A Photo with Paint FX is Not a Painting, But It Could Be Something Else
I’m on the lookout for tools which help usher in new art forms—not badly approximate the ones which came before.
Jared White
Expressively publishing on the open web since 1996.
Entranced by Portland, Oregon since 2017.
Hello and Welcome!
I’m Jared, an award-winning essayist, Rubyist, and podcaster who’s been commenting on and building for the web since Mosaic was a thing. (Yup, it’s true! 😆)
In my spare time I travel around Portland 🌲 and the Pacific Northwest and shoot cinematic-yet-quirky vlogs. 📹 📺 In addition, I compose and produce 80s-flavored retro electronica. 🎹 🎶
This is my home base on the internet. I hope you enjoy browsing around! 📍
P.S. What am I doing now? That’s what the Now Page is for! ⏱
P.P.S. What’s my favorite (fill-in-the-blank)? Find out in About Me. 😃
Things I Do
It would seem I’m always but one step away from reaching for an endeavor to occupy my time with at any given moment. Besides what’s obviously available on this website…from Bridgetown, a Ruby-powered site generator, to Yarred, my musical alter-ego, there’s something for…well…somebody.
Newest Posts
Video is the Holy Grail of the Open Web
The #openweb has conquered all some.
- You can post text and images directly on the web. It’s very simple to do—even for non-geeks who just use Wix or Squarespace. Blogging is still very much a thing, and now with the rise of decentralized social media, we can claim that too. Even RSS is making a comeback!
- You can post audio directly on the web and create your own podcast. There are many hosts around which make this straightforward, and everyone is happy to use their “podcast player of choice”.
- You can launch communities, accept payments, offer games, provide software, and all sorts of other digital goodies through a variety of tools and services on the open web.
But here’s the thing which nobody (*) does directly on the web: video. Video was eaten by YouTube.
YouTube has conquered all. Yes for short form, also TikTok and Instagram. For streaming, also Twitch. But I’m primarily highlighting longer, typically pre-recorded, 16:9 videos. That market is owned by YouTube, no question about it.
And that’s extremely odd when you think about it. What other online medium is so completely dominated by a single platform? It’s so all-encompassing that people will literally describe their profession by the platform’s name: I am a YouTuber. Nobody says “I’m a Facebooker” or “I’m a Twitcher” or “I’m a Spotifier”. But they will gladly promote the fact they are a YouTuber. And even though people’s “blog posts” are indeed part of the open web proper, people’s #vlog episodes are virtually always found at a single destination. Gee that sucks!
I have come to the conclusion that YouTube poses an existential threat to the open web and to our broader society far and away more than any other corporate silo. And it’s not just me—creators on YouTube themselves are increasingly upset with the #enshittification of the platform and the awful moderation policies which seem to punish “wokeness” while rewarding truly bad actors who spew misinformation and hatred.
Does anyone sincerely believe YouTube is getting…better? Or has it been steadily decaying for years? (Yes.) Speaking for myself personally, I find having to engage with YouTube in any way borderline oppressive. I already use it at little as possible directly, and prefer to subscribe to channels through Feedbin. But trying to use a third-party frontend like Invidious is nearly impossible now, and even embedded video playback through Feedbin has gotten spotty. And even having switched off YouTube history entirely so I don’t get that horrible algorithmic front page, I’m still forced to look at a “related videos” sidebar which almost always has one or two videos which are clearly alt-right ragebait or general nonsense peddled by “influencers”. It makes me sick, and I mean that quite literally.
We need to do something about this. And by we, I’m starting with me. I’m going to do something about it. I don’t have anything to announce at this time, but I can tell you honestly: when I contemplate the future of the open web, there’s nothing that’s lighting a fire under me more than how to solve the video problem and wean ourselves off of complete dominance by YouTube. We can’t ignore this any longer. If you’re a fan of RSS, if you’re a fan of ActivityPub, if you’re a fan of blogging and of podcasting, you absolutely can’t ignore the elephant in the room.
Video killed the open web star? Not if I can help it!
* We’re starting to see—and I’ve talked about this before—the rise of creator-friendly indie video subscription platforms. My favorite one is Nebula, and I watch a lot of shows on there. But it’s still a drop in the bucket. We need 10000% more of that.
You Need a Portfolio (and So Do I)
Somewhere along the way to becoming Extremely Online, we’ve lost the art of curation. It’s time to reclaim our artistic truths.
