Adding Modest Friction

Over the years of contributing to this site, I have developed a fair sense of the types of posts that tend to gain traction on platforms that, in recent years, have increasingly begun to treat content with a kind of fast food mentality. While I’m grateful when my work reaches a wider audience, I also recognize that the themes I explore often resonate more with a specialized, niche readership.

Occasionally, a piece – usually one that is fundamentally reflective or opinion-driven – becomes the subject of sudden attention, drawing in waves of visitors from aggregators such as Hacker News, Reddit, or Twitter X. These posts tend to attract attention precisely because they spark debate, thereby becoming magnets for commentary. Some of which is spirited and thoughtful, but much of which, regrettably, is not.

As a long-term reader of this site, you’ll know that I have intentionally avoided integrating features that enable effortless, impersonal commentary, such as Disqus, Cusdis, Commento, and similar systems. This isn’t due to a reluctance to engage in dialogue, but rather a preference for more thoughtful, personal exchanges via email or direct messages.

However, external platforms like those mentioned offer their users integrated ways to discuss content hosted elsewhere, effectively bypassing the interaction model intended by the site’s author. They piggyback on the work, drawing attention and engagement back to their own ecosystems, often growing their platforms at the expense of the source. Facebook is a well-known example and one of the “founding fathers” of this one-sided dynamic.

To add insult to injury, many of the responses on those platforms tend to be rushed, superficial, or predicated on an incomplete reading of the original piece. It is disheartening to observe that often times commenters appear to have skimmed only portions of the text, missing key arguments or nuances, yet still feel compelled to assert (usually strongly-held) positions that disregard the full context. This kind of engagement, frequently impulsive and at times even in bad faith, undermines the possibility of meaningful discourse. A dynamic far less likely to occur when readers are encouraged to respond to someone, rather than merely speak about them.

I invest a considerable amount of time and care into the creation of each post; Far more than it takes to consume. In addition, I invest efforts, and to a particular degree costs, into hosting and maintaining this site. When readers respond impulsively, based on partial understanding, it hence creates a frustrating disconnect. I have neither the inclination nor the capacity to respond to every misinterpretation in sprawling comment threads across various platforms, particularly when those misinterpretations stem from willful neglect of the text itself.

As a result, I have begun placing certain content, especially the kind that tends to invite reactive and low-effort engagement, behind modest friction: Tor and I2P. This decision is not made out of elitism or gatekeeping, but out of a desire to preserve the integrity of dialogue and to invite engagement from those who are genuinely curious, rather than casually reactive. By putting specific content behind an additional layer – which, unlike a login wall, will not require accounts and thereby weaken readers' privacy; On the contrary! – I am willingly trading reach for intention.

My hope is that this modest layer of friction will act as a gentle filter, distinguishing between those who arrive at a post merely drawn by a compelling title or an algorithmic link on a familiar platform, where they might be inclined to leave a low-effort comment, and those who are genuinely curious about the substance of the content: Readers who, more often than not, engage thoughtfully and reach out with intention.

I am sorry to the intentional readers of this site, to whom the added friction will introduce annoyance. I recognize that for many long-time RSS subscribers who have appreciated reading in the comfort of their preferred apps and tools, this change may seem inconvenient. However, full access remains available through the RSS feeds provided on the Onion and I2P mirrors.

I acknowledge that this solution is not perfect. Yet, just as we now find ourselves constructing digital mazes and challenges to preserve the integrity of our work and protect it against artificial mass consumption, we seemingly also have to ask more of our human visitors. In an era increasingly shaped by algorithmic immediacy and fleeting attention, the very act of slowing down, of requiring effort, has become a quiet form of resistance against the commodification of thought.

If you haven’t used Tor or I2P before, head over here to find out how to use Tor Browser or here to find out how to use I2P. The links for accessing this site via Tor and I2P can be found in the footer. Any post that is exclusively available through these networks will include a direct link there.