Return to the Centre

It's the early days of my return to Web 1.0. It wasn't intentional, more a feeling. Here's what I've noticed already.

I'm having more ideas - I use a number of tools to log ideas on the hoof. Twos is the main one. Voicenotes is the app I use for quick audio jottings. I've also been using Apple Notes as a published digital garden. Some of the ideas there will make it on to this blog.

I think I'm having more ideas because I'm consuming less. The excess input isn't fogging up my brain. I've got more room in there to contemplate. I've backed away from Substack. When I have popped on to the site, there seem to be two camps. 1. I'm leaving. 2. This is a great opportunity (buy my eCourse to find out why). I exaggerate (only a little).

I deleted Bluesky and Mastodon. I've seriously pared back on X. Chrome extension to hide the for you page. Daily lists. Curating my following page. I removed the app from my phone so I can only look at X on my Mac. (The Substack app has also been deleted).

I've revised my approach to writing. For a long time, I wanted to be a Writer. (Note the capital W). Honestly - I've made very little headway. I was practically invisible on Substack. But so are many others. I've decided to let go of my writing ambitions and write for the fun and sheer pleasure of it. If something comes of it, I'll be delighted. But, right now, I'd rather capture, write and publish ideas. If anyone thinks it's worthy, great.

Writing in isolation, away from the noise of the crowd, has been a much more enjoyable experience. I like the peace that's come from reducing my content intake. And the joy of creating my own little space on the web.

I'm not anti-social media. But I'm using antisocial media. I don't know why I never realised this before. I'm an introvert. In real life, I'm pretty antisocial. It makes sense that this would extend online.

Charles Miller says you have to become AI-proof. I choose not to agree with that. But, say he is correct, and I'm a mediocre writer, I may as well do my own thing. I can do unique but I don't want to hustle and crush it to be hyper-competent and I'm not that great at building relationships. From that perspective, I'm attached to another object by an inclined plane wrapped helically around an axis! (Watch this).

I'm a big AI fan but I think a lot of people forget that it needs humanity to make it work. I foresee greater numbers of people backing away from this all in digital world for something that is more in balance. You can take things so far but eventually there will be a boomerang effect as life returns to a centrepoint.