The internet is a damp cave. The landscape sprawls as if someone took a suburban strip mall of box stores, and put it in the middle of a Reno casino. People hide throughout the space and jump out to scare you by reciting a bunch of ads. Somewhere, circus music plays, lulling you into submission on the web.
People could code the internet into any form. The internet could become whatever we want. No mountains need to be destroyed or rivers dried. Still, no one molds it. The online world is a bunch of prairie dog holes linked through search engines and hyperlinks.
Why isn’t the internet comparable to a small nightclub where Ella Fitzgerald is performing? When you shop online, why don’t you feel like you’re seeing the lights of Paris? Why do we waste hours of our time on a service that almost never joyfully surprises us like a crashing wave at the beach?
We should demand the world build a better internet. We should find the delight of Disney World in each page refresh. We should expect the laughs of well-crafted nightclub comics. We should revel in the comfort of an online experience reminiscent of an old-fashioned soda shop.
I want to create a better internet. The DK Chronicle is my lab to figure out how to build better stories for the internet.
Eventually, you’ll be able to walk down a sleek avenue, past new cars and street musicians. You’ll enter this site through the front door and take in everything this place has to offer. You’ll know that this version of the internet won’t waste your time or take your energy.
I’m not there yet. Right now, this is a just another lonely corner of the stale internet. I’m going to spruce things up, add some paint, and try to make these stories more compelling. For now, watch out for the trolls and the clowns.