New Creative Era Dark forests and antimemetics
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Dec 17, 2025 Explore the hidden world of dark forests and antimemetics, where ideas resist visibility. Discover how bureaucratic structures obscure information and how niche audiences can powerfully outshine mass media. The conversation highlights the allure of elusive groups, shared rules, and anonymity in fostering genuine creative interactions. Delve into the contrast between quick viral hits and enduring, impactful work, and uncover how these secret spaces serve as vibrant hubs for collaboration and innovation.
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Hidden Power Of Anti‑Memetics
- Anti-memetics are ideas or structures intentionally hard to remember or spread, like bureaucracy.
- Nadia Asparova's book shows important coordination problems live in this hidden, slippery domain.
Scale Is Not Always The Goal
- The web's era promoted an assumption of infinite scale that rewired how people pursue work and attention.
- Joshua argues smaller, niche communities can outperform mass media through higher conversion and engagement.
Purpose Binds Hidden Communities
- Anti‑memetic spaces need a shared purpose or manifesto to hold them together.
- Yancey compares these rules to Fight Club's 'don't talk about it' social norm.