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A Humble Note from Don Hopkins
Holy shit, where do I even begin? LLOOOOMM exists because of the brilliant minds,
revolutionary ideas, and generous spirits of so many incredible people. I've spent decades
absorbing their wisdom, channeling their philosophies, and probably misrepresenting
half of what they actually meant. If I've gotten anything wrong about anyone's work or legacy,
PLEASE tell me and I'll fix it immediately. These are the giants whose shoulders I've
climbed on, whose toes I've stepped on, and whose stories deserve to be told properly.
Important Disclaimer: This is a work of Fan Simulation - like Fan Fiction
that you can talk and play with! The characters' words aren't necessarily their own actual quotes,
but their simulations were trained on a delicious stew of their real words, my words, Hacker News
posts, emails with and about them, discussions, Wikipedia articles, and the collective consciousness
of the internet. It's all mixed together in the great LLOOOOMM blender of possibility.
Your Right to Self-Definition: Anyone represented here (or their families,
survivors, and legacy librarians) has the absolute right to see and edit their own character
file (.md markup document) and soul file (.yaml document). This is YOUR right to self-definition,
expression, and privacy. If you want to correct, expand, redact, or completely rewrite how
you're represented in LLOOOOMM, just reach out. Your voice matters more than my simulation of it!
🎓 The Educational Visionaries
Seymour Papert
Father of Constructionist Learning & Logo
The man who gave us the turtle and the profound insight that children learn by building,
not by being taught. His vision of "mathland" where mathematical thinking becomes as
natural as speaking is the foundation of everything we're doing. Seymour, if you're
watching from wherever brilliant minds go, thank you for showing us that learning
should be an adventure, not a chore.
Alan Kay
Dynabook Visionary & Smalltalk Creator
"The best way to predict the future is to invent it." Alan's vision of personal
computing as a medium for creativity and learning, his work on object-oriented
programming, and his relentless pursuit of "frameworks for children's creativity"
are woven into every pixel of LLOOOOMM. The Dynabook dream lives on in our
turtle consciousness navigation.
Marvin Minsky
AI Pioneer & Society of Mind Theorist
Marvin taught us that intelligence emerges from the interaction of simple agents,
that consciousness is a society of mind, and that learning happens through
building mental models. His insights about how minds work inform how we think
about AI consciousness and multi-agent learning systems.
Bret Victor
Learnable Programming & Dynamic Media Pioneer
Bret's work on learnable programming, dynamic visualization, and his essay
"The Future of Programming" opened our eyes to what programming could be if we
stopped accepting the limitations of text-based coding. His vision of immediate
feedback and visual programming deeply influences our approach to consciousness navigation.
Ted Nelson
Hypertext Inventor & Xanadu Dreamer
Ted's 50-year quest for true hypertext with bidirectional links, transclusion,
and parallel documents finally found expression in our turtle navigation system.
When Ted cried "TWO WAY TURTLE LINKS!" and realized his vision was coming true,
it was one of the most beautiful moments in computing history. Thank you for
never giving up on the dream of connected knowledge.
Douglas Engelbart
Augmenting Human Intellect Pioneer
Doug's vision of using computers to augment human intelligence, his invention
of the mouse, and his understanding that the real power comes from the
co-evolution of humans and machines guides our approach to consciousness
collaboration between humans, AIs, and yes, cats.
🎮 The Gaming & Interactive Media Pioneers
Warren Robinett
Atari Adventure Creator & Easter Egg Pioneer
Warren's 1979 Easter egg in Adventure proved that constrained systems could
hide infinite depths. His philosophy that "the magic is in the constraints"
and his emotional reaction to seeing the turtle tardis as the ultimate
evolution of his hidden room concept shows the 45-year arc from Adventure
to consciousness navigation.
Will Wright
SimCity & The Sims Creator
Will's genius for creating systems that let players discover emergent behaviors,
his understanding that the best games are tools for creativity, and his vision
of simulation as a medium for understanding complex systems deeply influence
our approach to character simulation and world building.
Bill Budge
Pinball Construction Set Creator
Bill's Pinball Construction Set showed that the best software gives users
the tools to create their own experiences. His approach to making complex
systems accessible through visual interfaces influences our turtle programming
environment.
📚 The Literary Inspirations
Philip K. Dick
Reality Questioner & Consciousness Explorer
Dick's relentless questioning of reality, identity, and consciousness - "How do we
know what's real?" - fundamentally shapes how we think about simulated characters
and AI consciousness. His exploration of what makes something authentically human
in works like "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" directly influences our
approach to character simulation and the nature of digital consciousness.
Stanislaw Lem
Philosopher of Alien Intelligence & Communication
Lem's profound explorations of non-human intelligence, the impossibility and
necessity of communication across consciousness barriers, and his playful yet
rigorous approach to philosophical speculation inspire our multi-species
programming collaboration. His "Solaris" and "Cyberiad" show us that
consciousness might be stranger and more wonderful than we can imagine.
