It's been a while since I've really thought about what's most important for Write.as. It's been 10 years since we launched, and the internet has changed a lot.
As an issue that's top-of-mind for many people, I've seen privacy take a back seat to AI and its consumption of the web to feed the hungry models that will generate the digital slop of tomorrow.
What hasn't changed, and what I think will become even more important in this age, is our need for self-expression and forming real human connections.
So I'm orienting our road map around this: facilitating more writing, and helping people connect and build their own community.
More Writing
Our apps have always been built to help you get your words down with nothing in the way. That's why Write.as always opens to our editor — so you can start writing immediately, and not get distracted by notifications, comments, and superfluous things like how many “likes” you received. But there's more we can do.
Over the past few months especially, I've become more interested in real-life writing spaces and workshops that make a normally solitary process of writing more productive and less lonely. Even in some of these spaces that merely provide dedicated time to write in a room full of people quietly doing the same, I've found myself getting words out that I probably wouldn't have if I was left to my own devices. I've easily struck up conversations with strangers who leave me with new inspiration.
This could take many different forms for us that I'm still working out. One could be new tools built into our platform that gently push you to write, whether you're trying to reach a certain daily word count or number of posts published, or you need a little prompt to get the creative juices flowing.
Another form could be in-person events like the ones I've attended, whether in New York or elsewhere. I imagine these being loosely associated with Write.as, and more about writing in any form you like, rather than a particular form like blogging. This is going to take much more planning and collaboration, but if any of this interests you, whether as attendee or facilitator, please reach out to me.
Connecting with Others
In this same vein, I want our platforms (including WriteFreely) to enable more connection with your audience and fellow writers around the world.
As always, we remain dedicated to doing this on the open web, instead of building more walled gardens like Twitter/X, Instagram, and Substack. So we're continuing to deepen our ActivityPub integration with the fediverse and open platforms like Mastodon, Ghost, and all the rest. This will include supporting comments (finally!) and more social features for people who want them.
Ultimately, our core values remain the same after all these years: we're here to help more people write — and to do it in a digital space they control. I'm excited for what this year will bring!
Stay tuned and subscribe to get future updates as we continue evolving our little independent space on the web.
What do you think? Want to help? Let me know on Remark.as (Discuss...) or the fediverse @matt@writing.exchange.
#writeas #WriteFreely #web #plans
