Subset allows you to save things that matter, share them via patterns, and search across a peer network for other saved and shared things. It's a tool for third places designed to deepen relationships and unlock civilisational progress.
Previously, we've conceptualised its use as information bending—the intent-based annotation and distribution of found things—and as an ability to leverage custom information couriers—entities that distribute saved things to high relevance targets in a trustworthy, autonomous, performant way. Now it's time for a third metaphor: routers.
A router is a device that directs the flow of information packets across networks and between devices. It examines inbound traffic, analyses its characteristics and destination, and propels it forward in a way that satisfies the constraints of the sender, the recipient and the network infrastructure being utilised without compromising the integrity of the transmitted message.
As an information and communication networking technology, routers have been operational for over half a century. As an art and science, the routing of information is a practice as old as civilisation itself. We've progressed from the bipedal messengers of antiquity—mythologised by Hermes—to post riders and right on through to the modern approaches, technologies and concepts of information routing.
Machine agents conducting global information symphonies at incomprehensible scales and tempos is an accepted part of modern reality. Unfortunately, so is the dysfunctional delivery of saved things to specific destinations. Consider this scenario: you're online—somewhere, somehow. You see something and think of someone. Now, how do you get it to them?
Typically, the answer involves copy-pasting, cross-platform context-switching, and excessive cognitive friction. Even if you're sophisticated and use a dedicated app for saving and storing found things or use sharing functions integrated to your device's OS, the trafficking of thing X to person Y will be slow, sketchy and not something that fills you with joy.
In comparison to modern routing, it's like keying in a number to a rotary phone, waiting to be connected to an operator, requesting a specific person to speak to, tapping your foot impatiently while they come to the phone, and finally getting them in conversation to deliver a short message. A message which is similar to one you'll probably want to get to them in a couple days time and to one you shared with them last week, too.
It doesn't have to be like this. Just set up a simple pattern— when I engage with something about basic income send it to Joanne—and be an interested human on the internet who finds cool stuff. Then, when something meeting the criteria from your simple pattern is found, produce an output and route it to Joanne. This is humane routing driven by resonant curation. This is one tiny sliver of what Subset enables.
We are all subsisting amongst endless streams of information; we're already managing the flow of packets around us. We're just doing it in a way that is inefficient and detrimental to our relationships. Now it's time to route that flow in a humane way.
