Is it possible to share your entire self on social media? Is there a way to obtain the connection and interaction we want without having to zoom in and out?
Somewhere Good, created by Naj Austin, a new social network that debuted last month, wants to know. The software is unlike anything we’ve seen before; for one thing, it’s voice-recording based. Users are not only required to adhere to a set of community norms but they are also invited to cooperate and provide recommendations to extend and enhance them.
The way it’s created, though, is what stands out the most. Somewhere Good Founder and CEO Naj Austin said there are no following, likes, personal feeds, or profiles other than the very minimum of information: name, pronouns, location, and photo. “We wanted to restore a sense of humanity to what it implies to be online,” Naj Austin added.
Naj Austin Says That Somewhere Good Will Be Peaceful And Non-Toxic
Users may choose between four “worlds” on the app for now: Artist Rituals, Radical Library, Communal Care, and Deep Discourse. Every day, a new question for each planet is provided, and users can record their replies and/or respond to others’ responses. All of this is represented by a trail that arcs back and forth across the screen of your smartphone. Annika Hansteen-Izora was in charge of the design.
Hansteen-Izora presents themselves as a queer artist, writer, and designer, using they/she/he pronouns. Art direction, poetry, a newsletter, memes, user experience, web design, and a book titled Tenderness: An Honoring of my Black Queer Joy and Rage are among her many creative endeavors. His work pushes the boundaries of what the internet can be, and his personal usage of social media sites is proof of that.
Hansteen-Izora spoke with us about the origins of Somewhere Good and how to utilize the internet for sustenance, community building, and potentially personal improvement.
