14 thoughts on “A Meditation on the Open Web”

  1. Thank you, Matt, for this video. Very recently I had a similar reflection about the websites place on the Internet. In my article, I compare it to the public park that is unrestricted and welcoming for all, while social media are those walled gardens with a strict set of rules.

    Fortunately, we still have a choice where do we hang out and where do we create. And we should keep the open web public and welcome for all to come.

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  5. A truly Open Web is one where I don’t have to play Russian Roulette with JavaScript permissions for half a dozen servers and domains in order to watch a YouTube vid when a simple link would have worked. This isn’t the Open Web, this is the Broken Web.

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  7. THANK YOU. As an on-the-web publisher, I have spent more and more time lately evangelizing the importance of – and freedom available via – the open web. I have pleaded with people not to let their organizational and business websites die in the shadows of their social-media pages. It’s a challenging campaign, though … trying to help people understand the importance of keeping their information freely available, not on platforms where its visibility is hostage to algorithms and membership requirements … trying to remain laid-back in offering a high-value, low-priced local advertising product while out-of-town billionaires’ behemoths slug potential customers over the head every few minutes with pitches for payment … We need more loud voices like yours to help keep the open web alive by educating people about its value.

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  8. hello Matt, for those who are not in high speed zone (w/o enough flow rate) to see the video, can you transform your speech in readable “open” web text ? Many thanks, Merci beaucoup !

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  9. That meditation is flat-out awesome!

    Come to think of it, on a GIANT BIG SCREEN, the video would be a great way to kick-off the “sunset,” or “after dark” portion of the “WordPress Music Festival (WPMF).” I know I keep trippin’ on that WPMF concept…but, one can dream on…

    Back to reality. I just signed-up with another phenomenal, WordPress-powered jazz education site. My third such site over the past several years. It’s already blowing my mind…an insane value… From my vantage point, in addition to publishing, WordPress is flat-out democratizing education. The creed says it all: “Never stop learning.”

    WP-4-Life!

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  11. I started designing web sites in 1995 using Notepad. I’m nostalgic about being excited when we used tables to structure layout, and then cringing about them when CSS came to town – I remember when I made the decision to convert to WordPress at a Boston Wordcamp, – because I saw new creative possibilities and I could absorb the positive energy of the people around me.

    Then this dull sense of Corporate Conformity took over the web – and I was so bored, and sad – I just closed shop.

    I’ve been searching for a new spark – and this video reminded me that the web I loved… it’s still there!

    Thanks Matt!
    Long live the Open Web!

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  12. Omg, this is perfection. ‍♂️

    Such a well-produced video and apt metaphors for the current state of the web.

    Cheers to the open web!

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  13. I wish we could edit our comments. After watching the video a few times, my position has slightly evolved: My initial reaction to the video was overwhelmingly positive, and I still think it is a work of art.

    After watching it a couple of times, however, I find that the references to FB and IG really “stomp on” or “kill” my blissful buzz. The myriad benefits of WordPress can be “riffed upon” for hours! The ability to TRULY “own your own slice of the Web” is a profound concept. In my opinion, the riff “own your work; own yourself!” resonates far more that “slamming” other platforms.

    I actually have meaningful exchanges on Facebook. My FB existence is totally free from “noise,” smog” or “congestion.” That could be due to the fact that many of my FB friends are musicians, artists, actors, or other creative people. I also have a few chef friends. So, demo reels, video editing tips, saxophone solos, recipes, poetry, paintings, books–that’s my experience…

    On a related tangent, I have some some of the BEST educational experiences of my life on WordPress-powered sites. They all are membership sites related to jazz saxophone and music education. I have been able to study with some of the best musicians in the world–at an affordable rate–thanks to WP. WordPress has made me a much better musician at a fraction of the cost of private lessons.

    I would simply replace the FB & IG “slams” with positive, dreamy WP imagery; that’s it, that’s all. The video would look great at an outdoor WP Music Festival or WordCamp. It’s stunning and the narration is spot-on!

    WP-4-LIFE!!! :)

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