We Built This City!
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In economics, a network effect (also called network externality or demand-side economies of scale) is the phenomenon by which the value or utility a user derives from a good or service depends on the number of users of compatible products. Network effects are typically positive feedback systems, resulting in users deriving more and more value from a product as more users join the same network.
The value of Twitter and Substack isn't the HTML or the CSS, it's the social circle behind it. That's why Facebook, founded as a Harvard social media site, outpaced Friendster and MySpace. That's why half your current crop of comedians and media pundits came out of the Ivy League. That's why The Federalist Society exists.
Like, by all means, make a new BlueSky or Mastodon or Lemmy whatever. Thank you. But "What if we had a new Facebook, for annoying marketing dweebs?" it's how we got LinkedIn. And a thousand other knock offs of LinkedIn.
So, keep that in mind.
I would love a social media app focused more on normal people networking and building communities. It's a shame something so potentially useful like that has been twisted to divide and isolate us.
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It is all evolution in progress at every scale. Some people are already extinct but haven't gotten the memo. To live is to change.
Just because something is new doesn't mean it's better than what came before.
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I miss the old days of people making niche websites for their hobbies, their own blogs, and message boards.
So many people think of the Internet as Google, Meta, Netflix, or <favorite social network here>. That makes me sad.
I don't see a way back to a less commercialized internet, but little pockets of goodness like Lemmy make me happy.
Just gonna drop this here https://neocities.org/
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We built this geocity
(Under construction)
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I never understood why seemingly everyone uses WP. 'I need a personal, but professional, web presence' 'use this blogging platform', 'I need an e-commerce site' 'use this blogging platform' like what.
Maybe I'm old and WP now does everything and the kitchen sink, but I was there when it started and made no sense.
It's not really a blogging platform, it's a content management system.
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We built this Geocity on rock and code!
Rock and code, to the node!
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I would love a social media app focused more on normal people networking and building communities. It's a shame something so potentially useful like that has been twisted to divide and isolate us.
Social networking sites were a great idea. Social media sites were where it all went wrong.
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Now it has the kitchen sink AND vulnerabilities… and an asshole CEO.
As someone who managed it for a while, WP as a platform isn’t horrendous, but there are definitely better alternatives depending on what you need to accomplish.
Sadly it’s still a defacto standard.
What's a good alternative nowadays for someone who isn't super tech savvy and just wants to set up a basic WYSIWYG website?
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I miss the old days of people making niche websites for their hobbies, their own blogs, and message boards.
So many people think of the Internet as Google, Meta, Netflix, or <favorite social network here>. That makes me sad.
I don't see a way back to a less commercialized internet, but little pockets of goodness like Lemmy make me happy.
You'd think that with QR codes every-fucking-where these days, that we could easily swing back to everyone having their own website. Back in the bad old days, it was hell on wheels to share URLs with folks. Now? There's nothing stopping us.
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We built this city on coooock aaaand trooooolls.
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Bring back Geocities!
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I miss things spreading by word-of-mouth, not The Algorithm.
I miss people making things for fun, not for the exit strategy.
I miss misinformation being called out and bullied mercilessly, not rewarded for Engagement.
I miss Nazi being hyperbole, not an alternative viewpoint we're supposed to acknowledge as valid.
I remember The Blues Brothers and "I hate Illinois nazis" and John Belushi and Dan Akroyd running the fucking nazis into the fucking river. The sad thing is, that shit was universally funny back then - there weren't people in the theater saying "hey wait a minute, that's not respecting their free speech rights" or worse, "hey, what's so bad about Illinois nazis?" Just straight up "of course they drove the nazis into the fucking river".
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Bring back Geocities!
Come and join my webring on Neocities.
Sign the guest book.
Scream at my aggressive CSS.
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Come and join my webring on Neocities.
Sign the guest book.
Scream at my aggressive CSS.
Scream at my aggressive CSS.
LOL!!! What's the address?
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I miss things spreading by word-of-mouth, not The Algorithm.
I miss people making things for fun, not for the exit strategy.
I miss misinformation being called out and bullied mercilessly, not rewarded for Engagement.
I miss Nazi being hyperbole, not an alternative viewpoint we're supposed to acknowledge as valid.
I miss stumbleupon. I found so much cool stuff and web comics I'm still reading 20 years later.
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Cities start from villages.
That's what we've got here now.
wrote last edited by [email protected]Not all cities start from villages: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Underoccupied_developments_in_China
Although a feature of discourse on the Chinese economy and urbanization in China in the 2010s, many developments that were initially criticized as "ghost cities" in China have since become occupied and are now functioning cities.
Some cities are literally just built into the empty space, then wait until people move in. It has worked multiple times in China. Some cities literally went from zero to a million inhabitants in under 20 years.
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Power lies where men believe it lies
— George Martin
and women
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Oh no did substack do a bad thing?
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(Under construction)
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