Devlog 1: Zineplace

In this series of posts, I will document the process of designing and building Zineplace, a platform to share and discover zines. In this particular post, I will cover my reasons why and what design decisions I'm making/planning to make.

What are Zines?

Zines are indie magazines. They are typically self-published, small-circulation, and non-commercial. They can be about any topic or no topic at all. They're a form of self-expression and a way to share ideas and art.

AI and Technofeudalism

AI is rapidly changing the landscape of creativity and content creation. There are many who would delegate creativity to AI and find it's work comparable. They are incorrect. Creativity is a human endeavor.

Technofeudalism is the idea that technology companies are becoming the new feudal lords. They control the means of production and the distribution of content. They are the gatekeepers of the internet and the arbiters of what is seen and what isn't.

Zines and this site are my attempt to push back against this trend. Zines will be the content and expression of the platform. A means by which people come together and share ideas. The platform itself will employ many ideas taken from the early web - a time when the web was less commodity and more community.

A Return to the Early Web

Before the search engine there were web rings. These were ways for site owners to link to other like-minded sites. They were a form of community building and discovery. An early form of social networking and content curation. Zineplace will employ a similar concept. By interacting with the site, you create a network of links to other zines. You become a part of the community and a curator for those with similar interests as you.

The Tech

I will be using the following technologies to build Zineplace:

• Next.js: The React fullstack framework.
• Vercel: To host the site.
• Tailwind CSS: A utility-first CSS framework for rapidly building custom user interfaces.
• Neon: A serverless Postgres database.
• Drizzle ORM: A type-safe ORM for SQL databases.
• Cloudflare R2: For storing zine files and images. Free egress!
• Better Auth: For self-owned authentication and user management.

Lastly, A Funny Story

The original name for this project was "Sparesquace". I bought the domain from Squarespace - thinking this would serve as protection from any litigation. It was a dig at them and to express my anti corporate sentiments. But it turns out that this is a form of "typosquatting" and can be seen by some as malicious... So I changed the name!