The Wizard with the Defensible Pond
A wizard lives beside a small pond that he considers his moat and measures daily for unique data. When a traveling sorcerer arrives with a black box that can predict frog distribution, the wizard feels threatened by the implications of shared knowledge. The apprentice observes the interaction, hinting at the evolving dynamics of data ownership and value.
- ▪The wizard measures various aspects of his pond daily, including frog sentiment and ripples.
- ▪A traveling sorcerer arrives with a black box that can predict frog distribution in the pond.
- ▪The wizard believes his unique data is valuable, while the sorcerer suggests that all ponds are unique.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
The Wizard With the Very Defensible PondScott WernerMay 24, 202642ShareThere was once a wizard who lived beside a pond. It was a small pond. The sort of pond that probably gets called a “water feature” on a Zillow listing by a real estate agent who really knows their euphemisms.The wizard loved it.“This,” he said, “is my moat.”The villagers looked at the pond. A frog blinked.“It is a pond,” said the baker.“It is proprietary,” said the wizard.The baker nodded, because he wasn’t exactly sure what that meant and had learned, over many years, that asking wizards follow-up questions was how you lost an afternoon.The pond contained reeds, stones, three dragonflies, and a bucket the wizard had dropped in there in April and decided not to retrieve for strategic reasons.
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