I'm fascinated by your comments about a burgeoning "speakeasy" culture. As someone who works in music/book/art retail, the ability to open a fixed brick n' mortar location in an area with onerous rents has forced me to adapt by setting up as a "pop-up" shop in various locales. I see this becoming even more prevalent.
I loved that. I have only a facebook for photos and family ( 47 peeps lobie style - I use the chat because I dont actually own a phone. I have an old tablet that barely loads Substack.
I have found Substack is the only thing I dont feel Dumber after using.
Aug 2, 2023·edited Aug 2, 2023Liked by Rachel Haywire
Nice writing. I am thinking of selling my house and going on the road. This actually helps gell my decision because while the area I live in is beautiful, the people who surround me are dumb asses. I haven't had an interesting conversation other than here and texting old friends for years TBH. The rebirth of a new 90s style offline culture sounds fab. Maybe I'll even start writing poetry again. The idea of showing up and seeing people performing live in different places sounds like water to a man dying of thirst.
This is amazingly prescient. My wife and I have this crazy idea to simply retire, and then roam around the US from campground/RV park to campground/RV park and ENGAGE PEOPLE IN REAL LIFE (I know...weird!). We might do a little music, preach a little from the Word, and then just TALK to actual humans...hopefully around a campfire!
I don't know how long it will last, but Minds is still fun (if you know how to ignore trolls). It reminds me of how the internet was in the late 90s, when everyone pretty much said and did whatever they wanted and self-sorted. Nothing gold can stay, of course... but for now, I'm enjoying my second shot at the Wild West Web.
Haha. This entry is amazing. "Offline is the new online," "My time as a main character was over," "The elephant in the room is that the fediverse is boring," "We can make real life fun again," 🔥
Aug 2, 2023·edited Aug 2, 2023Liked by Rachel Haywire
It's curious just how old much of what we think of as new is. Old habits and ways reasserting themselves in the face of technology is a trend I can get behind.
I struggled with this post when I first read it. I'm still not as bullish on the pop-up and speak easy experiences that you describe... I think culture and population density are key factors... are you specifically referring to the US? I also think that weak ties that evolved due to common interests, especially when separated by geography, will likely prevail. Having said that, a reduction to 15% of the public for personal use within 4 years... maybe. There are still plenty of friends and family groups that use Facebook to stay in touch and I don't see anything viable to replace that at the moment. I can believe there will be a decline, just not sure I believe it will dip that low without other extenuating factors as long as cell service/phones/Internet prices don't increase much more.
I can totally relate to what you say. These days I'm online only to do specific things that must be done online, and I switch my devices off as soon as I'm done. The rest of the time I prefer to go for a good walk or read a good book. Now that the initial excitement for the internet is gone, I see the endless petty bitching on social media as it is: a monumental waste of precious time that should be put to better use.
I agree with you, not sure about 2027 - but, I did get a premonition that the US would crash around 2027-2028. Everything is weird now. It's all like human trafficking and most the people I liked on youtube are starting to talk drama and crap. I think what MAY happen is specialty devices. I had this idea for this AI snowglobe type thing that its only purpose was to have constantly animated and changing fantasy scenes with sounds and creatures and nice AI generated fantasy music. I think if the online world was kind of "fragmented" so there were dedicated devices, the communications might become personal again. I just hope by then it's safer. Cool you quit smoking, smoking sucks.
On one hand, I feel the zeitgeist turning in this direction; on the other, I fear that the geniuses of addiction-engineering and all their billions cannot be vanquished. How does nearly everyone break their addictions to these fuckin likes and endless scroll? I’m self aware and critical of the constantly-online culture, and even I have to LOCK MY PHONE in a box to stay off that bitch. How will this widespread addiction end? What will happen?
Social media is meaningless unless it affects humans in meatspace. It only does so to the extent that we allow it. Everything on the Internet is voluntary.
Could not agree more, I can't wait to move, be online less and to mostly use the internet for history research or to post my articles or books or to stay in touch avec famille.
But until then, I'll use it as a tool and work hard at building a better off-line life.
I'm fascinated by your comments about a burgeoning "speakeasy" culture. As someone who works in music/book/art retail, the ability to open a fixed brick n' mortar location in an area with onerous rents has forced me to adapt by setting up as a "pop-up" shop in various locales. I see this becoming even more prevalent.
