User:Charlie/HTML New punk folk explosion - Notes

Lieslescht ☺ Text: Basic HTML is the new punk folk explosion[1]by Zach Mandeville, published in 2016.

Protocol for Annotation

Short summary of the text
Agreement - why?
Disagreement - why?
Key insight(s)
Lingering doubts/thoughts
Connection to Special Issue 26
Glossary Words

Summary

In this text, the author argues that the skill of basic HTML-coding could be viewed as a form of emerging folk craft and as having an innate punk-attitude. Using rudimentary HTML to create personal websites, he says, reflects the D.I.Y. nature and community-shaping potential of folk traditions and punk culture. As main examples, he draws parallels between early web design and older counter-cultural movements. More specifically, he names zine-making culture of the 80's Punk movement, as well as the folk revival of the 60's and 70's Hippie culture, in the United States. Both movements were based in the believe that:
"Learning about older skills gave you tools for your modern passion.";
Learning from past movements, acquiring new skills and passing-down knowledge as a means to shape communities and alternative modes of societal structuring.
The author continues to explain that he is learning HTML himself, as a new creative outlet. While learning this new skill, he noticed a renewed appreciation for early web aesthetics, especially within alternative web spaces, user-communities and web design movements (e.g. Web Brutalism, tilde.town and tilde.club).
The author believes that this reemergence is born of desires for more "authentic and human" user experiences. Handmade and personal websites; An internet free of corporate agendas. And the opposite of large mainstream platforms such as Facebook and Twitter.
He says:"homemade websites are a type of Punk." Whilst life without internet has become virtually impossible (badum-tzz), our need for (online) community remains. Yet for many, the internet has become synonymous with the use of monopolistic platforms. Which in many ways, are designed to inhibit genuine connection and creativity. In this way, alternative web practices, including basic HTML skills and D.I.Y. websites, represent a gateway to creating other, new and old, forms of internet browsing. Becoming in their own right (counter-)cultural movements based in anti-establishment and community-building practices.

(Dis)agreements

Key Insights & Thoughts

SI26

The text brings up many topics discussed in this Special Issue. From platforms to web design, open access to knowledge and skills, etc. And many of the exercises done during this term reflect the attitude described in the text: Learning new (basic) coding skills (HTML and beyond) as a means to counter and explore dominant web standards. It also has many parallels to "Tactical Design". Though, this text does not center design and designers, but any individual interested in creating new web experiences. The tyranny of big platforms may one day be brought down by the masses. Is XPub the new punk folk explosion?

Word Stew Entries ✎

Punk (80's Movement)
Web Brutalism
Tilde
Folk Tradition
Web-Ring

Annotation Index

✍ = Link to annotation & notes

Text = Quote/Excerpt from source text

✎ = Word Stew (Personal Glossary)

= Summary of source text/Paraphrasing