{"id":4031,"slug":"diamond","name":"Diamond","type":"concept","created_at":"2026-08-08T23:16:18.541172+00:00","hidden":0,"aliases":[],"episodes":[{"id":"5e3ffcbe-d4fb-4f2a-88e5-1f38fe3e1f71","slug":"s18e04-what-are-we-doing-here-exactly-llms-are","subject":"s18e04: What Are We Doing Here, Exactly?; LLMs Are Playful, Actually","title":"What Are We Doing Here, Exactly?; LLMs Are Playful, Actually","publish_date":"2024-03-27T21:34:02.502635+00:00","year":2024,"month":3,"season":18,"episode":4,"episode_label":"s18e04","canonical_url":"https://newsletter.danhon.com/archive/s18e04-what-are-we-doing-here-exactly-llms-are/","is_premium":0,"word_count":3553,"context":" … This entire thing\nis also\npart of the (humanist?) premise of Neal Stephenson’s Lesser-Cited Manual For The Future, The <mark>Diamond</mark> Age, in which Stephenson pits an … ","reading_minutes":18},{"id":"f1488de1-db96-4729-a480-4fa3ca7fdac4","slug":"s17e09-what-does-it-take-to-trust-the-young-ladys","subject":"s17e09: What does it take to trust?; The Young Lady’s Illustrated Tour Guide","title":"What does it take to trust?; The Young Lady’s Illustrated Tour Guide","publish_date":"2024-02-13T03:38:55.061867+00:00","year":2024,"month":2,"season":17,"episode":9,"episode_label":"s17e09","canonical_url":"https://newsletter.danhon.com/archive/s17e09-what-does-it-take-to-trust-the-young-ladys/","is_premium":0,"word_count":2423,"context":" … Often the nearest example from science fiction for this type of agent is The Young Lady’s Illustrated Primer, from Neal Stephenson’s <mark>Diamond</mark> Age\n[7]\n. Every so … ","reading_minutes":12},{"id":"be3c6c20-ca86-4234-986e-41ac13669e3f","slug":"s09e04-how-can-i-help-you","subject":"s09e04: How can I help you?","title":"How can I help you?","publish_date":"2021-03-07T00:38:43.851000+00:00","year":2021,"month":3,"season":9,"episode":4,"episode_label":"s09e04","canonical_url":"https://newsletter.danhon.com/archive/s09e04-how-can-i-help-you/","is_premium":0,"word_count":3920,"context":" … I once experienced this one year when I contributed to destroying the environment and did enough flying around to hit <mark>Diamond</mark> status on Delta, which meant there was … ","reading_minutes":20},{"id":"e9f11127-eb6b-4853-84dd-5a04ffeddd2a","slug":"s07e07-safer-routes-home","subject":"s07e07: Safer Routes Home?","title":"Safer Routes Home?","publish_date":"2019-09-23T05:31:40.162000+00:00","year":2019,"month":9,"season":7,"episode":7,"episode_label":"s07e07","canonical_url":"https://newsletter.danhon.com/archive/s07e07-safer-routes-home/","is_premium":0,"word_count":4033,"context":" … yeah, but what if something bad happens?\nIt’s complicated, right? As Lyzi <mark>Diamond</mark>\npoints out\n, “Like all mapping problems, it is doable with the right data (and … ","reading_minutes":20},{"id":"4c9c5797-c38e-4cec-a362-c6f2910e26fa","slug":"s5e11-things-that-have-caught-my-attention","subject":"s5e11: Things That Have Caught My Attention","title":"Things That Have Caught My Attention","publish_date":"2018-05-04T00:00:00+00:00","year":2018,"month":5,"season":5,"episode":11,"episode_label":"s05e11","canonical_url":"https://newsletter.danhon.com/archive/s5e11-things-that-have-caught-my-attention/","is_premium":0,"word_count":2294,"context":" … s <mark>Diamond</mark> Age. (Relatedly, I see that in the tech industry's process of Implement Everything That Neal Stephenson Wrote About, we've now reached the <mark>Diamond</mark> Age … ","reading_minutes":11},{"id":"b91b651c-5008-487c-a633-2633e0660332","slug":"s5e03-welcome-to-the-churn","subject":"s5e03: Welcome to the Churn","title":"Welcome to the Churn","publish_date":"2017-09-26T00:00:00+00:00","year":2017,"month":9,"season":5,"episode":3,"episode_label":"s05e03","canonical_url":"https://newsletter.danhon.com/archive/s5e03-welcome-to-the-churn/","is_premium":0,"word_count":5142,"context":" … I used to get excited about the Young Lady’s Illustrated Primer from Neal Stephenson’s The <mark>Diamond</mark> Age as a sort of perfect interactive textbook combined with … ","reading_minutes":26},{"id":"b87b0c8c-93cc-47e7-be9b-92604c1f7d4b","slug":"episode-one-hundred-and-ninety-three-internet-of","subject":"Episode One Hundred and Ninety Three: