Capitalizing creative freedom.

Week 6

The online world and its many websites, forums, communities, servers, and so on, has been marketed as one of the greatest places to create and share work with an audience. And online/digital tools are undeniably helpful in some of the tools and posting abilities it gives us. But when’s the last time you used any sort of content making app that didn’t have a pop-up asking you to buy a subscription at some point. And, if it didn’t ask you to buy something, how limiting was the platform on customization? Maybe I’m just on the wrong websites, and admittedly, on websites of my generation; i.e. instagram, google docs, canva, etc. But, why is it that so many popular platforms limit a users ability to customize either by fully omitting customization or blocking it by a paywall? Capitalization! 

Karl Stolley’s, The Lo-Fi Manifesto, explores the freedom in understanding the digital technologies that are almost always working behind the scenes for larger platforms; which is, standards compliant computer language. Stolley explains how learning this technology as users will allow us to build and share our content without a large dependence on a platform to display the content correctly; which it often fails at. As Stolley describes it:

“In many ways, such as non-negotiable dependence on a specific piece of software to view the artifact, software programs are actually steps backward from the comparatively open access that books and other printed matter provide.” 

I’m sure most of us have seen some rendition of this file privatization and sharing dillimea, I cant access your doc im on word, or I dont have adobe so I can only share files this way, etc. etc. And, this experience is likely when using said company’s platforms as well; i dont have an adobe subscription but I need… I dont have a word subscription but my file… There is hope though, even the most prolific companies use standard computer languages to build their platforms; computer languages users can learn and master themselves.

While standards compliant computer language can be limiting in its own ways, it gives users access to typically free and universal software. Standards compliant computer language eliminates the problems of “error: file could not be opened” and gives users equal access to online creation and sharing; once you get over the learning curve, that is. Next time you hear yourself saying, “Instagram ruined my quality” or “I don’t want to pay for adobe” or any rendition of the sorts, take a second to consider how you can harness those same technologies for yourself.