4.3 KiB
+++ title="Return to Meatspace" mediatype="key" conference="seattle-2022" date="2022-11-16T12:00:00-08:00" description="Abandon FOMO" thumbnail=""
videos title="Memory Strategies" embed="https://player.vimeo.com/video/774890907" service="vimeo" download_link="https://player.vimeo.com/progressive_redirect/playback/774890907/rendition/720p/file.mp4?loc=external&oauth2_token_id=1777364455&signature=3c443137144bf46966f5607ab00f818dfa5f98e1ac7643e62160f55e0bb27792"
speakers name="Abner Coimbre" bio="" image="" +++
By 2030, Handmade Cities wants it to be significantly more appealing for programmers to spend time offline, drinking in the real world, rather than being glued to the Internet. When we are online, it should be intentional, free from FOMO or addiction. To make this happen we’ll focus on growing local meetups while also taking the following steps:
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Printed Magazines: Physical bookstores are making a comeback, especially as Gen-Z seeks relief from doom scrolling. Even tech magazines are regaining traction. Starting January 2026, Handmade Cities is publishing quarterly magazines featuring news and articles written by highly-regarded community members. If you’re a technical writer, please reach out at magazine@handmadecities.com.
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No Social Media: Specifically, Handmade Cities doesn’t use platforms like Twitter/X, Bluesky, or Mastodon at all. We’ve proven we're profitable through our website and newsletter. Our goal is to encourage devs to build their own newsletters to market their work. Most social media sharing Twitter's DNA are addictive finicky platforms to make a healthy living from. Reducing or eliminating our dependence on them is the wisest choice.
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Healthy Outreach: Platforms like Twitch and YouTube, where real people are visible, are more stable options for occasionally promoting your work online. Hacker News and Lobsters are generally also fine. However, these shouldn’t become a crutch for making income.
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The Return of Mailing Lists: Mailing lists, like the legendary Linux Kernel Mailing List (LKM), are timeless. They’re accessible on any device, indexable, and distraction-free. If there’s one mantra to take away here, it’s this: mailing lists and meetups.
Secretary's Note: We don't want to go back too far in time! Modern UX matters! We're open to alternatives to mailing lists, or newer clients to make the reading experience cleaner.
- Touch Grass Technology: It sounds hilarious, but TGT* refers to tech which motivates in-person meetups. By 2030, Handmade Cities must have built, curated or contributed to a comprehensive list of TGT tools for the community.
References
- Don’t build your castle in other people’s kingdoms
- Tras Otro Progreso: Filosofia de la Tecnologia desde la Periferia (Spanish)
Secretary's Note: If anyone knows of an English translation for the book above, email us at support@handmadecities.com
* We've coined Touch Grass Tech playfully but it’s based on a theory from Puerto Rican philosopher Dr. Hector Huyke, who researches philosophy of technology. Abner studied under Huyke and helped proofread his little-known Spanish book Tras Otro Progreso (roughly translated as In Search of Another Kind of Progress). Written twelve years ago, this obscure book was rather omniscient, predicting today’s issues with how software gets deployed: loss of community, mass layoffs, social media addiction, and even a glimpse into AI-generated slop.
Huyke’s proposed solution is a concept called Tecnología Arraigante, which is rather tricky to translate. Literally, it means "technology for keeping you rooted to the ground." The imagery is striking—like your feet growing tree roots and anchoring you into place. After consulting a professional translator, we found the closest English equivalent is indeed "Technology for Touching Grass." The gist is to use tech for increasing human presence without abandoning the benefits of software.
Examples include the Light Phone, which eliminates addictive distractions, or couch co-op games, which bring people together. (Even Pokémon GO met this description for a time.)