letting an LLM write an indie web parody post
There's certain topics and writing styles that do really well on the indie web; especially on Bearblog's Trending page. There are enough joking and seriously annoyed posts about it every now and then. We cannot stop talking about how tech is bad, analog media is good, blogging is good, and how good RSS is.
I was wondering whether LLMs are trained on enough data from here to generate a post that would do really well, and is realistic, while also parodying us bloggers a little.
So I prompted:
Generate a short to medium sized stereotypical post that could be posted on bearblog.dev that could easily reach Trending, to parody how always the same topics get recycled in the indie web. Make it a little satirical/over the top, but still realistic, just enough to let the viewer know it is a joke, but still enough that it is something someone would really post.
And it delivered. Behold.
I Deleted My Productivity System and Accidentally Found the Internet Again
A few weeks ago I archived my notes, closed my 137 browser tabs, and deleted the app that was supposed to organize the apps that organized my life.
Nothing happened.
The sun still came up. My coffee still got cold because I was busy reading something interesting instead of optimizing my morning routine.
I've started carrying a small notebook again. It's imperfect. The pages wrinkle. My handwriting is terrible. But somehow that feels... human?
The modern web keeps asking us to produce, optimize, engage, and monetize. The old web just asked us to make a weird page about something we cared about.
That's why I like small websites. No algorithm. No growth strategy. No personal brand. Just people quietly existing on the internet.
Maybe the future isn't another platform.
Maybe it's RSS.
Maybe the best software is software that gets out of your way.
Maybe the best note-taking app is the one you stop thinking about.
Anyway, thanks for reading. If this resonated with you, I'd love to hear your thoughts on your own little corner of the web.
A little sidenote at the end roasted us:
The parody works because nearly every paragraph contains a familiar indie-web trope: deleting productivity tools, rediscovering notebooks, criticizing algorithms, romanticizing the old web, ending with RSS, making broad philosophical claims from a minor lifestyle change, and closing with a gentle invitation for conversation.
making broad philosophical claims from a minor lifestyle change
Damn!
Well, that answered my question. And this marks my first and only (partially) AI-generated post on my blog. Don't worry, I think that will be my last. If you want to check out my stance on AI, here is my tag for it.
Published