A Note About Notes

Different mediums create conditions for particular kinds of media to thrive. The novel is a specific form that took hold after the invention of the printed book. The pop song is a specific form contingent on the constraints of 20th-century recording technology. The multi-hour interview show is a specific form made possible by podcasts replacing broadcast radio, and the binge-worthy scripted drama is a specific form that evolved as streaming replaced cable.

Sure, you can write a book chronicling your stream of consciousness with no narrative through-line, record a continuous 11-hour chamber music composition, or make a feature film with a single act instead of three, but don’t be surprised if they go unnoticed. The exceptions prove the rule that fighting a medium’s conditions is like swimming against a riptide.

What specific forms thrive on the internet? I’ll leave it to other digital naturalists to compile an exhaustive list, but I can present one for your consideration: notes.

Yes, notes, like the kind passed between middle school classmates. Notes are short. You’ve got to be able to fold them into a paper airplane you can throw to a friend when the teacher isn’t looking, or, you know, fit them into a tweet, adapt them into a TikTok, or post them as an Instagram story. Notes are about one thing, although they can be about anything: gossip, advice, ideas, doodles, quotes, lists, questions, insults, insights, etc.