diff --git a/blog/gemini-web-fear-missing-out-2020-08-02.markdown b/blog/gemini-web-fear-missing-out-2020-08-02.markdown new file mode 100644 index 0000000..bbfad49 --- /dev/null +++ b/blog/gemini-web-fear-missing-out-2020-08-02.markdown @@ -0,0 +1,108 @@ +--- +title: The Fear Of Missing Out +date: 2020-08-02 +tags: + - culture + - web +--- + +# The Fear Of Missing Out + +Humans have evolved over thousands of years with communities that are small, +tight-knit and where it is easy to feel like you know everyone in them. The +Internet changes this completely. With the Internet, it's easy to send messages, +write articles and even publish books that untold thousands of people can read +and interact with. This has lead to an instinctive fear in humanity I'm going to +call the Fear of Missing Out [1]. + +[[1]: The Fear of Missing Out](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fear_of_missing_out) + +The Internet in its current form capitalizes and makes billions off of this. +Infinite scrolling and live updating pages that make it feel like there's always +something new to read. Uncountable hours of engineering and psychological +testing spent making sure people click and scroll and click and consume all day +until that little hit of dopamine becomes its own addiction. We have taken a +system for displaying documents and accidentally turned it into a hulking +abomination that consumes the souls of all who get trapped in it, crystallizing +them in an endless cycle of checking notifications, looking for new posts on +your newsfeed, scrolling down to find just that something you think you're +looking for. + +When I was in high school, I bagged groceries for a store. I also had the +opportunity to help customers out to their cars and was able to talk with them. +Obviously, I was minimum wage and had a whole bunch of other things to do; +however there were a few times that I could really get to talk with regular +customers and feel like I got to know them. What comes to mind however is a +story where that is not the case. One day I was helping this older woman to her +car, and she eventually said something like "All of these people just keep +going, going, going nonstop. It drives me mad. How can't they see where they are +is good enough already?" I thought for a moment and I wasn't able to come up +with a decent reply. + +The infinite scrollbars and newsfeeds of the web just keep going, going, going, +going, going, going, going and going until the user gives up to do something +elses. There's no consideration of _how_ the content is discovered, and _why_ +the content is discovered, it's just an endless feed of noise. One subtle change +in your worldview after another, just from the headlines alone. Not to mention +the endless torrent of advertising. + +However, I think there may be a way out, a kind of detox from the infinite +scrolling, newsfeeds, notifications and the like for the internet, and I think a +good step towards that is the Gemini [2] protocol. + +[[2]: Gemini Protocol](https://gemini.circumlunar.space/) + +Gemini is a protocol that is somewhere between HTTP and Gopher. A user sends a +request to a Gemini server and the user gets a response back. This response +could be anything, but a little header tells the client what kind of data it is. +There's also a little markup format that's a very lightweight take on +markdown [3], but overall the entire goal of the project is to be minimal and +just serve documents. + +[[3]: Gemtext markup](https://portal.mozz.us/gemini/gemini.circumlunar.space/docs/gemtext.gmi) + +I've noticed something as I browse through the known constellation of Gemini +capsules though. I keep refreshing the CAPCOM feed of posts. I keep refreshing +the mailing list archives. I keep refreshing my email client, looking for new +content and feel frustrated when it doesn't show up like I expect it to. I'm +addicted to the newsfeeds. I'm caught in the trap that autoplay put me in. I'm a +victim to infinite scrolling and that constant little hit of dopamine that +modern social media has put on us all. Realizing this feels like I am realizing +an addiction to a drug (but I'd argue that it somewhat is a drug, by design, +what better way to get people to be exposed to ads than to make the service that +serves the ads addictive!). + +I'm not sure how to best combat this. It feels kind of scary. I'm starting to +attempt to detox though. I'm writing a lot more on my Gemini capsule [4] [5]. I'm +starting to really consider the Fear of Missing Out when I design and implement +things in the future. So many things update instantly on the modern internet, it +may be a good idea to attempt to make something that updates weekly or even +monthly. + +[[4]: My Gemini capsule](gemini://cetacean.club) +[[5]: My Gemini capsule over HTTP](http://cetacean.club) + +I'm still going to attempt a few ideas that I have regarding long term archival +of the Gemini constellation, but I'm definitely going to make sure that I take +the time to actually consider the consequences of my actions and what kind of +world it creates. I want to create the kind of world that enables people to +better themselves. + +Let's work together to detox from the harmful effects of what we all have +created. I'm considering opening up a Gemini server that other people can have +accounts on and write about things that interest them. + +If you want to get started with Gemini, I suggest taking a look at the main site +through the Gemini to HTTP proxy [6]. There are some clients listed in the pages +there, including a _very good_ iOS client that is currently in TestFlight. +Please do keep in mind that Gemini is very much a back-button navigation kind of +experience. The web has made people expect navigation links to be everywhere, +which can make it a weird/jarring experience at first, but you get used to it. +You can see evidence of this in my site with all the "Go back" links on each +page. I'll remove those at some point, but for now I'm going to keep them. + +[[6]: Project Gemini](https://portal.mozz.us/gemini/gemini.circumlunar.space/) + +Don't be afraid of missing out. It's inevitable. Things happen. It's okay for +them to happen without you having to see them. They will still be there when you +look again.