What Happened to Shareware?
Excerpt:
Latest
Dispatches
Technology, the independent web, and assorted dead protocols.
When Installing Software Meant Owning It
Software subscriptions changed the relationship between users and programs from ownership to ongoing permission.
The Internet Used to Have Places
The older Internet felt more like a collection of places because communities had addresses, customs, memory, and edges.
Can a Twenty-Year-Old Computer Still Be Useful?
A twenty-year-old computer can still be useful if you stop asking it to behave like a new one.
Why Personal Websites Are Coming Back
Personal websites are attracting attention again as people rediscover the value of owning a domain, controlling their work, and building an Internet outside algorithmic platforms.
When Computers Became Appliances
Computers became easier to use when they started acting like appliances, but that convenience came with a loss of control.
AI Slop Isn’t the Same Thing as AI-Assisted Work
AI slop is not defined by whether a machine was involved. It is defined by the absence of judgment, responsibility, and human intent.
The Case for Owning Your Online Identity
Owning your online identity starts with having a home on the Internet that is not rented from a platform.
Why Old Software Sometimes Feels Better
Old software often feels better because it was smaller, more direct, and less interested in managing the user.
What Is Gemini and Why Would Anyone Use It?
Gemini is a small Internet protocol for people who want reading, linking, and publishing without dragging the whole modern web along with it.