This post was originally written to fit in the psychotic space and format restrictions of a series of instagram slides, and has been edited lightly for human readability with working links. In keeping with the subject, you can choose to collect tokens associated with it if you’d like to fund my continued work. Thanks!
Hi
Today, I'm sharing something I've been working on for a while. The next 8 slides are a mini-explainer, & also represent a shift in how I conduct my online self. I want to be clear about what this is & why I'm doing it, because it's connected with a topic that's become 🙃PoLaRiZinG🙃 It would mean a lot to me if you read it.
If you feel like learning more after this, you can follow the link in bio* to: mirror.xyz/shields-up.eth.
What I'm doing:
Simply, I've started posting nearly everything that I post here and on twitter over at mirror.xyz. I'm going to treat instagram & twitter as the mirrors — the "real" "home" of my work will now be my blog on mirror.xyz. I'll post there, and continue sharing here for reach and connivence.
This is largely a symbolic move for now. It may have practical benefits, but hopefully it shows that the logic of platform capitalism can be resisted, and that alternatives are starting to be built.
Why?
I strongly believe that the current state of the web, often called web2.0, *sucks*. A formerly huge, expansive online world has collapsed into a few social media platform monopolies that are generally unaccountable and opaque to their users.
They've created a paradigm where the only path to sustainable success for digital creators is: post free work for exposure, game the algorithms, build engagement, get brand partnerships, sell merch, hope you don't get shadow banned, demonetized, and so on 🤮.
Ok, tell us how you really feel
These platforms have harvested our data, manipulated our behavior as users, hacked our emotional responses, and exploited our cognitive patterns for private profit.
For creators, when, say, the automated ban hits your account because a right wing troll reported you for posting leftist content, you can't move your posts & followers & likes & chats somewhere else. The platform always owns your activity on it.
It's bad folks!
But another web is possible.
What is Mirror?
Mirror.xyz looks and behaves like a website, but runs as a web3 protocol. It's designed with that ethos in mind - building services as public goods, sharing ownership and governance through democratic processes, crowdfunding and supporting content (art, music, writing, even science) through universally accessible but scarcely own-able tokens, all of it stored and run on transparent, decentralized systems.
I think it's a start towards an alternative to the platform paradigm I mentioned.
What?
Most platforms, apps, websites, etc, are created in a centralized, hierarchical way. Privately owned and controlled, motivated only by profit, built on closed infrastructure.
Mirror, like most of web3, is built differently — it runs on and is stored on a peer-to-peer network. It's governed by a DAO with no single leader or decision maker which votes on its operation and direction. What I post is mine, attached to my digital wallet.
Imagine if, say, Blogger was a worker owned co-op! Imagine that instead of it running on massive server farms, it ran on a secure network of personal computers across the world!
Doesn't all that web3 stuff suck?
The {scare quotes} “crypto space” definitely has plenty scammers, grifters, and suspect ideologies floating around, and you can get a very clear impression of the gross aspects by reading what's usually reported.
But it's not a monolith - it's a set of real, currently existing protocols that things can be built on, and there are many positive artists, developers, & communities implementing radical, transformative ideas that don't get any attention and are often ignored by web3's loudest critics.
Oh??? Refute every argument against web3 now you ocean-boiling pyramid schemer!
I won't try here when there's so many great articles and conversations that articulate it better than I could! I'll tag some accounts and share more soon.
Honestly, the criticisms of web3 that I find I agree with (i.e energy usage, wealth inequality, it's all a made up game of numbers) are criticisms that apply equally to technology and capitalism in general. I hope you'll find as I have that these are tools that can be used to prototype a better future, even as they reflect the dysfunction of the present.
Choose your own Adventure:
- Shannon is a brainwashed crypto bro. ¡UnFoLloWinG! (Scroll to more lifestyle influencers and bask in their SEO hustle)
- OK, I'm intrigued, who's work should I check out?? (Continue Reading Below)
I'm glad you asked!
I've mentioned the Interdependence Podcast here before, from @matdryhurst & @holly_herndon, it's ✨✨✨.
Also check out channel.xyz @joshuacitarella @newmodels_io @David_Rudnick @_erichu @isthisanart @nopattern @trust.support for great explanations, ideas, criticism, context, & art. More soon here @ my mirror link!
Thanks,
Shields/Shannon
*ever wonder why instagram has forced us to use these link in bio systems for years instead of letting us put links in posts? huh there must be something to that, something about keeping us locked in the ecosystem and scrolling, feeding the algorithm, viewing aggressively targeted adds...