1. How do the pages "RWS" and "NE" relate to Promptoria products?
Promptoria products utilize Random Word Stimulation (RWS) as the primary technique to open new directions of thought. The theory behind Random Word Stimulation is much more complicated to explain than it is to use. Using Random Word Stimulation is very simple, direct, and automatic. Paradoxically, Random Word Stimulation is not a matter of learning something new, rather it is entirely a matter of un-learning existing conditioned behaviors that prevent it from working for you. The RWS page provides a simplified explanation for those that feel more comfortable and confident with some background orientation.
Neural Ergonomics (NE) defines a set of design principles that support the brain's natural organic methods of accessing and processing its information matrix. Promptoria products utilize these principles on many levels, in graphical design, in the implementation of their features and tools, and in the use of subliminal techniques similar to what advertisers use to influence and control our thinking (except here they are deployed to free the mind from conditioned restraints and foster the ability to penetrate and utilize the full potential of the brain). Promptoria products integrate these principals in a manner completely transparent to the user. The "NE" page introduces the subject of Neural Ergonomics only for those that have interest and can otherwise be ignored.
In-depth knowledge of these subjects is not needed to realize the full benefits from Promptoria products - no more than detailed knowledge of the chemical composition of air is needed to realize the benefits of breathing.
2. What is the difference in the "for the Young" versions of Promptoria products?
Through the process of creating our proprietary word lists, it became apparent that many words could be offensive or otherwise inappropriate for younger or more sensitive users. Although Promptoria products are primarily designed as a single user experience they also serve as an excellent vehicle of communication between two or more users working together. The situation becomes more acute when a parent, care giver, or educator is working with a child or adolescent. Directing a child's mind to the task of creating new ideas reveals the full spectrum of their psychology (and may reveal much about your own).
Random Word Stimulation acts as a catalyst that initiates an endless array of diverse topics of communication and, through the power of association, can be steered in any desired direction. In sensitivity to this more delicate working scenario we developed a modified version of our "normal" word selection criteria. Balancing the concept of perceived inappropriateness against our commitment to unrestricted exploration was more difficult than anticipated. We must admit that throughout the time spent evaluating over 200,000 words, our selection criteria wavered somewhat. In the end 5,547 words were omitted in the "for the Young" versions.
The other significant difference in the "for the Young" versions concerns the integrated Dictionary/Thesaurus. Products "for the Young" utilize our original Dictionary/Thesaurus with over 190,000 lookup possibilities and features the Word Masking technology. Omitted words will not appear as lookup or RWS words or in the resulting definitions or thesaurus entries. When omitted words are looked up directly a "Word Not Found" message appears. Another benefit to this version is that the omitted words list can be easily updated to reflect future additions. Future additions to the "Omitted Words" list will depend entirely on user feedback, so please let us know if you find any words you consider objectionable, feedback is welcome. Users will be notified and provided with a simple means of upgrading their installations whenever the list is updated. This service is provided free of charge.
Products that are not specifically labeled "for the Young" utilize the second generation Dictionary/Thesaurus that is updated to over 210,000 lookup possibilities and includes many internal updates and corrections to the entries. This version also features updated technology optimized for speed and thoroughness. Consequently, Word Masking is not included and the entire Dictionary/Thesaurus is completely unabridged.
3. What happened to the "for Adults" versions of Promptoria products?
Originally all Promptoria products were labeled "for Adults" or "for the Young" to ensure a clear designation.
Unfortunately, we found that products labeled "for Adults" were being caught by various email filters and filters in some of the trialware web sites that hosted our trial versions. It seems these filters (and possibly many people) assumed our "for Adults" products contained inappropriate "Adult" material. Of course this was never actually the case. The "for Adults" versions simply used Promptoria's full unabridged (and updated) Dictionary.
Consequently we decided to change our naming convention so that products without the "for the Young" designation are what were formerly designated "for Adults".
Promptoria products include a full modern Dictionary and Thesaurus. As described in FAQ 2, there are many words in any dictionary that are generally considered inappropriate, particularly for children. Products labeled "for the Young" use a special abridged version of the Dictionary and Thesaurus.
4. Are Promptoria products video games?
At first glance the colorful graphics of Promptoria products may give the impression they are video games. The WordsWorth product is actually a game, although it is an intellectual learning game with intrinsic value rather than the mindless activity normally associated with computer games.
Writer's Block - Goodbye!, Think!, and other products that are currently in various stages of development, are definitely not games (although they are definitely fun to play). Each of our products is designed for a specific purpose that delivers real-world advantages to the user. Promptoria products are focused on productivity and producing practical results, but they do so while simultaneously amplifying the user's creativity and critical thinking skills. See Faq 5 for a more concise explanation.
5. Why do Promptoria products look different than standard Windows software?
We get this type of question often, particularly from business professionals that are accustomed to the more common appearance of word processors, spreadsheets, and other business related software. Some people with predominant left-brain functionality find the whimsical designs are an unnecessary distraction that undermines any potential of producing serious work – a simple child’s game that must surely be intended for only simple child’s play. This type of first impression is characteristic of our deeply rooted conditioned response to reject things that are unfamiliar or do not fit our expectations of what we think they should be.
We did anticipate this issue and fully realized it could have a negative impact on sales. However, Promptoria is dedicated to maintaining high standards of quality. Our priority is to provide our user base with products that are effective at achieving results. Nothing is haphazard, everything is done the way it is done for sound reasons.
The graphical interfaces are not simply a matter of artistic license or an attempt to be cute and cuddly. For one thing there are subliminal messaging techniques at play, hidden within the graphics and animations. These powerful techniques are similar to that which advertisers use to influence our thinking, except here they are deployed to enhance creativity and self-guided exploration.
