I started The Mythoversal Newsletter in 2020 to update readers on my writing projects, especially in Greek mythology. As The Mythoversal Cryptoversal, I’ll be expanding the focus to include the stories we tell ourselves about our future as well as our past.
Why do you think the 'Web 3 space' (and I use that term very generously) matters? Everything so far that's emerged from the 'space' has been a scam at minimum - AI included.
I think it’s too early to know for sure what the space will become, but after a stagnation in ebooks over the past decade and a growing concentration of power among publishers and distributors, it’s exciting to me to have a chance to experiment in new formats, features, and business models. If there’s a chance to put some of the power and control back into the hands of authors and artists, I think it’s well worth pursuing. That said, yes, there are scammers and con artists to look out for and the space is still as yet underregulated. It’s not a venue for the unwary and requires a bit of a learning curve, but I see the Web3 space moving away from a speculative mentality toward one that’s more mundane and utilitarian.
That does make sense. We have seen too many times how good things on the web are overtaken by virtual monopolies, and it feels like we're in a time of change.
The (hopeful) death of crapto should allow us to see if blockchain can be used in an ecologically responsible fashion. It remains to be seen if it can really solve a problem or not. NFTs didn't solve anything but the idea that a record of sales could provide artists with compensation for the increased value of their art is compelling. Maybe a website membership or digital product could change hands. There are some possibilities for an interesting future.
Edward Carpenter used the blockchain to identify readers to reward with a share of his royalties as a year-end gift, which would not have been possible with books published in a traditional format. I’ll write more about it in next week’s newsletter.
Why do you think the 'Web 3 space' (and I use that term very generously) matters? Everything so far that's emerged from the 'space' has been a scam at minimum - AI included.
I think it’s too early to know for sure what the space will become, but after a stagnation in ebooks over the past decade and a growing concentration of power among publishers and distributors, it’s exciting to me to have a chance to experiment in new formats, features, and business models. If there’s a chance to put some of the power and control back into the hands of authors and artists, I think it’s well worth pursuing. That said, yes, there are scammers and con artists to look out for and the space is still as yet underregulated. It’s not a venue for the unwary and requires a bit of a learning curve, but I see the Web3 space moving away from a speculative mentality toward one that’s more mundane and utilitarian.
That does make sense. We have seen too many times how good things on the web are overtaken by virtual monopolies, and it feels like we're in a time of change.
The (hopeful) death of crapto should allow us to see if blockchain can be used in an ecologically responsible fashion. It remains to be seen if it can really solve a problem or not. NFTs didn't solve anything but the idea that a record of sales could provide artists with compensation for the increased value of their art is compelling. Maybe a website membership or digital product could change hands. There are some possibilities for an interesting future.
Edward Carpenter used the blockchain to identify readers to reward with a share of his royalties as a year-end gift, which would not have been possible with books published in a traditional format. I’ll write more about it in next week’s newsletter.