The year is coming to an end, and with it, it's time to take stock, prepare
for the New Year holidays, and perhaps look into the future.
Each of us is probably thinking about what gifts to ask Santa for this
time. Something powerful, expensive? Or maybe something more modest, but
heartfelt? The pre-New Year holidays are a time of expectation of a miracle
and warmth, but also a period when we are surrounded by an atmosphere of
endless spending. Shop windows sparkle with lights, enticing us with purchases
that are supposed to give us joy and a sense of celebration. We buy gifts
for loved ones, update equipment and decor, try to arrange the "perfect"
New Year. But how often do we think about what exactly these purchases
bring us? After all, the real value of a holiday is not in the number of
things, but in the feelings it gives. Perhaps the best moments are not
expensive gifts, but time spent with loved ones, a simple conversation
at the table or a warm letter.
On the pages of Elpis, we try to show that the path does not necessarily
lie through continuous upgrades. Achieving more with less is always relevant.
We live in a time when the world imposes obsolescence on us from all sides,
forcing us to spend more, as if there is no way forward without constant
updating. But is it worth constantly giving in to this race? After all,
sometimes it is easier to achieve a goal by getting rid of the unnecessary
and leaving only the important.
In the modern world, where advertising and the environment scream that
your device is outdated after a year, there is another way: to get the
most out of what you already have.
Perhaps we do not always move forward in the usual sense, but we go much
deeper, where the origins of technologies and ideas that built the Internet
before the era of giant social networks and streaming services are located.
In this issue we continue to explore alternative methods of communication,
internet protocols and opportunities that are still alive and fighting
back against rapid oblivion.
We have added the ability to subscribe via RSS, so now the magazine's
news will always be at hand, if you prefer to receive it at your own pace.
Thank you, dear readers, for your support and interest. Your thirst for
a meaningful internet inspires us to continue. I hope that it will entertain
you, open up something new and give you a reason to think, to think and
to discover.
Happy reading and successful discoveries!
Happy New Year!
Happy New Year 2025! This year I have prepared (and this is not up for
discussion) a list of what I really want to see happen this new year. So,
Santa, buckle up — you have some serious work ahead of you. I’ll start
with the less important things, incrementally.
Let all those who think that we should “live a new life” like them die.
These “gurus” who preach “success” tell us how we need to constantly grow,
be in the moment, and make every day better than yesterday. Thank you,
dear ones, but I don’t want to live by a life coach’s schedule scheduled
until the end of time. Personally, I feel more comfortable living the way
I want, and not the way a channel with inspirational memes suggests. Send
the infogypsies somewhere far away. This entire year, I have seen “the
path to success” on ten slides so many times that my poor keyboard is already
tired of sarcastic responses and eye rolls. Maybe these gentlemen with
the eternal set of identical photos from expensive hotels and poses against
the background of swimming pools want to try a little reality themselves?
Or at least hire someone who will understand that everyone is tired of
the same fake inspiration year after year.
Return all programmers to their native 80s, so that they write code in
assembler. If they are so “cool” and can work with any new “lightest and
best” library, let them try to poke around in real hardware, when there
is no red window with detailed diagnostics for an error! Right there, in
the era of the command line - let them see for themselves what it is like:
not to copy someone's code from StackOverflow, but to actually, you know,
think!
Speaking of memes - ban everyone who posts the same thing, only in a new
color! Dear Santa, these people should be banned from the entire Internet.
The hucksters - those who bought and sold our childhood, our
cartoons, our movies, and now they're buying our data and selling us "services".
What I don't want in the new year is another subscription to an "improved"
product. These marketing geniuses have made it so that we buy the same
service ten times, and each time - only for the "convenience of the user".
I'm sure they have a million more "new solutions" in stock for what already
works.
Send Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg to the Octagon, and so that everyone
has a camera connected and with access to a chat where everyone can leave
comments in real time. This show should be on every channel and streaming
service. Let them cheer up a little and measure not business ideas, but
normal fists. That would be real entertainment! So, Santa, if you want
to give humanity a gift, give us this show!
Specially for Instagram sluts – those eternally perfect faces and images,
forced smiles and edited photos that flood our feeds every day. I have
one gift for them – a virtual boxing deuce for such persistent promotion
of fake perfection. But seriously, let them turn off the filters for at
least one day and show the world something real, not counting the endorsement
deals.
Give us media that we can trust – or better yet, give them some conscience!
