internet manifestos are not written only for humans ***** internet manifestos are not always serious ***** internet manifestos are not always countercultural ***** internet manifestos are not something else ***** internet manifestos are not self-fulfilling prophecies ***** internet manifestos are not bestsellers ***** internet manifestos are not about internet ***** internet manifestos are not fiction ***** internet manifestos are not non-fiction ***** internet manifestos are not only manifestos ***** internet manifestos are not wish-lists ***** internet manifestos are not always read ***** internet manifestos are not just pixels ***** internet manifestos are not lost in cyber space ***** internet manifestos are not up for sale ***** internet manifestos are not comforting ***** internet manifestos are not the end of the world ***** internet manifestos are not to laugh at ***** internet manifestos are not written only by humans ***** internet manifestos are not over

Techno History

Our research group „Techno-History" focused on different periods within the history of the World Wide Web, and asked how major moments in internet political and economic history correspond to the history of internet manifestos. These period-shifts and events brought about changes and responses within internet communities, which differ widely: in authorship, from one group or sub-culture to another, as well as on the purpose and strategic thrust of the different manifestos.

In the early Web 1.0 era different communities—of varying degrees of radicalism—published internet manifestos. These Manifestos emerge at the moment many different people suddenly had access to this new world of global communities, that they are trying to make sense of. The other turning point we worked on was manifesto-production corresponding to the rise of AI, with the specific focus of Silicon Valley AI manifestos.

Mindmap of manifestos reacting to historical events

The visual map below shows the manifestos we looked at on a timeline. You can zoom in or explore in fullscreen. Underneath, you'll find more detailed information on the two internet manifesto periods examined.

The Web 1.0 era: project description

What was Web 1.0?

Web 1.0 (c. 1990–2004) was the first generation of the World Wide Web, characterized by mostly static, read-only websites. Content was created by a small number of publishers, while most users simply browsed information with little or no interaction. Websites were simple and linked together through basic HTML pages, with few social or collaborative features. It laid them foundation for the more interactive and user-driven Web 2.0 that followed.

Read about the whole project.

Ideology and Utopia in Big Tech AI Manifestos: an essay

The essay will be available soon!