This is a website for the writings of Zmir. It is a place where I can make sense of the world on my own terms through fictional expressions, nonfictional syntheses, and retellings of my travels in a way that goes beyond tossing them into the void. It also exists so I can use the advantages of the Internet without contributing to or being influenced by the mainstream advertisement and AI-driven model that is beginning to control our thoughts and behaviors.

As you will see, a lot of my writing explicitly addresses the invisible drawbacks of the current technocratic regime we live in and/or explores ways to live a meaningful life in the ever-shrinking world outside of its shadow. It doesn’t make sense for me to publish writing like that using the very instruments I am in opposition to. It would be hypocritical and subservient. But with this setup I have a venue for my expressions that does not invalidate said expressions the way it would if I was using, say, Substack, Wordpress, or Squarespace. Instead, this is a place where I can validly critique the mainstream Internet and its affect on the physical world and human behavior all while exploring ways to live a meaningful life without it. I’m not a luddite; I just believe in a better version of the Internet than the one that currently exists. I’m building that version.

That being said, my writing remains the focus. I’m admittedly using a LEMP stack on a privacy-centered VPS, which I know is far from original in the world of web development, and I have wasted no time learning flashy UI techniques. But that’s beside the point. The point is that we have forgotten that the Internet is a place that individuals can build and contribute to instead of being just a place designed by tech conglomerates to serve us entertainment. I’m a believer that your actions and words must align if you are to be taken seriously, and so this is an alignment of my words and actions.

If you’re reading this it’s not too late.