In a world where every news site is chasing clicks and scandals, it seems
that facts have long been retired. Please, make journalism return to its
roots and tell us the truth, and not just chase “hot headlines”. After
all, at least once a year you want to watch the news and not wonder where
they got this shit from and who made money on it!
Dear Santa, if possible, please explain to Netflix and other streaming
services that sometimes new content should be new. And if it’s really too
difficult, let them at least take a break from the eternal crime drama
series and try to surprise us with something — at least with a series about
justice for users who don’t have to overpay for a subscription.
Politicians — let them work a little, too, like normal people! We all
understand that politics is not just a job, but a whole theater. Let every
politician come out in the new year and honestly say what he thinks about
his people, without all these rehearsed speeches. I want to see them in
an honest conversation once, without painted smiles and false understanding.
Let them at least once say what’s really on their minds, like we do in
the kitchen over tea!
Justice — well, I’ll modestly remain silent here, because I know: it’s
almost impossible. But, Santa, what if you do have some kind of miracle
up your sleeve? Then let everyone feel at least a little bit of real justice,
and everyone in this world will get what they deserve: good people - happiness,
hard workers - success, and all these info-gurus - get their motivational
courses back, like a boomerang.
Let the world finally breathe a sigh of relief. Please, let this be the
year when everyone can slow down a little, turn off the eternal online,
throw out the unnecessary and just live for themselves and their loved
ones. Let the world become a little calmer, without the need to prove something
to someone every second. That would really be a miracle for the New Year.
That's it, Santa. Well, and in the end, as expected, let's make sure that
the wars end, because after all this absurdity, I want to at least see
peace in the new year.
1. The Role of miRNAs in Gene Regulation — Nobel Prize in Physiology or
Medicine
American scientists Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun were awarded the Nobel
Prize for their discovery of how miRNAs — short RNA molecules — can regulate
gene activity. The research began with the study of the nematode *C. elegans*,
where they discovered that miRNAs regulate the expression of certain genes
by binding to their mRNA, blocking protein production. Since then, more
than a thousand different miRNAs have been discovered in humans, playing
key roles in processes such as cell development and health. This discovery
is especially important because abnormalities in miRNA regulation have
been linked to diseases such as cancer and congenital anomalies, opening
up new horizons for therapeutic approaches.
2. Supermassive Black Hole Discovered in the Early Universe
Using the James Webb Space Telescope, astronomers have discovered an unusual
supermassive black hole approximately 12.9 billion light-years from Earth.
The black hole, embedded in thick clouds of dust and gas, is expanding
at a high rate, raising questions about how it formed. Scientists suggest
that it may have formed either from the remains of collapsed stars or from
the direct collapse of matter in the early stages of the Universe. This
discovery expands our understanding of the formation and evolution of such
objects in space and helps us better understand how galaxies and black
holes arose in the young Universe.
3. Bacteria *K. weizmannii*: a new approach to treating candidiasis
Researchers have discovered the bacterium *K. weizmannii*, which, like
yeast bacteria, lives in the intestines and is able to compete with *Candida*
fungi, which cause invasive candidiasis in people with weakened immune
systems. This discovery highlights the prospects for creating safer and
more effective treatments against candidiasis, which may be especially
important for patients with weakened immune systems, such as those after
transplants or people with HIV infection.
4. An extremely dense black hole in the Milky Way
In 2024, an international team of scientists discovered a black hole in
the Milky Way with a density three times greater than other known black
holes in our galaxy. It is located 1.5 thousand light years from Earth
and forms a binary system with another star that orbits it every 11 years.
Scientists believe that the black hole is about 10 billion years old, making
it one of the oldest known. This discovery helps researchers better understand
how such dense black holes formed and evolved over a billion years.
5. The Link Between Testosterone Levels and Anxiety
Research by Israeli scientists has found a link between testosterone levels
and increased anxiety. During the experiments, it was found that low testosterone
levels activate receptors in the brain, which leads to increased anxiety.
These findings highlight the importance of testosterone for mental health
and may have an impact on approaches to treating anxiety disorders in men.
These discoveries, which span biology, astronomy, and psychology, show
that science continues to surprise us with discoveries that not only expand
our understanding of the world, but may also impact the quality of life
in the future.
In the late 70s, when memes had not yet spread around the world and people
in parks, imagine, looked at each other, France developed a system that
seemed like a true miracle of technology - Minitel! This brave terminal
with a small screen and a simple keyboard, which stood in almost every
home, promised a new word in communication. It was the French answer to
the future Internet, accessible directly over a telephone line.
