dreaming of a better internet
sari and
dreaming of a better internet
“The internet, as we have known it, has evolved from a quaint, quirky place to a social utopia, and then to an algorithmic reality. In this reality, the primary task of these platforms is not about idealism or even entertainment — it is about extracting as much revenue as possible from human vanity, avarice, and narcissism.”
Quick Links for Wednesday, January 3
slapping the table, easy way to put it about the current state of the internet
The problem is no longer getting to express oneself but finding moments of solitude and silence in which one might eventually find something worth saying. – Gille Deleuze
The trouble with the internet, Mr. Williams says, is that it rewards extremes. Say you’re driving down the road and see a car crash. Of course you look. Everyone looks. The internet interprets behavior like this to mean everyone is asking for car crashes, so it tries to supply them.
‘The Internet Is Broken’: @ev Is Trying to Salvage It (Published 2017)
There seems to be this general dissatisfaction with the internet from users, but there doesn't seem to be any real change in making the internet more fun. Do you see it getting better?
Embedded • How Taylor Lorenz Went From Tumblr Queen to Internet Historian
“I think a lot about the difference between what in my head is the push internet and the pull internet... the internet where things are pushed at you and the internet where you have to do some work… you have to pull it towards you.”
—Ezra Klein
—Ezra Klein
The calling for this new internet has never been more dire. As you're reading this, machine learning algorithms are being trained on the billions of gallons of bullshit we spew online each day.
AI-powered document editors, then, among other tools, use all that training data to make it even easier to write outcome-oriented garbage that moves us... See more
AI-powered document editors, then, among other tools, use all that training data to make it even easier to write outcome-oriented garbage that moves us... See more
Dan Hunt • Internet as Practice
Our modest goal with Substack is to help accelerate and amplify the advent of the culture future through a better media system. Culture is not just about getting what you want; it is about learning what to want. It shapes our values, beliefs, identity, taste, and how we relate to other people. And in turn, we shape it, when we choose what to pay... See more
Chris Best • The Two Futures of Media
the world is a surprisingly malleable place and has reconfigured itself around compelling visions many times before
