A little bit about my intentions here

Like a lot of people, I’ve been yearning for simpler times recently.

With the advent of AI being jammed down our throats faster than ever before, the “human touch” has become more rare and valuable than ever in our online worlds. Everything seems to switching over to AI, from customer service, to online moderation, to “art”, leaving the internet and social media feeling stale and inauthentic to the viewer. To the poster, it feels pointless and even risky navigating this new artificial world.

I recently stumbled on my blog from over 20 years ago, preserved in a forgotten Blogger account. It sent me down a rabbit hole to a time when blogs reigned supreme and the internet was just starting to blossom in creative and exciting ways. I even replaced the battery in a 3rd generation iPod (with a black and white screen) and fired it up, and have been enjoying a simpler way of enjoying music without getting distracted by my colorful flashing phone. And it even gets CRAZY LOUD unlike modern devices which decide how loud you’re allowed to go for you.

If you’re reading this, and you’re a follower of my past 14 years of running a homegrown business by the name of Crossfox (a few of you have been around even longer), chances are you’ll have some of the same gripes about our increasingly AI driven world which seems to devalue actual human intelligence and creativity- two things that AI can REALLY only regurgitate and mimic, not transmute from the ether or hone through actual experience like the human mind can.

Coming from a New England newspaper family, I’ve always valued publishing and have had some form of an online website since the 90’s. The last 5 or so years have brought great change to the way I interact online, as algorithms and moderation changes and becomes more foreign and fickle. I’ve thought, if only there was a quiet corner somewhere- we could go back to basics and I wouldn’t have to compromise my authenticity to fit an uncaring platform with no attention span.

The reality, obviously, is that we can never truly go back to a simpler time when blogs and social media platforms were raw and unfiltered (& frankly it turns out we’re better off not saying everything anyway) and the internet was still the Wild West. But maybe we can borrow from the innocent excitement of that time and reclaim a little of its magic.

My plan is to not only post shop updates (release dates, previews etc) but also occasional posts about things I’m thinking about, personal photography, and just whatever I feel like for once.

So here we are. Will anyone read this? I have no idea. Will anyone join me? I hope so!