Jesse Wattenbarger

This is a very interesting read on the open web. One of the core ideas here is something that we think and talk about a lot, which is that social media and private networks are killing the open web that blogs played such a huge role in creating.

“Blogs gave form to that spirit of decentralization: They were windows into lives you’d rarely know much about; bridges that connected different lives to each other and thereby changed them. Blogs were cafes where people exchanged diverse ideas on any and every topic you could possibly be interested in.”

And this conclusion:

“New, different, and challenging ideas get suppressed by today’s social networks because their ranking strategies prioritize the popular and habitual.“

I’ve always believed that, given time, people will float back to the decentralized web.  Technology moves so quickly these days that I’m really not even convinced that internet providers, social networks, or congress can prevent the open sharing of information.

I gave up Facebook several months ago after reading a few studies about the negative impacts of Facebook on happiness.  I was concerned that my real friends would think I was shunning them or that I’d be out of the loop.  But none of those things have happened.  In the end, the only difference is that I’m spending those precious minutes online reading more blogs.  It’s inspiring and enriching and I’m grateful to have made the change.