Ode to "Videotex": how Minitel was designed
The main feature of Minitel was "videotex" - do not be afraid, it is just
a method of transmitting text and simple graphs over a telephone line.
At that time, they did not yet know that you can become dependent on message
streams, and Minitel developers were proud of the quality of their "graphical
interfaces", just as they later became proud of their baguettes and wine.
All Minitel screens were elegantly gray, with square pixels and a bright
color scheme... if by "bright" we mean gray shades, of course.
Minitel was not just technology - it was a symbol of national pride. Every
French home had one of these devices, with a connection to a phone line
and basic access. You could send a message, order a pizza, read the news
and, wait for it, find your soulmate. This is not a joke, and here are
the first signs that Minitel was something more than just an electronic
toy.
Tinder in the 80s: "3615 Monique"
In an attempt to capture the spirit of "free speech" and convey that very
French charm of Minitel, the cult TV series "3615 Monique" was born -
a story about how the French 80s came to online dating and, of course,
to curiosities. The series ironically played on the fact that Minitel had
unexpectedly become popular with young people and daring adventurers not
so much for informational references as for meeting new people. The numbers
“3615” were not just flashing in the title — it was the most famous code
by which one could gain access to various “personalized” services, including
dating and chats. The plot of the series revolved around three young inventors
who, realizing the potential of Minitel, create a “love chat” for users
of the system, which received the access code “3615 Monique”. According
to the plot, this chat room in Minitel turns into a virtual love zone,
where people communicate, make romantic acquaintances and passions flare
up. But, as always, the heroes’ plan runs into a lot of unexpected difficulties:
from communication failures to the absurd technical limitations of Minitel. "3615 Monique" is not just a romantic series, it is also a comedy that
makes fun of the technical realities of the era. The characters face funny
problems, such as the fact that Minitel is very slow in transmitting messages,
and sometimes people simply do not wait for responses. Trying to modernize
their service, the heroes try their best to make everything work at least
to the minimum standards. Against this background, unsuccessful attempts
to avoid censorship flare up - in the 80s, such "dating chats" were considered
indecent, so the heroes have to deftly maneuver between morality and business.
The series reminded viewers of how people were drawn to new ways of communication,
even if technology clearly did not keep up with their imagination. In each
episode, the heroes find themselves in ridiculous situations, but despite
technical imperfections, they desperately fight to create their own space
for dating.
Minitel is out: terminals in cafes, libraries and even the metro
The French government was so confident in the success of Minitel that
it made a strategic decision to install terminals literally everywhere.
Much like Wi-Fi is installed in public places today, Minitels were installed
in every cafe, library, bank and even train station. It was truly a sight
to behold: people crowded around the screen to send a message or find out
the weather, and then waited for long lines of text to appear.
The terminals were especially popular in small cafes. A Frenchman waiting
for coffee could open a Minitel, scroll through the latest news or check
his bills (because, by the way, the rates were clearly inflated). Gradually,
the local Parisian “old-timers” developed a ritual: buying coffee, reading
Minitel, sighing in disappointment. The system was so busy that most users
knew that the most important thing in Minitel was to learn to wait.
Minitel Tariffs: How Much It Cost to Book a Date
If you think that France gave the people Minitel for free, you are deeply
mistaken. Users paid for the pleasure of communication and access to the
system — and a lot. Minitel charged for every minute spent online, and
depending on the type of service, the tariff could be higher or lower.
Yes, booking tickets and ordering food was more expensive than, say, sending
messages.
French youth proudly wrote to each other: "Rendez-vous via Minitel!"
— although mom and dad looked suspiciously at the phone bill. A real budget
user knew all the tricks: typing quickly, instantly reading the text, and
disconnecting at the last moment to reduce the cost.
Minitel in the USSR: culture shock with a French accent
Attempts to introduce Minitel to the USSR were nothing more than exotic
for Soviet engineers. The French sincerely believed that the Soviet Union
would appreciate their technological miracle. And they brought several
devices to Moscow for demonstration. Soviet engineers looked at Minitel
terminals as some kind of eccentric experiment, apparently intended for
very patient people. Particularly disconcerting was the fact that the system
offered to send "personal messages" for money.
In addition, videotex did not work as fast as expected - the text was
delayed, and pseudo-graphics were loaded one by one. The engineers noted:
"Oh, it's like partisan communication on wires!" In short, Minitel did
not take off in the USSR, but rumors about this "crooked French miracle"
remained.
