Yes it's definitely echoed, though in a larger scale as it's not just the medium changing the message but the topology of the medium connecting us that changes the messages which gets boosted.
This is great! I particularly enjoyed the point about microcultures and the macroculture. It's easy to make a point that the general trend is towards either of these, while missing the subtle dynamics that are at play. Maybe both microcultures and the macroculture are becoming more powerful just because, thanks to the density you describe, there's *more* culture overall.
Yes! It's both, and the nuances are what's interesting I think. There's more microcultures but discovery is hard and you end up feeling like it's a set of fleeting microcultures than anything with a sense of permanence. A feeling of standing amidst flux.
This post couldn’t be more timely! I’ve recently been feeling and discussing similar ideas with people around software development.
We’ve noticed there isn’t really a “counter culture” anymore, and I really like the dark forest theory that if you connect to the wider internet too soon before the ideas have had a chance to mature, it dies out.
One illustrative example I think is the collective outrage of the typescript community when DHH decided to move off of it in a library he was building (that most didn’t even use). He’s already in a position he can weather the attacks, but some new community probably not so much.
I guess if people start breaking away into these cultural islands, if they’re able to sustain long enough to let their ideas mature and break out, we’ll see much more fully formed, groundbreaking things coming from them and not really seeing the intermediate products unless you explicitly seek them out?
Shit brother. I am too stupid for this essay yet. Where should I get started to learn about networks? Much appreciate the references, if you have suggestions.
Thanks brother. I don't think it's your writing, I just need to do the homework before reading it again. I'll learn more about networks and come back here soon. Thanks!
Fantastic essay -- thinking of course of Ferdinand Tönnies's great work on Gemeinschaft and Gesellschaft (1887) which has been so influential and prescient. We make and remake our networks. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gemeinschaft_and_Gesellschaft
I am reminded of Marshall McLuhan.
Yes it's definitely echoed, though in a larger scale as it's not just the medium changing the message but the topology of the medium connecting us that changes the messages which gets boosted.
Hugely insightful, extremely well structured and measured analysis. Thank you Rohit🙏
Thanks for the kind words!
This is great! I particularly enjoyed the point about microcultures and the macroculture. It's easy to make a point that the general trend is towards either of these, while missing the subtle dynamics that are at play. Maybe both microcultures and the macroculture are becoming more powerful just because, thanks to the density you describe, there's *more* culture overall.
Yes! It's both, and the nuances are what's interesting I think. There's more microcultures but discovery is hard and you end up feeling like it's a set of fleeting microcultures than anything with a sense of permanence. A feeling of standing amidst flux.
Excellent problem statement! Any hope of design-building some solutions, or better to just wait to see what emerges?
If you have ideas ...
I had some ideas... but then AI came around and changed the calculus on ideas...
This is so orderly and satisfying
Thank you! That's the highest praise .
This post couldn’t be more timely! I’ve recently been feeling and discussing similar ideas with people around software development.
We’ve noticed there isn’t really a “counter culture” anymore, and I really like the dark forest theory that if you connect to the wider internet too soon before the ideas have had a chance to mature, it dies out.
One illustrative example I think is the collective outrage of the typescript community when DHH decided to move off of it in a library he was building (that most didn’t even use). He’s already in a position he can weather the attacks, but some new community probably not so much.
I guess if people start breaking away into these cultural islands, if they’re able to sustain long enough to let their ideas mature and break out, we’ll see much more fully formed, groundbreaking things coming from them and not really seeing the intermediate products unless you explicitly seek them out?
Shit brother. I am too stupid for this essay yet. Where should I get started to learn about networks? Much appreciate the references, if you have suggestions.
Oh man I'm sorry, that's a failure of writing on my part. Maybe this is good? https://meltingasphalt.com/interactive/going-critical/
Thanks brother. I don't think it's your writing, I just need to do the homework before reading it again. I'll learn more about networks and come back here soon. Thanks!
These articles might be useful:
https://news.stanford.edu/stories/2022/09/real-strength-weak-ties
https://www.cs.cornell.edu/home/kleinber/networks-book/networks-book.pdf
Thank you Antony! I am diving deep into the pdf. Really good stuff.
Glad you're enjoying it. There is a free video course too, which is really good.
https://www.edx.org/learn/computer-programming/cornell-university-networks-crowds-and-markets
Very thoughtful. Thank you. My angst level decreased once you defined the problem.
Thank you!
Fantastic essay -- thinking of course of Ferdinand Tönnies's great work on Gemeinschaft and Gesellschaft (1887) which has been so influential and prescient. We make and remake our networks. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gemeinschaft_and_Gesellschaft
Thank you! I'm not familiar with it, will read!
Excellent problem statement! Any hope of design-building some solutions, or better to just wait to see what emerges?