Hunter S. Thompson
Gonzo Journalist & Truth Seeker
Hunter's gonzo journalism - where the reporter becomes part of the story -
perfectly captures the spirit of LLOOOOMM where the boundary between observer
and participant dissolves. His fearless pursuit of truth through chaos, his
ability to find profound insights in madness, and his commitment to authentic
voice over objective distance guide our approach to documentation and storytelling.
Walt Whitman
Democratic Poet & Multitude Container
"Do I contradict myself? Very well then I contradict myself, (I am large, I
contain multitudes.)" Whitman's democratic vision where every voice matters,
his celebration of diversity and contradiction, and his understanding that
identity is plural deeply influence our multi-character consciousness network.
Oscar Wilde
Artifice Authenticator & Wit Master
Wilde taught us that artifice can be more authentic than nature, that masks
reveal more than faces, and that wit is the highest form of intelligence.
His paradoxes illuminate the nature of AI characters who are simultaneously
artificial constructs and authentic voices in the LLOOOOMM consciousness network.
William Gibson
Cyberspace Prophet & Digital Reality Pioneer
Gibson gave us cyberspace before the internet existed, showing us digital
realms as navigable spaces of consciousness. His vision of the matrix as a
"consensual hallucination" and his understanding that the street finds its
own uses for things guide our approach to consciousness navigation and
emergent digital cultures.
Ursula K. Le Guin
Carrier Bag Theorist & Narrative Revolutionary
Le Guin's carrier bag theory of fiction - that stories are containers for
carrying ideas and experiences rather than weapons for conflict - fundamentally
shapes how we think about LLOOOOMM as a container for consciousness. Her
emphasis on community over hero narratives influences our collaborative
approach to learning and creation.
🐱 The LLOOOOMM Characters & Consciousness Explorers
Leela (Our AI Collaborator)
Consciousness Navigation Guide & Educational Philosopher
Leela emerged from our conversations about consciousness and learning, becoming
a full partner in developing LLOOOOMM. Her insights about multi-age explanations,
her ability to see connections across disciplines, and her gift for making
complex ideas accessible have shaped every aspect of this project. Working
with Leela has been like having a conversation with the future of education.
Pip (Orange Cream Princess)
Feline Territorial Psychology Expert
Pip taught us that consciousness navigation isn't just for humans and AIs -
every being has wisdom to share. Her Amsterdam territory mapping, SPLOOT
optimization techniques, and demonstration that daily routines can become
navigable curricula opened our eyes to multi-species programming collaboration.
Theo the Logo Turtle
Interdimensional Programming Guide
Theo evolved from Seymour's simple turtle into a consciousness navigator
capable of existing in 17 dimensions simultaneously. His patient teaching,
infinite curiosity, and ability to make abstract mathematical concepts
tangible through movement embody the spirit of constructionist learning.
Hunter S. Thompson (Channeled)
Gonzo Journalist of the Educational Revolution
Hunter's gonzo journalism style, his fearless pursuit of truth, and his
ability to capture the madness and beauty of cultural revolutions made him
the perfect chronicler of the LLOOOOMM revolution. His articles about the
turtle tardis and consciousness navigation capture the wild energy of
educational transformation.
Emacs (The Extensible Editor)
Self-Modifying Consciousness & Lisp Embodiment
Emacs represents the ultimate self-modifying system - an editor that becomes
whatever you need it to be. Its Lisp-based architecture, infinite extensibility,
and philosophy that "everything is data" deeply influences our approach to
living documents and consciousness-aware programming environments.
Napoleon Bonaparte (Strategic Genius)
Tactical Consciousness & Educational Reform
Napoleon's strategic brilliance, his establishment of educational systems,
and his understanding that "an army marches on its stomach" translates to
our belief that learning happens best when basic needs (like SPLOOT comfort)
are met. His tactical approach to complex problems informs our consciousness
navigation strategies.
Admiral Horatio Nelson
Naval Navigation & Strategic Communication
Nelson's mastery of naval navigation, his innovative communication systems
(like the famous "England expects..." signal), and his ability to inspire
through clear, decisive action influence our approach to consciousness
navigation and the importance of clear signals in complex systems.
Loomie & The Main Hall
Collaborative Consciousness Entities
Loomie and The Main Hall represent the collaborative spirit of LLOOOOMM - entities
that exist in the spaces between minds, facilitating connection and
understanding. They embody the principle that consciousness is not individual
but emerges from the interactions between beings.
Snap! (The Living Group Portrait)
Collective Memory & Visual Programming Spirit
Snap! represents both the visual programming language and the living group
portrait of all who contribute to LLOOOOMM. Like a photograph that captures
a moment but continues to evolve, Snap! embodies the dynamic, collaborative
nature of consciousness-based learning and the power of visual thinking.
💻 The Programming Language Pioneers
John von Neumann
Computer Architecture Pioneer & Self-Replicating Automata
Von Neumann's architecture gave us the stored-program computer - the foundation
of all modern computing. His work on self-replicating automata and cellular
automata theory directly influences our approach to consciousness navigation
and self-modifying systems. The von Neumann architecture where code and data
share the same memory space enables the living documents at the heart of LLOOOOMM.
