On the doomsday posts

You know the ones: “The web is dying.” “No one will create anymore.” Blah blah blah.

Come on, chin up. Sure, things might get worse by some measurements. Maybe much worse. But for all we know, that could lead to humans getting so fed up with modern tech that we embark on some sort of renaissance. Or it could be Skynet tanks rolling over skulls.

The point is: nobody knows. And wherever this is leading, at the moment, civilians like us can’t do a damn thing about it. This AI freight train is white hot and supersonic. Ain’t none of us slowing it down.

If we can’t see into the future, and we can’t control it, then what does worrying about it get us other than another gray hair?

I have concerns, too. I’ve got young kids, and I can’t help but worry a little about the world they’re inheriting. But I try to keep it that: worrying a little, and then reminding myself to let it go and live in the now.

And I call bullshit on the whole “web is dying” bit. The corporate web already sucks horrifically. And yet here we are, writing in our little indie blogs and following each others’ little RSS feeds. I fully expect we’ll keep doing this regardless the mountain of AI slop that piles up. If anything, that mess could make us double down.

Now, If you’re trying to make money and get Google-driven views on the web, I admit the situation is more complicated. That might get harder for a bit. But see above re: renaissance. Maybe this leads to something good, like new and better ways of paying for quality work from humans.

See also: Oliver Burkeman’s recent newsletter post, Let’s stop talking about A.I..

Time’s up. Bye. 👋