Internet of Capitalism; Internet of Things Winter; Transmogrify","title":"Internet of Capitalism; Internet of Things Winter; Transmogrify","publish_date":"2015-02-18T00:00:00+00:00","year":2015,"month":2,"season":null,"episode":193,"episode_label":"episode 193","canonical_url":"https://newsletter.danhon.com/archive/episode-one-hundred-and-ninety-three-internet-of/","is_premium":0,"word_count":1646,"context":" … Where are the futures where some things really are free? Stephenson's <mark>Diamond</mark> Age had a sort-of basic income implemented through compilers/3D printers: each individual had … ","reading_minutes":8},{"id":"0f596a68-ac4e-451b-b1c7-d0def367bc65","slug":"episode-one-hundred-and-twenty-mundane-blue-ant","subject":"Episode One Hundred and Twenty: Mundane Blue Ant; Press Square To Hack","title":"Mundane Blue Ant; Press Square To Hack","publish_date":"2014-07-10T00:00:00+00:00","year":2014,"month":7,"season":null,"episode":120,"episode_label":"episode 120","canonical_url":"https://newsletter.danhon.com/archive/episode-one-hundred-and-twenty-mundane-blue-ant/","is_premium":0,"word_count":1896,"context":" … for point-to-point hundred-mile plus transport either fractional jet ownership or <mark>Diamond</mark> frequent flyer status and someone else's expense account.\nMundane Blue Ant still has … ","reading_minutes":9},{"id":"a93469d1-4ab6-46d0-95e6-a052cd275e26","slug":"episode-forty-eight-not-yet-a-phyle-ready-player","subject":"Episode Forty Eight: Not Yet A Phyle; Ready Player One; Fantasy Acquisitions","title":"Not Yet A Phyle; Ready Player One; Fantasy Acquisitions","publish_date":"2014-03-31T00:00:00+00:00","year":2014,"month":3,"season":null,"episode":48,"episode_label":"episode 48","canonical_url":"https://newsletter.danhon.com/archive/episode-forty-eight-not-yet-a-phyle-ready-player/","is_premium":0,"word_count":2265,"context":" … So I think the answer to Charlie's question feels like a nascent phyle, <mark>Diamond</mark>-Age[5] style. A loose grouping of people with a networked sensibility with … ","reading_minutes":11},{"id":"2e7a4b07-741c-45e4-b8c1-17e38ccda5db","slug":"episode-40-ip-and-the-federation-a-thousand","subject":"Episode 40: IP and the Federation; A Thousand Digital Hubs In Your Pocket; Your Server Recommends","title":"IP and the Federation; A Thousand Digital Hubs In Your Pocket; Your Server Recommends","publish_date":"2014-03-19T00:00:00+00:00","year":2014,"month":3,"season":null,"episode":40,"episode_label":"episode 40","canonical_url":"https://newsletter.danhon.com/archive/episode-40-ip-and-the-federation-a-thousand/","is_premium":0,"word_count":1663,"context":" … You have a similar situation in the toy universe of Neal Stephenson's <mark>Diamond</mark> Age where Nell's brother teachers her how to use their [replicator/fab] and … ","reading_minutes":8},{"id":"adcc4aeb-6f97-4286-aa0b-ccd5ee8ce695","slug":"episode-twenty-six-an-alternative-washing-users","subject":"Episode Twenty Six: An Alternative; Washing; Users","title":"An Alternative; Washing; Users","publish_date":"2014-02-27T00:00:00+00:00","year":2014,"month":2,"season":null,"episode":26,"episode_label":"episode 26","canonical_url":"https://newsletter.danhon.com/archive/episode-twenty-six-an-alternative-washing-users/","is_premium":0,"word_count":2831,"context":" … I'm reminded of Stephenson's clades from The <mark>Diamond</mark> Age - in that particular case, he was making the point of cultural affiliation being stronger than national - and … ","reading_minutes":14},{"id":"ee5ef5d9-318e-4fb6-9b1f-ac58e18520fe","slug":"episode-eighteen-some-thoughts-on-the-illustrated","subject":"Episode Eighteen: Some Thoughts On The Illustrated Primer, Fax Your GP","title":"Some Thoughts On The Illustrated Primer, Fax Your GP","publish_date":"2014-02-18T00:00:00+00:00","year":2014,"month":2,"season":null,"episode":18,"episode_label":"episode 18","canonical_url":"https://newsletter.danhon.com/archive/episode-eighteen-some-thoughts-on-the-illustrated/","is_premium":0,"word_count":1469,"context":" … If you haven't read The <mark>Diamond</mark> Age, then you probably should right now, etc. etc.\n\nThe thing about a lot of descriptions of product in science fiction … ","reading_minutes":7}]}