Protocols and limitations
The main protocol of Minitel was a half-duplex asymmetric data transmission, if you
can put it that way. Texts and pseudographics were slowly and steadily loaded
over communication lines, and, despite a certain delay, the system allowed
the use of the simplest commands and interactive functions. The speed was
terribly low, especially during rush hour. In reality, it was more like
pouring syrup from a bottle — long, predictable, but unbearably slow.
The culmination of Minitel's protocols was the limitation of message length.
This greatly embarrassed the creative French, who were used to long phrases.
And here — 160 characters, and that's it. But it taught the nation to express
thoughts briefly and succinctly — who would have thought that the era of
SMS awaited them!
The Decline of Minitel and the Internet Eclipse
Minitel was undoubtedly great in the 1980s, when access to information
was the first sign of a new world. But in the 1990s, when web browsers
began to appear on the scene, it became clear that its days were numbered.
Although Minitel remained available in some homes until the mid-2000s,
a new generation of users preferred the speed, color, and power of the
Internet.
Over time, Minitel became a source of pride and remembrance of a not-so-distant
past, when technology, even if a little slow, was still exciting. The French,
as always, did it with style and elegance, adding a touch of irony to the
world history of communications.
Right after issue #2 came out, I had an interesting conversation in one
of the telegram chats, where readers expressed their opinions about the
magazine: what kind of magazine is it if there is no subscription?
Quote: In my picture of the world, a "magazine" is something you can subscribe
to, and of the ways to subscribe, RSS seems to be the most common and easy
to implement. If you prefer to send push notifications to the phones or
e-mail, we will understand (although it is not a fact that we will forgive)...
I absolutely did not want to collect user data, so RSS seemed the best
choice.
My site itself is static and does not support automatic content updates,
so I had to create RSS manually. I will share how I did it and what points
I paid attention to.
Why RSS on a static site?
For many, RSS is something of the past, but for me it is a convenient
way to share updates without using social networks and notifications. Subscribers
can receive site news without missing anything, and there is no need to
add any heavy scripts or third-party APIs.
The structure of an RSS file, and what it is anyway
An RSS file is a regular XML document that has a standard structure. The
main blocks are `
<channel>
`, where information about the site is written, and `
<item>
`, which are added for each new article or update.
For my RSS, I decided to create an `rss.xml` file, which I placed in the
root directory of the site so that it was accessible at `
http://elpis.ws/rss.xml
`. Each update or new publication is added here manually, so that the
RSS remains simple and compact.
So! How it is done.
Let's start with the basic structure:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?>
<rss version="2.0">
<channel>
<title>Elpis</title>
<link>http://elpis.ws</link>
<description>Personal site with publications</description>
<language>en</language>
<lastBuildDate>Tue, 31 Oct 2024 10:00:00 +0000</lastBuildDate>
</channel>
</rss>
In `
<channel>
` we specify basic information about the site: its name, link and short
description. `lastBuildDate` shows the date of the last file update, which
helps readers determine when new content appeared.
Adding publications
Now all that remains is to add content. Each new publication or entry
is formatted as an `
<item>
` element inside the `
<channel>
` block. This is roughly how I added two entries - one for October 2 and
one for October 31:
<item>
<title>New November publication</title>
<link>https://elpis.ws/cgi-bin/cms/zine_nov_24</link>
<description>Publication from October 31</description>
<pubDate>Thu, 31 Oct 2024 10:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
<guid>https://elpis.ws/cgi-bin/cms/zine_nov_24</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title>October publication</title>
<link>http://elpis.ws/cgi-bin/cms/zine_oct_24</link>
<description>Publication from October 2</description>
<pubDate>Wed, 02 Oct 2024 11:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
<guid>http://elpis.ws/cgi-bin/cms/zine_oct_24</guid>
</item>
The `
<title>
`, `
<link>
`, `
<description>
`, `
<pubDate>
` and `
<guid>
` elements are what RSS readers use to display information. `guid` is
usually the same as the link and serves as a unique identifier for each
article.
Updating and publishing
Every time I add a new article, I simply edit `rss.xml`, add a new `
<item>
` entry and update `
<lastBuildDate>
`. This file is then uploaded to the server over the old one - and that's
it, the RSS is updated, and subscribers see the news.
