reply to post by Mayson
www.halfpasthuman.com...
Here at Half Past Human we forecast the future.
We are not alone in forecasting the future, all humans do it to some degree. Just a quick search of the internet will provide dozens of forms of
future forecasting. Some use astrology, some use other methods.
We employ a technique based on radical linguistics to reduce extracts from readings of dynamic postings on the internet into an archetypical database.
With this database of archtypical language, we calculate the rate of change of the language. The forecasts of the future are derived from these
calculations. Our calculations are based on a system of associations between words and numeric values for emotional responses from those words. These
'emotional impact indicators' are also of our own devising. They are attached to a data base of over 300/three hundred thousand words. This data
base of linked words/phrases and emotions is our lexicon from which the future forecasting is derived.
We call our future viewing the ALTA reports for 'asymetric language trend analysis'. The ALTA reports are available by subscription.
In the beginning.....
The beginning of all of our processing is the word. Or words, rather - actually excessively large amounts of them. Totals of words beyond all reason.
These then are distilled down into a thick syrupy mass and placed in an inadequate visual display and from there interpretation proceeds.
Our interpretations of the data sets that we accumulate are presented in the form of a series of reports which detail the interpretations of the
changes in language and what we think that they may mean.
Please note that our interpretations are provided as entertainment only. We are to be held harmless for universe placing substance behind our words.
Or not, as it so chooses.
The interpretations provide a broad brush view of the future over the next few years. The broad view of the future is based on set theory and provides
a collection of linguistic clues which can be used to forecast developing trends.
Some of our subscribers use these forecast interpretations to develop models of their own futures in our collective and changing planetary future.
Some use the forecasts for trading purposes. Others for wild entertainment of the mostly implausible and highly improbable kind.
Even by our own rigorous standards, our forecasts are proving out better than mere chance would allow. Our track record is being tested with each new
report series. So far, so good. We have a very high rate of returning subscribers (over 90%) which is likely an indication of needs being met.
Concepts
The changing nature of our lexicon was an unexpected part of our processing. It requires constant tuning as the 'emotional quantifiers' placed on
the words change over time, as well as usage. Ever notice how some words and phrases get 'burned out' by excessive popular usage? As though they had
no real emotional legs and by the time that the mainstream media grabs hold of them, or now, by the time they have been round the net a few times
their emotional 'cache' has diminished and they fade away? Well, Igor and I sure notice such linguistic flows as we have to then adjust whatever
emotional values that we had placed on that word or phrase and which has now had its emotional 'tonality' altered. Such tuning of the lexicon is
quite tedious and as may be imagined requires a significant level of feedback with testing to even come close to obtaining a decent emotional
representation within the confines of numbers.
Speaking of numbers, when the interpretation refers to an entity or lexical structure [note: a lexical structure is a collection of descriptor sets]
as being 'fully populated' or 'complete and correct' in being populated, it means that the current data set has a representation within it for a
required number of contexts which go into entity definition.