An interview with John Seely Brown on the concept of calm technology, its origins, and its application in designing user interfaces for a more seamless and calming experience.
When you say that the status quo draws people toward more individuated, personality-driven work, what do you think is causing that, both culturally and mechanically?
Platforms in general make you focus on individuals. And then the shifts in platforms and algorithms mean your visibility is suppressed if you share links. I want to share other... See more
We need ritual technology. Technology designed for ritual use.
Why? Most of the software we use daily is designed to engagement-max. Social media feeds, loot boxes, compulsion loops, gang gang yes yes yes ice cream so good. You’re caught in a feedback loop with the algorithm, and you are the squishiest part of that loop.
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
My default feed on Twitter is filled with too much snark, fear porn, and negativity. Is that a reflection of me, all of you, or a business trying to make ever increasing amounts of revenue with this product? I would literally pay for a more positive experience. And I think it would increase my faith in humanity. How much would it cost in lost... See more
I suspect we humans do better with constraints; the Internet stripped away the constraint of physical distribution, and now AI is removing the constraint of needing to actually produce content. That this is spoiling the Internet is perhaps the best hope for finding our way back to what is real. Let the virtual world be one of customized content for... See more
That's the thing with the internet. It is not a singular place: the internet is made up by many internets. Some are connected, and some are not. This makes it hard to talk about the internet because your internet is unlikely to be similar to mine. Even when we visit the same social site, we experience different worlds. Where D sees a subcategory of... See more