Subscription link
To allow users to subscribe to my RSS feed, I added a link to `rss.xml`
to the site. This is what the link looks like in HTML:
<a href="http://elpis.ws/rss.xml" title="Subscribe to RSS">
Subscribe to RSS
</a>
I also added `
<link>
` to `
<head>
` so that browsers and RSS readers can find it:
Now my site has a simple and easy RSS feed to subscribe to. It does not
require any additional scripts or server solutions, and all I have to do
is manually add new entries. Even in the era of modern social media, RSS
remains a powerful way to receive information that works on almost all
platforms and helps users stay up to date with news without much effort.
Once upon a time, the internet was different: small, friendly, weird.
People went online not to compare their lives with the glossy pages of
social networks, but to create something of their own. On one side were
links, flashing banners and endless background colors, on the other - a
digital sense of unity. This was "Geocities" - a service that allowed
millions of users to create their own little corners of the web. Welcome
to the era of web 1.0, where everything was a little more chaotic, but
much more sincere.
Founded in 1994, Geocities soon became a place where anyone could create
a website on any topic. The division into "cities" was one of the features:
for example, the "Tokyo" section was for tech fans, "Hollywood" for movie
lovers, and "Sunset" for personal pages and blogs. People built their websites
like houses on sand, without thinking about perfectionism. They posted
pictures of their favorite pets, vacation photos, lists of books and movies
- and it was beautiful.
It all resembled a huge Internet village, where sites looked like quirky
fanzines with amateur animations and gifs. In the background of modern
social networks, where algorithms dictate what you see, Geocities was exactly
what you want to call "the Internet for everyone". Every page was a surprise,
you could surf the net for hours, jumping from one site to another, and
always find something new and unique.
Geocities was a democratic space where anyone could create a page without
deep technical knowledge, using basic HTML tools. This made it a precursor
to social networks, but without strict standards for design and content
formats. There was a lot of creative chaos on the pages: blinking gifs,
text in bright colors, table layouts and musical background tracks. For
users, it was an opportunity to express themselves and create something
of their own, unlike modern platforms where content is presented in a unified
feed and subject to algorithms.
At the time, Geocities contributed to the development of the Internet
as a medium for communication and exchange of interests, attracting millions
of people to create their own content.
Geocities in the 90s offered users free hosting with a relatively small
amount of space. In its early days, the service provided 2 to 3 MB for
each site, which was enough for HTML files, text content, and small images.
Later, as Geocities grew in popularity and capabilities, the company began
offering up to 15 MB for free accounts, which was a significant increase
at the time. This allowed users to host more content, although it still
imposed restrictions on uploading large media files.
For users who needed more storage, Geocities also offered paid plans with
advanced features, such as more storage and additional features such as
no ads.
By the mid-90s, Geocities had become one of the most popular hosting services.
By 1999, its audience had reached over 38 million unique visitors per
month! It was an amazing time: people used simple HTML editors, experimented
with styles, added blinking texts and buttons, and no one knew what social
networks were back then.
All this chaos became part of the "memes" of the era and gave birth to
the famous "Under Construction" gifs, which became the symbol of Geocities.
In 1999, Yahoo acquired Geocities for $3.57 billion. At that time, it
was an outstanding success for a web hosting service, although many users
began to worry that the "new owner" would change the appearance of the
platform. Indeed, Yahoo gradually began to introduce restrictions on functionality
and advertising on user pages, which led to conflicts and an outflow of
audience.
The end of an era - goodbye, Geocities
By 2009, it became clear that the Geocities era was coming to an end.
Yahoo announced the closure of the service, citing declining popularity
and financial difficulties. The Internet community met this news with great
disappointment. By that time, social networks such as Facebook and Twitter
had already begun to displace Geocities, offering simpler and more “stylish”
platforms for communication.
With the closure of Geocities, the world lost something important - millions
of pages created with love and enthusiasm. Sites that existed as digital
artifacts disappeared forever, leaving behind only memories and a few archived
copies. The Archive Team project managed to save some pages, but most of
the users' digital homes were destroyed, leaving the Internet a little
more "standard".
Rebirth in the spirit of the "Small Web" - Neocities and old-new alternatives
With the closure of Geocities, the Internet did not become less friendly,
but it became more unified. In response to the loss of the old hosting
format, new projects appeared, inspired by the original principles of Geocities.
Neocities is a modern web hosting service where users can create a free
website and share their work in a format reminiscent of the 90s. The site
has become a kind of "retro station" where people tired of glossy magazines
can once again engage in web design in the style of Web 1.0. But if Neocities
only provides limited options for uploading files, the web1.0hosting.net
project with the domain oldcities.org returns us to the Internet without
restrictions: here, each user has access to space to create their own website
with no file size restrictions. In addition, by inviting friends, you can
get an additional 500 megabytes if they actually create a full-fledged
site. This service reminds us that the Internet was and remains a space
for everyone - you just need a little enthusiasm.