Neural Ergonomic principles favor an organic style of interface to facilitate tranquility of mind while minimizing stress on the optic nerves. Look into a bare light bulb for a few seconds and then look away with eyes closed. You will see the image of the bulb is burnt onto your optic nerve and remains visible for a time. A computer monitor is a bare light bulb, a very sophisticated light bulb, but a light bulb nevertheless. Many of us stare into this light bulb for hours on end, particularly those of us that use computers in their work. We become accustomed to the imagery of spreadsheets and business forms, and naturally we develop strong associations between this imagery and the concepts of efficiency and productivity.
It's no wonder that our graphical software conflicts with the standard and in turn psychologically conflicts with the associations to efficiency and productivity. Actually Promptoria software is highly optimized for efficiency and productivity. The difference is that these optimizations are designed from a decidedly right-brain perspective.
Promptoria products are deliberately oriented toward right-brained creativity to counteract and give balance to our left-brained conditioning. Using our software beckons for a change of mood, a change in perception, a focus on pursuing a new right-brain approach to achieve results that a left-brain approach could never hope to attain.
If you are interested in achieving the results claimed for each Promptoria product, then give yourself the opportunity to try something new. In a short time you will come to appreciate the advantages, in fact we guarantee it. All our software comes with an unconditional 60 day money back guarantee. If they do not perform to your satisfaction your money will be refunded - no questions asked.
6. What criteria was used to select words suitable for Random Word Stimulation?
Ultimately our master word list was divided into 34 categories. Many words have multiple definitions and appear in more than one category. Derivative words were omitted in favor of root words, except were derivative words have a significantly different definition than the root word. Another approximately 16,000 words were banished to the "Words of No Redeemable Value" category (these words are included in the Dictionary/Thesaurus but are not used for Random Word Stimulation). Other categories are optimized for specific purposes and are exclusive to specific products (some of which are yet to be announced). For example, Promptoria's premier product "THINK!" utilizes 16,154 words for Random Word Stimulation.
Promptoria offers the most comprehensive implementations of Random Word Stimulation available anywhere.
7. I'm having trouble getting started with Think!. What should I do?
Paradoxically, it is generally people of exceptionally high intelligence and/or extensive education that have more trouble getting started with Think!. The reason for this is simple. People of this type have invested tremendous effort in developing exceptionally strong Left-Brain thinking skills from the drive to excel in their chosen field of expertise. Consequently their Right-Brain development lags far behind, resulting in a skewed brain state balance.
Imagine a professional body builder that only exercised the left side of their body. Aside from the lopsided appearance the point is that the right side would not have anywhere near the capabilities of the left. We would never do this to our body and yet this is precisely what a Left-Brain restricted education does to our brain!
If there was a way to look at our mind in a mirror we would have seen this lopsided development early on and taken measures to correct our mental training. Unfortunately, no such mirror exists. The only reflection cast by the mind takes form in our self-awareness of our own thinking, and the only way we can see this reflection is with Right-Brain enabled eyes. Left-Brain thinking can analyze awareness, but awareness itself is a Right-Brain attribute. Consequently, our level of self-awareness is directly proportional to our Right-Brain development.
It's important to realize that when we talk about Left-Brain thinking and Right-Brain thinking, these are not simply theoretical models. Both of these modes of thinking are very real and very different. Each mode of thinking is the complimentary opposite of the other and each has distinct advantages over the other.
(for more information on this subject see the article entitled "The Irrefutable Logic of Not-Logic")
Using Think!, particularly the idea generating interfaces, is a Right-Brain activity based on free association. The trouble you're experiencing is caused from trying to perform a Right-Brain activity with Left-Brain thinking. Left-Brain thinking is limited to recognizing logical associations only. Right-Brain thinking has no limitations at all.
Using Right-Brain thinking in a deliberate manner is a skill acquired by practice. Learning any new skill is awkward at first. That's why we highly recommend limiting your initial Think! sessions to 10 - 15 minutes to avoid frustration. It can take a few days or more for the brain to reorganize its neural pathways to accommodate this new mode of thinking. Change doesn't happen all at once, it happens gradually over time. Like any exercise, it's the amount of effort you exert that determines the time required for the transformation to take place.
Think! is a tool, and like any tool, best results are achieved by using it the way it is designed to be used. You could buy the best made hammer in the world, but if you insisted on driving nails with the handle instead of the head, you will never get the results you expected. Think! is designed to be used in a very specific manner as outlined in the training course. Think! should always be used in exactly this manner to achieve best results.
In our modern age of instant gratification many people will bypass the training course altogether and go directly to starting with freeform sessions. Typically they will continuously click the Trigger button expecting a magic word to mystically appear that instantly solves all their problems and causes millions of dollars to leap into their bank account. Using Think! in this manner is easy and fun, and can occasionally produce interesting results, but it is definitely not recommended. This approach will ultimately be detrimental to your training and development.
Take the time to go through the training course first. It takes only about ninety minutes to complete and may well prove to be the most valuable ninety minutes of your life. After the training course you should perform one or more sessions per day of 10 - 15 minutes each. Don't give in to frustration. Use the Laws of Association. Try as hard as you can throughout each session, and then put it away and forget about it until next time.
Allow your brain the time it needs to revive your dormant Right-Brain skills. It may be awkward at first but once you develop the knack of using your Right-Brain skills, your sessions will become increasingly more productive. As your brain comes back into balance using Think! will eventually become as natural as breathing.