The Recumbent Bicycle: Reasons to Buy
“ While traditional bicycles have been the staple for decades, there’s a fascinating alternative that’s been gaining traction in recent years – the recumbent bicycle. Whether you’re a seasoned cyclist or someone looking to embark on a new biking adventure, recumbent bicycles offer an exciting departure from the ordinary. But why switch?
One of the aspects of the “new age” of #micromobility I’m so excited about is the experimentation around form factors. Yes, of course we’ve been seeing many fascinating variations on e-scooters & e-bikes come out in recent years, but even the tried-and-true category of 100% human-powered vehicles has witnessed a recent surge of design variety and innovation.
Watching what people ride here in #Portland has been nothing short of fascinating. And if you get the chance to head out to some of the bike-oriented get-togethers in town, you’ll see some pret-tay, pret-tay, pret-tay intriguing vechicles. I just love it. ☺️
Stay in the Loop
Look, I get it. You already subscribe to too many newsletters. So much to keep up with. But guess what? I only send out a newsletter once a week. And if you‘re feeling curious, peruse the Creator Class archive. You might find something that resonates with you! It’s a great way to stay current with what I’m publishing, and newsletter recipients always get some extra insight just for them. So what are you waiting for? Let’s roll!
Podcast
A weekly show where we discuss the business, the art, the ethics of content creation on the open web. Hosted by Jared White.
My 2024 Nerd Thanksgiving List
It’s that time of year again in the U.S. of A.—time to take stock of where we’ve been and find all of the silver linings. And it’s time for this podcaster to geek out over some very special blessings, from weird quirky indie horror films to weird quirky indie web browsers as well as weird quirky indie…OK, I think you get the idea.
Photos
The trees are always there.
Good night #Portland. Here’s to hoping for better days ahead.
Smith Rock State Park in Central Oregon
I’ve wanted so badly to visit Bend and surrounds again this year, and just haven’t made it work. Soon, I hope! 🤞
Videos
Midsummer Adventures at Mt. Hood
You can rarely go wrong visiting the tallest mountain in Oregon and a true jewel of the Cascades: Mt. Hood. This time, I visited in August 2023, taking the ski lifts up the slope from Timberline Lodge and then hiking back down while enjoying the epic views. Then I dropped by Trillium Lake for the first time. Wow! This location was definitely worth the hype. Gotta go back…
Lan Su Chinese Garden for Father's Day WOW!
For Father's Day, the kids "treated" me to a wonderful excursion to Lan Su Chinese Garden, a treasure of downtown Portland which exhibits one of the most authentic gardens outside of China itself. Enjoy the magnificent sights!
Popular Essays
Ice Cream, War Movies, Monochromatism, and Reclaiming My Identity
This year I want to make a bold statement with what I do and how I live—only this time not as a desperate attempt to appease a deity, but as a way of expressing the core values that make me Me.
The Three Vital Landmarks Along the Road to Success
There was a time not long ago when my life was in a major upheaval. Signs of online success were slim to none. I wasn’t sure if anyone out there would really care if I were suddenly Thanos-snapped out of existence. Yet the valuable lesson I came to learn during that dreadful time was how to become intrinsically motivated, the significance of value creation, and the trick of cultivating T-shaped skills.
The Web is the Opposite of Dead
It's taken a global pandemic for many of us to realize something profound about the web. It isn't just a technology which helps the world go around. Today, on a certain level, is IS the world.
What It’s Like to Live in Portlandia
This may sound like the craziest thing you’ve ever heard, but I watched a TV show called Portlandia and then I moved to Portland. No joke.
Parents: You're Not Going to Break Your Kids
When we have difficulties helping our children learn new skills or cope with the tumult of everyday life, it's tempting to want to blame ourselves. But we can choose to see the learning opportunity inherent in every emotional moment.
Making the Mental Breakthrough that Depression is Rooted in Fear, Not Sadness
If you think as I did a couple years ago, you probably assume that people who struggle with depression must be sad a lot and just need to be cheered up or adopt a more positive attitude. Well, as I came to discover, that notion is dead wrong.
The Writing Legacy of Medieval Celts
Presenting two brilliant examples of the classic wit, spiritual depth, and surprisingly fresh language found in millennia-old Celtic verse
The Absurdity of Fatherhood
When you become a dad, it's much harder to stay stuck on self. Your kids won't let you.