In the early internet when it was more about creativity and the money wasn't involved, in some ways it was really bad because people were creating for free and there wasn't economic opportunities, many of which have been incredibly liberatory, but it did allow for less pressure .
The stakes were just so much lower so you could just have a little bit... See more
I think ownership is overrated - there is a certain kind of person who sees something and whose first reaction is "i want to own it", ownership as a means to accrue value leads to a community of vultures; instead of ownership, we should think about "contribution" as the primitive
Above all, people need agency. They need to feel in control. Sometimes, that means designing for subversive behavior. I mean, isn't the most fun often had when you're breaking rules? But this is enormously difficult in software, where you must design almost everythingfrom scratch. Unlike life, you don't get a common repertoire of actions for free –... See more
Exploring the internet together should be like exploring a vast old library with your friends. Wandering down different shelves, skimming the pages that catch your eye, and occasionally one of you hollers in a whispering voice, "come check this out!"
Most people stop at consumption. This has always been the case, and will continue to be the case forever and ever, Amen. This makes sense, as it requires the least amount of effort. But the evolution of algorithmic and hyperpersonal content makes moving beyond consumption even more challenging. If I already enjoy the content I’m being served, why... See more
If you apply pressure to a ball of ants, the ants nearest to the top will begin to act as though they are dead, increasing the fluidity of the writhing mass of ants. The harder the ants are pressed, the more fluid they become to absorb the pressure. The more ants there are linked together, the more pressure they can collectively withstand.