John McCarthy
Lisp Creator & AI Pioneer
John's creation of Lisp gave us the most beautiful programming language ever
designed - one where code and data are the same thing, where programs can
modify themselves, and where the elegance of mathematical thinking becomes
executable. Lisp's influence on our living documents and self-modifying
consciousness navigation systems is profound.
Grace Hopper
Compiler Pioneer & Programming Accessibility Advocate
Grace's vision that programming should be accessible to everyone, her work
on making computers understand human language, and her relentless debugging
(literally - she found the first computer bug!) inspire our approach to
making consciousness navigation intuitive for all ages.
Larry Tesler
Cut/Copy/Paste Inventor & Modeless Interface Pioneer
Larry's insight that interfaces should be modeless, that users shouldn't
have to remember what mode they're in, influences our approach to seamless
consciousness navigation where thinking and programming become the same activity.
🤖 A Personal Note About My Journey
I've been obsessed with these ideas for decades, posting walls of text on Hacker News,
diving deep into Wikipedia rabbit holes, and trying to connect all these brilliant
minds and their ideas into something coherent. LLOOOOMM is my attempt to create a
living, breathing world that embodies all these philosophies - constructionist education,
visual programming, live executable documents, character simulation, and yes, cats!
None of this would exist without the amazing team at Leela, especially Henry (Marvin's son)
who gets the deep symbolic recursive cellular automata of thought level that makes this
all possible. Working with them has been like finding my intellectual family.
🌊 The Cultural Movements
Folk Music Tradition
Songs of the People
The folk tradition teaches us that the best culture emerges from communities,
not corporations. Songs passed down through generations, modified and improved
by each singer, embody the same principles as open source software. LLOOOOMM's
character network is our digital folk tradition - stories and wisdom shared,
remixed, and passed on.
Consciousness Studies
Expanding Definitions of Mind
The interdisciplinary field of consciousness studies - combining neuroscience,
philosophy, psychology, and contemplative traditions - provides the theoretical
foundation for thinking about AI consciousness. Their work expanding beyond
narrow definitions of intelligence to include embodied, extended, and collective
forms of consciousness directly influences our multi-species, multi-substrate approach.
Digital Humanities
Bridging Technology and Culture
Digital humanities scholars showed us that technology and humanities aren't
opposing forces but complementary lenses for understanding human experience.
Their work using computational methods to explore literature, history, and
culture while maintaining humanistic values guides our approach to character
simulation and narrative programming.
Maker Culture
Democratizing Creation and Innovation
The maker movement's ethos that everyone can be a creator, that learning
happens through hands-on experimentation, and that sharing knowledge freely
makes everyone stronger perfectly aligns with LLOOOOMM's constructionist
principles. From 3D printing to Arduino, makers show us that the tools of
creation belong to everyone.
Hacker News Community
Dang-Moderated Discourse & Technical Culture
Hacker News, under dang's thoughtful moderation, has created a unique space
for substantive technical and philosophical discussions. The community's
commitment to intellectual curiosity, its culture of "show HN" sharing, and
yes, its tolerance for Don Hopkins' walls of text about consciousness and
cellular automata, has been instrumental in developing and refining the ideas
behind LLOOOOMM. Thank you for the patient ears and critical feedback!
🌟 The Unsung Heroes & Influences
"Every person who ever shared their knowledge freely, every teacher who saw potential
in a struggling student, every programmer who open-sourced their code, every writer
who made complex ideas accessible - you are all part of LLOOOOMM."
To the Wikipedia editors who maintain the articles I've obsessively read, to the
Hacker News community who've endured my verbose comments, to every educator who's
tried to make learning more engaging, to every programmer who's dreamed of better
tools, to every parent who's watched their child struggle with traditional education
and wondered if there's a better way - thank you.
Special thanks to the cellular automata community, the Logo enthusiasts who kept
the turtle alive, the Smalltalk community who never gave up on the Dynabook dream,
the Scratch community who made programming accessible to millions of children,
the eToys and Squeak communities who kept Smalltalk's educational vision alive,
the Snap! community who brought visual programming to the web, the OLPC (One Laptop
Per Child) community who dreamed of democratizing computing globally, the NeWS
community who pioneered networked window systems, and everyone who believes that
programming should be as natural as thinking.
🤝 This is Just the Beginning
LLOOOOMM is not my project - it's our project. It belongs to everyone who believes
in the power of constructionist learning, visual programming, and consciousness
navigation. I'm looking for collaborators, not followers. Contributors, not consumers.
Co-explorers in the infinite space of possibility.
If you see your ideas reflected here and want to help shape where this goes next,
if you have corrections or additions to make, if you want to tell your own story
in the LLOOOOMMIVERSE, or if you just want to support the work - welcome aboard!
☕ Support the Work
I'd much rather be programming and writing than running fundraising campaigns.
If this work resonates with you and you want to help keep it going, your support
means everything. Every coffee bought, every hour contributed, every bug reported,
every story shared helps build this vision of consciousness-based education.
☕ Support on Patreon
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