When your ideas, interests, and even daily meals are largely inspired by whatever was already approved, already done, already voted on and liked, you’re only experiencing life as an echo of the masses (or the machines, if personalized based on historic preference). And in this echo chamber, genuine discovery is rare, even radical.

Do we need to be constantly inundated with a firehose of content tuned to our lowest, base desires?

These days, you don't go out and find cool stuff. You get served whatever pablum the platforms think you'll consume.

We need more mess, more friction.

Open protocols like RSS, email, and the web give us the foundation for being more mindful:

Having a... See more