3 ms·

I'm a big advocate of The Small Web[0], and care deeply about the internet being a creative space. Something to keep in mind is that the way people use the inte

by ajxs 3y ago

I'm a big advocate of The Small Web[0], and care deeply about the internet being a creative space. Something to keep in mind is that the way people use the internet has changed completely since the days that small, independent websites were the norm. When I first started using the internet in the late-90s, if you wanted to find information you would probably end up reading a page curated by a single person, devoted to a single topic. I remember having favourite sites devoted to bands I loved. Now, the main resources for information are collaborative platforms like Wikipedia. These days, if I want to find lyrics to a song I'll probably find them on genius.com, rather than someone's lovingly crafted fanpage. These days I can just right-click 'Search for <term>', and I'll have an answer within seconds. Even though this has taken a way a lot of the creative, human aspects of the internet, I think that the ease at which people can retrieve information on-the-fly from known sources has made the internet a much more powerful tool. I think what's missing is our desire to actually look for, and find creative spaces. Having said this, I'm not giving up on the small-web. I run https://webri.ng/ https://webri.ng/ which is a platform people can use for hosting webrings. 0: A term that I borrowed from Parimal Satyal: https://neustadt.fr/essays/the-small-web/ https://neustadt.fr/essays/the-small-web/

krapp 3y ago
I don't know. I feel like creative output on the web is orders of magnitude greater now than it ever was on the 90's web. Unless you limit "creativity" to the design of custom HTML and CSS. Yes, that output exists primarily on services and yes that presents issues with control over data, data mining, AI training, etc. But the premise that the internet is no longer a creative space simply because people use it as a tool to publish to, rather than an expression of programming and design in and of itself, to me seems to miss the forest for the trees.
- ajxs 3y ago
  You make a great point. You're totally right that the total amount of creative content on the internet is much, much bigger now. That is something worth appreciating. I've found some really amazing artists on social media platforms, and even been able to reach out and collaborate with them. So it's not all bad, of course. What I'm mostly concerned about though is the website as a personal, creative, individual space. This doesn't really need to be a user writing their own visually creative HTML/CSS. I just feel something of creative value is lost if the entire human aspect of the internet is viewed through the window of social media.
  - Karrot_Kream 3y ago
    Sure there's nothing wrong with honing those skills! I have friends who crochet, an art as old as time, but I just buy clothes. I'm terrible at crocheting (and jealous at my better friends!) I'm quite good at starting fires with flint and the fire triangle but almost everyone I know just fills a lighter with lighter fluid and presses a button. Do I think there's an art to starting a fire? Of course. Do I think humanity has lost something by abstracting starting a fire behind the push of a button? Not really. I'm just glad that I can choose to start a fire now rather than be forced to start one.

by ajxs 3y ago

krapp 3y ago

I don't know. I feel like creative output on the web is orders of magnitude greater now than it ever was on the 90's web. Unless you limit "creativity" to the design of custom HTML and CSS. Yes, that output exists primarily on services and yes that presents issues with control over data, data mining, AI training, etc. But the premise that the internet is no longer a creative space simply because people use it as a tool to publish to, rather than an expression of programming and design in and of itself, to me seems to miss the forest for the trees.

ajxs 3y ago
You make a great point. You're totally right that the total amount of creative content on the internet is much, much bigger now. That is something worth appreciating. I've found some really amazing artists on social media platforms, and even been able to reach out and collaborate with them. So it's not all bad, of course. What I'm mostly concerned about though is the website as a personal, creative, individual space. This doesn't really need to be a user writing their own visually creative HTML/CSS. I just feel something of creative value is lost if the entire human aspect of the internet is viewed through the window of social media.
- Karrot_Kream 3y ago
  Sure there's nothing wrong with honing those skills! I have friends who crochet, an art as old as time, but I just buy clothes. I'm terrible at crocheting (and jealous at my better friends!) I'm quite good at starting fires with flint and the fire triangle but almost everyone I know just fills a lighter with lighter fluid and presses a button. Do I think there's an art to starting a fire? Of course. Do I think humanity has lost something by abstracting starting a fire behind the push of a button? Not really. I'm just glad that I can choose to start a fire now rather than be forced to start one.