The Return of the "Internet Village" and a Look to the Future
With the emergence of services like Neocities and Oldcities, the idea
of the "small web" is taking on new life. Against the backdrop of social
networks, where content is filtered and shaped by algorithms, these services
offer an alternative - the opportunity to be yourself again online, creating
your own space that will remain yours forever. Users of such platforms
become part of something bigger - a community of enthusiasts ready to share
something personal and real.
Today, Geocities remains in memory as a symbol of the era when the Internet
was not just a network, but a community. Having closed their "home" on
Geocities, many lost a piece of themselves, but thanks to new platforms
and projects inspired by the spirit of Web 1.0, this lost world can be
partially returned.
Yesterday I talked to an old friend of mine who suddenly became an ardent
supporter of privacy and instant messengers instead of social networks.
She even started to urge me to “close your pages and communicate in instant
messengers only with those you personally know,” which caused considerable
irritation. However, she is not the only one: for a long time I have been
observing a tendency to transfer to personal messages even those conversations
that are appropriate only on forums/in groups, for example, questions about
socionics or about my projects. But this made me think once again about
where that Good Old Internet went, where people were not afraid to show
themselves and their lives and easily started contact with strangers and
public discussions. And, most importantly, is it possible to return this,
if not to the entire Internet, then at least build such a community on
a separate domain.
I began to look for how the Internet back then differed from the modern
one, and identified four key features:
1. Positive selection due to the complexity of connection. Not everyone
had a computer back then, and you also had to buy a modem or install a
dedicated line, and set it all up. All this led to the fact that only the
most inquisitive people or those who really needed it for some purpose
went online.
2. Lack of commercialization or its extremely limited capabilities. Due
to this, content was created only by those who were truly passionate about
something and were eager to share it with others, to find like-minded people
to communicate with. The result: there was less content, but it was of
higher quality. And, no less important, there was no “overfeeding” with
information, which causes curiosity and the desire to learn something new
to disappear.
3. Anonymous communication. In the Good Old Internet, it was not customary
to sign up with offline names (this was even a sign of a lack of imagination).
This made it possible to form two completely different social circles:
those who know you under an offline name and under an Online one, and not
to intersect them. If desired, you could go further: register on different
sites under different Network names and not overlap with their social circles.
It was this control over the social circle that made people more open.
4. Selection by quality instead of selection by promotion. Previously,
on most sites, new messages would at least briefly appear on the main page
or the "New" section. And in many places there were sections with the best
topics. This gave anyone who wrote interestingly a chance to be noticed
and get subscribers. Now this only remains on Yandex.Zen, and even then
in a very limited form.
Obviously, points 2-4 are not difficult to reproduce in our time. Point
1 is a little more difficult, since it is unclear what to use as a criterion
for positive selection and how to automate it. The biggest difficulty is
how to gather the initial critical mass of people who are close to the
spirit of the Good Old Internet, so that the community is not dead, and
new users have the motivation to pass the selection to get into it.
In addition, in my opinion, a few more additional restrictions would be
useful in such a community. First, limiting the maximum number to somewhere
around 100 thousand users. Second, a ban on creating duplicate groups,
but with the ability to create subgroups that will be displayed in the
main group. For example, a community can only have one group on astronomy,
but it can have subgroups "Astronomy. Solar System" and "Astronomy. Exoplanets",
which are displayed in the main group, but are managed by other participants.
This will allow knowledgeable people to unite instead of scattering them
across small groups, as VK is now. Third (this automatically follows from
the previous point), the owner of the group can be changed by meritocratic
voting. The fourth point follows from this: there should be some points
of useful activity that are given for public activity (publishing materials,
writing comments and even likes) and are reduced for communicating in private
and inactivity. Well, the last principle is the absence of closed real-time
group chats and any "friends only" modes.
Here comes the end of the third issue of the magazine.
When it's freezing outside and the lights are twinkling in the house,
it's time to think about your own little Internet corners. Creating websites
with soul is like decorating a Christmas tree: each element is unique,
each reflects your taste and style. In a world where quality is more important
than quantity, the small network becomes a place where sincerity and creativity
are valued above all else.
Thank you for staying with us! I hope our magazine has inspired you to
start a new project or finish an old one. May you have more time for yourself,
family, and creating and exploring next year.