Misha's Blog

The ideal face points are picked and targeted. Solace then checks into Foursquare venues nearest to the targets.

To make a name for oneself, to be master of one’s domain, and to leave one’s mark on the map are goals shared by many. Solace 2.0 establishes and maintains one’s identity in today’s Internet-enabled economy of attention while preserving the user’s personal integrity. And it does it automatically, so the user can sit back and concentrate on what’s important.

Social networks seek to conform individual identities into their molds in order to monetize people. The fundamental bargain presented to users of Internet-based social networks is: if you publish private information about yourself, you will reap social rewards. Those who seek attention as capital accept this bargain. But the requirement to conform one’s identity into a social network’s profile is a farce. The Internet—with its ability to robustly connect people across great distance—doesn’t reflect our physical existence but copies, fractures, and multiplies our individual identities. The Internet’s commercial power necessitates the compression of our identities into tokens of trust so that we can buy and sell. These tokens of trust are examples of our newfound disembodied, autonomous, and powerful telekinesis. Our actions online persist in time, creating our data body, which is also a shadow sometimes appearing to dance of its own volition. Each of us is in many places at once.

“Griefing” means harassing online communities (often anonymously) to remind them not to take themselves too seriously. “Griefing” can result in online communities feeling grief. The opposite of grief is solace. “Griefers” feel solace when doing the Griefing and solace supplants grief when one is consoled or relieved.

The Solace 2.0 platform checks you in and keeps your persona fresh.