(**Timeline updated Oct 03, 2021)
Full resolution versions available here, on Flickr.
Now that I have started my second re-listen of the Knowledge Fight podcast's back catalog, I decided to write an article about the podcast, its relationship to its subject, Alex Jones, and some key events that transpired in American politics and the wider world that influenced both of them. The reality, though, is that there are currently 594 episodes in that catalog, with each episode exceeding an hour and sometimes cracking three hours. That's a mind-boggling amount of information to keep track of. We are fortunate in that there exist a few resources to help wrangle all that content, most notably the Knowledge Fight Collections spreadsheet by Chris Ailstock and the Knowledge Fight Knowledge Tracker (I need to identify the author). Also very helpful is the Knowledge Fight Episode List by Michelle Higgins. Finally, there is the Knowledge Fight Database by David Smailes.
These resources are great and very detailed, but also each is many pages long; it's tough for an old guy like me to keep the big picture in my head and see how various elements relate to each other. Speaking of big picture, I'm also a very visually-oriented person when it comes to learning something. This is why I've started to put together this timeline as I listen from the beginning (**Edit: currently on episode #116).
I've never made such a thing before, but I can see immediately that the challenge is going to be finding a balance between amount of information and readability. The use of colour is critical, I think.
Here's a version with a plainer background:
**Edit: Oct 03
As I add more and more events, it becomes increasingly important to have a clean and logical way to lay out the information. I've made it a priority that labels don't cross position lines, and that has resulted in a lot of shuffling around as areas become more dense.
**Edit July 15, 2022
Unfortunately, this project is on hold for a couple of reasons, the main one being that it was made with Photoshop and I no longer use PS - I'm a Gimp guy, now. Gimp can handle PSD files, but not one with so many layers. I still have all my notes, though, so if and when I re-install, PS I can pick this back up again.
While I have your attention, let me briefly highlight my newest creative endeavour, Lazy River Design Works. Hawaiian shirts, bucket hats and umbrellas emblazoned with vivid and quirky imagery straight from my brain. All proceeds support my efforts to be a stay-at-home Dad for our son, Rowan. He's a beautiful boy with Down Syndrome and Autism who needs 24/7 supervision. Have a look and get yourself something - I would appreciate it!