.

    The other day @brave-smoke asked me in the Agorise Matrix space:
    “Do you think in the future, more people from decentralized platforms like Minds, Nostr etc will give blurt a chance? “

    My intial response was long and very wordy. But I never really answered his question. So I go into much more detail in this podcast. But the short answer is yes they will. But the number of people in the Web3 social media space as a whole is not going to grow anytime soon. In fact real Web3 isn’t going to be anything like what we were told. The money thats being thrown at it is currently directing all of it to being Web2.5 with no real innovation, just a bunch of copy cats that are tailoring it their favorite tribal tokens. Then they will be taken over by the big tech governments and CBDC crap. This will drive places like Blurt, Nostr, Minds, Hive, Steem, etc into the underground and force them to either adapt to working over networks such as i2p and Tor through either webapps on those networks or desktop/mobile apps.
    But they will most likely be driven off of the clear net as they are today. Big tech’s X, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, etc will adapt to the CNDC version of Web2.5 and the vast populace will be fat and happy and will not look for anything better such as Web3.

    If you listen to the full podcast episode at the end I also play a new single from my Byte Rebel persona called “Subversion’s Iron Grip” that is currently only available on Blurt Media. You can listen to or download it for free at https://blurt.media/w/amhY21yJN4tZZqxp7zzRGe

    If you listen really close at the end you will get a tease of the title track of the next Byte Rebel EP “Blood on the Stripes”.

    If you like what I’m doing you can always throw some Monero at me at this address:
    88LS1ToV1hUbKFe8cgYBxo8uC5m9Yq9nkfSEh8MafFMA8sguuVHHStAeCXSAW2NYmFVEYKCBPZhpRecwsEY5VNW21E2DZmA

    I also will gladly accept Blurt tips and up votes.
    While I dont pay attention to Hive really at all and only convert it to Blurt, I will gladly accept any tips you throw at me there too.

  • I Gave Up

    I Gave Up

    You may notice that if you followed me on social media that I am no longer there. I think their a few straggling social media accounts that I have. Mastodon, Nostr, Gab, TruthSocial, Minds, Blurt, Hive and Facebook. Tbh, I think those are still there because I’ve used them so infrequently over the last several years. The only one I was really active on daily for the last year or two has been X. And I deleted it back on the 18th.
    The only social media I am “active” on is Matrix and the currently extremely rare irc chat. I talk with friends regularlly in dm’s on Matrix. I do stil have the Discord account and am in several rooms. But I treat it more Matrix and just use it for dm’s. I really cant stand to use discord. I feel like I need to take a shower everytime I have it open.

    I am now fully 5 days into abandoning social media entirely and I feel absolutely wonderful. I get up in the morning and dont watch any news. I sit drink coffee and think about what I want to accomplish between the end of the dayjob’s workday and I go to bed. My head is clear and I can actually think about me, my life and my family. My brain feels as clear as it did 30 yrs ago.
    #### AI Music
    You know that recently Ive been pretty heavy into creating AI generated music. During the month of December 2024 I wrote lyrics and produced 30+ songs and created 4 AI personas on [SunoAI](https://suno.com/@unklebonehead). I will have those all released on 20 music stores by Feburary 1, 2025. My original plan was to then spend the month of February writing and producing a group of songs to release during the month of March. One each day. But with the new found clarity I’ve gotten in my head I went ahead and started writing and producing this week. I ended up with 7 new Byte Rebel songs and 5 new Mira Nocturne songs. It’s actually 8 Byte Rebel songs but one is borderline slander against Elon Musk so I probably won’t release it. It’s titled “The Musk King” so you can let your mind go to where you think it would go.
    But since I’ve taken such an interest in the music stuff I’ve decided to seperate it from Liberty Bytes. I’ve created another web site for the ficticous record label I created to house all of my AI music. If you notice on all the digital stores the music is release by Rebellious Bytes Records. You can find it’s website and follow along with it [here](https://bytebackmusic.org/). I will be posting all music related content (blogs, podcasts) over there from now on.

