Brent Simmons suggests fourteen things that users can do instead of giving him money, listed in no particular order. The first: “Write a blog instead of posting to Twitter or Facebook.”
It’s fast, easy to figure out, and free. It has a long history, with a developer, Brent Simmons, who has a sense of cultural purpose and doesn’t even invite donations. Here is the app’s website.
If you’ve been reading via e-mail, all I can suggest, at least for now, is that you visit Orange Crate Art in person or subscribe via RSS. I hope you’ll do one or the other or both.
Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube — did you notice which platforms Russian election-subverters ignored? Blogger, Typepad, WordPress, none of which can be used to put “content” (as it’s called) in front of a captive audience.
“Anyone weary of black-box algorithms controlling what you see online at least has a respite, one that’s been there all along but has often gone ignored.”
“As I’m reminded every time I look at my posts, Feedly takes too many liberties with images. Images get relocated and resized, and when a post merely links to a YouTube clip, Feedly adds an image from that clip to its Magazine and Card Views.”
“If you are reading Orange Crate Art in Google Reader, you’d better choose a new reader before July 1, when Google shuts things down. Otherwise, we will be torn asunder posthaste.”