I loved that. I have only a facebook for photos and family ( 47 peeps lobie style - I use the chat because I dont actually own a phone. I have an old tablet that barely loads Substack.
I have found Substack is the only thing I dont feel Dumber after using.
From you today I learned Lowbie and Trad.
Im getting smarter!
Nice writing. I am thinking of selling my house and going on the road. This actually helps gell my decision because while the area I live in is beautiful, the people who surround me are dumb asses. I haven't had an interesting conversation other than here and texting old friends for years TBH. The rebirth of a new 90s style offline culture sounds fab. Maybe I'll even start writing poetry again. The idea of showing up and seeing people performing live in different places sounds like water to a man dying of thirst.
This is amazingly prescient. My wife and I have this crazy idea to simply retire, and then roam around the US from campground/RV park to campground/RV park and ENGAGE PEOPLE IN REAL LIFE (I know...weird!). We might do a little music, preach a little from the Word, and then just TALK to actual humans...hopefully around a campfire!
It will be grand (they said).
Do you think there might be a zine Renaissance? It strikes me that zines might be the offline, pop-up equivalent of social media
I don't know how long it will last, but Minds is still fun (if you know how to ignore trolls). It reminds me of how the internet was in the late 90s, when everyone pretty much said and did whatever they wanted and self-sorted. Nothing gold can stay, of course... but for now, I'm enjoying my second shot at the Wild West Web.
Haha. This entry is amazing. "Offline is the new online," "My time as a main character was over," "The elephant in the room is that the fediverse is boring," "We can make real life fun again," 🔥
It's curious just how old much of what we think of as new is. Old habits and ways reasserting themselves in the face of technology is a trend I can get behind.
https://argomend.substack.com/i/135621713/old-habits-are-hard-to-break
I struggled with this post when I first read it. I'm still not as bullish on the pop-up and speak easy experiences that you describe... I think culture and population density are key factors... are you specifically referring to the US? I also think that weak ties that evolved due to common interests, especially when separated by geography, will likely prevail. Having said that, a reduction to 15% of the public for personal use within 4 years... maybe. There are still plenty of friends and family groups that use Facebook to stay in touch and I don't see anything viable to replace that at the moment. I can believe there will be a decline, just not sure I believe it will dip that low without other extenuating factors as long as cell service/phones/Internet prices don't increase much more.
I can totally relate to what you say. These days I'm online only to do specific things that must be done online, and I switch my devices off as soon as I'm done. The rest of the time I prefer to go for a good walk or read a good book. Now that the initial excitement for the internet is gone, I see the endless petty bitching on social media as it is: a monumental waste of precious time that should be put to better use.
I agree with you, not sure about 2027 - but, I did get a premonition that the US would crash around 2027-2028. Everything is weird now. It's all like human trafficking and most the people I liked on youtube are starting to talk drama and crap. I think what MAY happen is specialty devices. I had this idea for this AI snowglobe type thing that its only purpose was to have constantly animated and changing fantasy scenes with sounds and creatures and nice AI generated fantasy music. I think if the online world was kind of "fragmented" so there were dedicated devices, the communications might become personal again. I just hope by then it's safer. Cool you quit smoking, smoking sucks.
On one hand, I feel the zeitgeist turning in this direction; on the other, I fear that the geniuses of addiction-engineering and all their billions cannot be vanquished. How does nearly everyone break their addictions to these fuckin likes and endless scroll? I’m self aware and critical of the constantly-online culture, and even I have to LOCK MY PHONE in a box to stay off that bitch. How will this widespread addiction end? What will happen?
Social media is meaningless unless it affects humans in meatspace. It only does so to the extent that we allow it. Everything on the Internet is voluntary.
Could not agree more, I can't wait to move, be online less and to mostly use the internet for history research or to post my articles or books or to stay in touch avec famille.
But until then, I'll use it as a tool and work hard at building a better off-line life.
Speakeasies and popups vs traditional streams costing half as much and requiring a tenth the research time is not a revolution. It’s an option.
Here, here! As an analog girl through and through I approve of this message. 😘