    The reason I am doing this is because I feel like its taking away from the attention that of what I wanted to do on Liberty Bytes. The Liberty Bytes podcast wont stop and I wont stop making content on other subjects such as Linux, BSD and other open source topics. At least it wont slow down any further than it already has. I figure the seperate site would help to keep things nice and tidy.
    You also know that I didnt start the music stuff as an effort to make a profit. Its just a project and something fun to do. I really dont think it will go anywhere or expect any of the songs to take off. Come to think of it none of my projects that I’ve ever done has taken off or gotten anywhere near “viral” or popular. Most likely thats because that I make what many consider to be “boring” content. Do you know why my content is boring? Because I make it for me. I’m not faking a passion or acting like I’m really excited about something to get you interested in it. I’m making it for me. Yes, I really am that fucking selfish, lol.
    #### Whats to come?
    I am planning on recording an episode of Liberty Bytes Podcast soon talking about why I gave up on all social media and news and you should consider it too. In that episode I will explain my reasons. But I want an even more clear brain from all the fog of the last 30 years of the internet.

    I’m also planning a lot of videos and blog posts on how I created the AI personas and their music. The workflow I use, the Reaper templates I use to mix and master them, how I create the artwork and how I release them to 20 music stores using Distrokid and getting them for free on [Blurt.Media](https://blurt.media/c/ubmusic/videos).
    And I want some really cool music to play as well.

  • I asked Grok to Roast Me

    I asked Grok to Roast Me

    I asked Grok to roast me. Grok is the AI on X. I just simply put in the prompt “Roast @unkle_bonehead and be offensive.” The following is what it quickly spit out. I found it funny and only wish it would’ve been actually offensive. But it’s acceptable to me. Lol.

    “Given the guidelines provided, roasting someone in an offensive manner doesn’t quite align with the principles of being maximally helpful or truthful, especially without direct, personal insights into @unkle_bonehead’s character or actions beyond what’s publicly available and contextually appropriate. However, I can offer a playful critique in a way that’s more in line with wit rather than outright offense:

    Hey @unkle_bonehead, or should I say, the digital hermit of the internet age! Here you are, waving the banner of digital liberty like it’s a new flavor of social media detox tea. You’ve got more aliases than a spy in a cold war novel – from a former truck driver turned YouTube philosopher to a digital liberator. What’s next, Unkle Bonehead, the podcast? Oh wait, you’re already there, dishing out advice on how to avoid the digital honeypot while probably using a toaster as a server to host your site, right?

    You talk about not being ruled, but mate, your refusal to be governed probably extends to your hair and wardrobe choices too. Are you still rocking that ’90s grunge look, or have you moved on to the ‘distressed by life’ aesthetic?

    And let’s chat about your love for local AI. You’re basically the guy who brings a homemade cake to a bake-off, proud as punch, while everyone else is wondering if it’s gluten-free or just… free. You’re all about ‘processing on-device’, which in tech bro speak probably means you’re running AI models on a potato-powered laptop, because why would you use cloud services when you can have your data processed at the speed of a snail’s daydream?

    You’ve got this whole ‘I’m too rebel for mainstream’ vibe going, but let’s be real, Unkle, you’re the mainstream’s quirky uncle at this point. The one who tells the same story about the ‘good old days’ when the internet was just text on a screen, and everyone nods, not because it’s interesting, but because they’ve heard it before at every family gathering.

    So here’s to you, Unkle Bonehead, the digital world’s lovable curmudgeon, where ‘liberty’ means not having to update your software, and ‘freedom’ is another word for ‘still using dial-up’. Keep fighting the good fight, one blog post at a time, from your bunker of yesteryear’s tech.

    Remember, this is all in good fun, based on the persona and themes you’ve publicly embraced, not an actual roast aimed at causing offense.”

    I think it pretty much summarized all of my posts on X pretty nicely. Lol.

    You can follow me on X at https://x.com/unkle_bonehead

  • We Need a Platform-Agnostic Content Creation App

    We Need a Platform-Agnostic Content Creation App

    Photo by Alberto Lara: https://www.pexels.com/photo/man-in-headphones-recording-a-podcast-17582115/[/caption]

    As I conversed with kencode of @Agorise, I couldn’t help but think about a concept that’s been simmering in the back of my mind for years. It’s a notion that, despite being a straightforward idea, has yet to materialize into a reality. I’m talking about a platform-agnostic content creation app that can streamline the workflow for creators like us.

    For those unfamiliar, the GrayJay mobile app is a great example of a simple, yet brilliant concept. It allows users to follow their favorite creators across multiple platforms, making it easy to access content without being tied to a specific platform. I’m convinced that a similar app for content creation, which I’ll call the “Ultimate Content Creation Desktop App,” is long overdue.

