First things first

First is a journal of near-future technology and society.

We predict where current conditions will lead us. Doing so requires an understanding of those conditions. With this understanding, we can also confront, support, and suggest more promising alternatives. This empowers us to ask “Where would we like to go?” instead of “Where are we being led?” Wherever that may be, we want to get there first.

First is foremost a publication, but it is wholly digital. It will move and grow in ways that would be constricted by other formats. There is no pulp version, there is nothing to buy. The ease with which we can publish First from anywhere, at anytime, for minimal cost, is magnificent. We can experiment in ways that would be impossible in other formats.

First is published by Worb Co., and it is a testing ground for both our ideas and our own technologies. Writing is the primary product of the first phase of Worb Co. We will use our writing to imagine the future we will set out to create.

Although we’ll distribute it in multiple places, our writing will also serve as a means to test the first implementation of Worb Core, our suite of publishing technologies built from the ground up. Worb Core will provide the technological foundation for future projects, but not just ours.

With luck and skill, we will provide anyone the tools they need to communicate effectively on the modern Web. That means going beyond documents, the most straightforward and simplistic Web application, and towards a richer and more expressive range of applications.

Unfortunately, this kind of expression remains out of reach of many, and the recent consolidation of digital media, especially social media, threatens to further restrict the production of rich functionality to a few gatekeepers. These restrictions limit us to thinking, questioning, and examining only in terms that already exist, not in terms that could exist. Of course, we will not completely solve these problems. But we hope to provide a sturdy foundation for others to build upon.

Last, we assume that while the Internet is good, people are better. We put people ahead of techniques and technology. This is the critical quality of ourselves, our strategies, and our goals. Relying on nerds to understand the breadth or depth of most problems is foolish. Without a firm understanding of who we are helping, and why, our solutions will be woefully inadequate. Let us amplify many different voices and reflect many different experiences. We put people first.

This is First. It will be fruitful, challenging, exploratory, and ambitious. This marks our first steps towards building a better future.

If you would like to participate:

• follow @worbco on Twitter for updates on our progress
• contribute ideas, writing, or software through GitHub
• contact us at first@worb.co about anything else