Alive Internet Theory: Human Creativity Thrives Online
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Resources & Recommendations
Books
- "The Master Algorithm" by Pedro Domingos - Mentioned in the context of AI and machine learning.
People Mentioned
- Spencer Chang - The guest on the podcast, who creates "computery things to bring people together around play, connection, and creation."
- Brett Victor - Inspired Spencer Chang's work at Coda, particularly in the area of making software more accessible.
- Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson - Referenced humorously in the context of an AI's ability to identify rocks.
- Neil Fun (presumed to be Neale Van Fleet or similar) - Mentioned as a creator of cool interactive online games.
- Nolan (presumed to be Nolan King) - Creator of online interactive games, specifically "1 Million Checkboxes," which has a mechanism to prevent griefing.
Organizations & Institutions
- Internet Archive - An organization that archives vast amounts of web content, which commissioned Spencer Chang for a piece.
- Coda - A company in the document and database editing space where Spencer Chang previously worked as an engineer.
Tools & Software
- GitHub Actions - A CI/CD workflow tool that is often perceived as slow.
- Shortcuts (iOS) - A native iOS feature that allows users to program automated tasks and is used by Spencer Chang for his internet sculptures.
- NFC (Near Field Communication) - The technology used in Spencer Chang's internet sculptures to connect physical objects to digital experiences.
Websites & Online Resources
- Alive Internet Theory (aliveinternet.net) - Spencer Chang's website presenting a counter-theory to the Dead Internet Theory, celebrating humanity online.
- Flickr - An early web 2.0 image-sharing site known for its "interestingness" sort feature.
- StumbleUpon - A Firefox extension (and likely other forms) for discovering random but curated interesting websites.
- Play HTML - An open-source library created by Spencer Chang to simplify the creation of collaborative web elements.
- Play HTML Fun Fridge - A collaborative online fridge poetry game built by Spencer Chang using Play HTML.
- Internet Sculptures (internetsculptures.com) - Spencer Chang's shop and platform for his computing-infused objects.
- Spencer Place (spencer.place) - Spencer Chang's personal website.
- News Spencer Place (news.spencer.place) - Spencer Chang's newsletter for updates on his creations.
Other Resources
- Dead Internet Theory - A theory suggesting that a significant portion of the internet's content is generated by AI or bots, leading to a decline in human-created content.
- Geocaching - A real-world outdoor recreational activity where participants use a GPS device or mobile app to hide and seek containers (called "geocaches" or "caches") at specific locations marked by coordinates.
- Public Art - Art in public spaces, often funded by private patrons or donors, which Spencer Chang is exploring for his computing shrines.