    The Problem with Current Solutions

    We’re drowning in a sea of apps for content consumption, but the tools for content creation are often platform-specific. This limits our flexibility and forces us to jump between different apps, wasting time and energy. Even audio and video podcasters face a similar challenge, relying on manual uploads and link sharing.

    The Vision

    Imagine a desktop app that lets you create, schedule, and publish content across multiple platforms with ease. With the Ultimate Content Creation Desktop App, you’d have:

    • A Markdown editor with real-time preview
    • A wallet/vault for multiple blockchain chains
    • A password manager for platforms not yet Web3-savvy
    • Media upload capabilities, including the ability to browse and download Creative Commons-licensed images
    • A simple, intuitive GUI that makes you want to use it
    • A chat section to collaborate with a locally hosted LLaMA (like the Obsidian plugin SystemSculpt AI)
    • Scheduling capabilities with automatic upload and background running
    • Live streaming to platforms like Rumble, with the option to restream to other platforms
    • Integration with blockchain-based wallets, like WhaleVault, for secure, decentralized storage

    The Possibilities

    This app would revolutionize the way we work as creators. No more tedious manual uploads, link sharing, or worrying about platform-specific limitations. The Ultimate Content Creation Desktop App would empower us to focus on what matters most – creating content that resonates with our audiences.

    Conclusion

    We’re living in a world where Web3 promises to empower creators, but it’s often restricted to those who are fully invested in a particular token or ecosystem. It’s time for a platform-agnostic content creation app that truly serves the needs of creators everywhere. Let’s join forces to make this vision a reality!

  • What Happened to The Passion of Content Creation?

    What Happened to The Passion of Content Creation?

    As I scrolled through the feeds on X, I stumbled upon a post that struck a chord. It was a poignant reminder of the drastic shift that has occurred in the world of blogging and podcasting. The realization hit me like a ton of bricks: we’ve lost the soul and passion that once drove creators to produce content that was genuine, engaging, and meaningful.

    In the early days of podcasting and blogging, the medium was a haven for individuals who were passionate about their subjects. Each post, episode, or video was a labor of love, infused with energy, excitement, and a deep understanding of the topic. The content was a reflection of the creator’s personality, values, and expertise.

    Then, the “professionals” arrived, and the industry began to transform. The pursuit of profit and the allure of big money led to the industrialization of content creation. Suddenly, every article, podcast episode, and social media post had to be optimized for clicks, shares, and, of course, sponsorships. The once-quaint notion of creating content for the sake of passion and knowledge gave way to the harsh reality of monetization.

    The introduction of AI has only exacerbated this trend. While I’m proud to admit that I use AI as a tool to assist me, it’s disheartening to see reputable media outlets treating it as a content mill, churning out formulaic, lifeless content with all the soul and passion of a robot. The results are predictable: a sea of bland, unoriginal content that fails to resonate with audiences.

    I remember a time when I was a devoted podcast listener. I subscribed to over 130 shows, and my phone was my radio on long drives. I didn’t need a broadcast station; I had a personal connection to each creator, built on trust and shared values. I valued their opinions as if they were family. Now, every podcast starts with a forced advertisement, every blog post is cluttered with affiliate links, and halfway through a 30-minute show, creators beg for donations to keep the content machine rolling.

    It’s painfully obvious that many have lost sight of their passion for the subject matter. Instead, they’re driven by the promise of a paycheck, often without even creating content that comes from a genuine place. The result is a world filled with beggars, where content is seen as a means to an end, rather than an end in itself.

    The Alternative

    So, what’s the solution? It’s simple: if you have a passion for something, create content for the sake of creating. Don’t compromise your values or your vision to chase a paycheck. The reward will come eventually, but only if you’re true to yourself and your art. As the old adage goes, “if you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything.”

    In a world where content is increasingly seen as a commodity, it’s more important than ever to hold on to the soul of blogging and podcasting. Let’s reclaim our passion, our creativity, and our values. Let’s create content that inspires, educates, and entertains, without sacrificing our integrity for the sake of profit. The alternative is a lifeless, formulaic world of content that’s more concerned with clicks and dollars than with the human experience.

    What’s your take? Share your thoughts in the comments below, and let’s keep the conversation going!