Dark Forest Anthology of the Internet

* Book: The Dark Forest Anthology of the Internet. Ed. by Yancey Strickler. DFC, 2024

URL = https://www.ystrickler.com/the-dark-forest-anthology-of-the-internet/

On the return of "non-indexed, non-optimized, and non-gamified environments". Contributors: Venkatesh Rao, Maggie Appleton, Peter Limberg, Caroline Busta, Do Not Research, New Models, Trust Support, Leith Benkhedda

Context

Yancey Strickler:

"“In response to the ads, the tracking, the trolling, the hype, and other predatory behaviors, we’re retreating to our dark forests of the internet, and away from the mainstream.

“Dark forests like newsletters and podcasts are growing areas of activity. As are other dark forests, like Slack channels, private Instagrams, invite-only message boards, text groups, Snapchat, WeChat, and on and on. These are all spaces where depressurized conversation is possible because of their non-indexed, non-optimized, and non-gamified environments.

“An increasing number of the population has scurried into their dark forests to avoid the fray.”

(https://www.ystrickler.com/the-dark-forest-anthology-of-the-internet/)

Description

"The Dark Forest Anthology of the Internet is a 208-page book that documents five tumultuous years when we learned how to live, create, and conspire on an increasingly adversarial internet.

The original “Dark Forest Theory of the Internet” essay was published by Yancey Strickler in a private newsletter sent to 500 readers. The post struck a chord and became widely shared, with hundreds of thousands of readers in the following weeks. The concept of the Dark Forest captured a feeling and sense of danger online that an increasing number of people shared.

In the years following, some of the most influential voices on the web and in culture built on, argued with, and expanded the original Dark Forest concept. "The Dark Forest Anthology of the Internet" brings those disparate pieces together into a canon of thought that defines a specific era of the internet."

(https://www.ystrickler.com/books/)

Contents

The eleven authors include Yancey Strickler (Kickstarter/Metalabel); Venkatesh Rao (Ribbonfarm); Maggie Appleton; Peter Limberg and Rebecca Fox (The Stoa); Joshua Citarella (Do Not Research); Arthur Röing Baer and GVN908 (Moving Castles); Leith Benkhedda (DNR, Trust, and New Models); and Caroline Busta and Lil Internet (New Models).

The Anthology contains:

— The Dark Forest Theory of the Internet by Yancey Strickler — The Extended Internet Universe by Venkatesh Rao — The Dark Forest and Cozy Web by Maggie Appleton — Chapel Perilous by Peter Limberg and Rebecca Fox — We Need New Platforms to Tell New Stories by Joshua Citarella — Proof of Vibes by Leith Benkhedda — Moving Castles by Arthur Röing Baer and GNV908 — The internet didn’t kill counterculture; you just won’t find it on Instagram by Caroline Busta — The Expanding Dark Forest and Generative AI by Maggie Appleton — Holographic Meda by Caroline Busta and Lil Internet — The Post Individual by Yancey Strickler