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World Congress 2026 Europe - Virtual Stage • Jul 3, 2026 • Session details

Lost and Wasted Time: Searching for the Cozy Web

Jen Looper

The public internet is devolving into a sterile, AI-driven dark forest. We must reject artificial conformity. Build whimsical digital gardens to revive the cozy web's joyful spirit.

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#1 about 9 min

Introduction to the cozy web and involuntary memory

How a century-old French novel inspires modern contemplation of lost and wasted time.

#2 about 7 min

Navigating the dark forest and the cozy web

Escaping clear web trolls and predatory tracking by finding safe, moderated digital third spaces.

#3 about 6 min

Escaping UI conformity driven by AI assistants

Retaining personal expression and avoiding aesthetic uniformity accelerated by generic AI code generation.

#4 about 3 min

Reclaiming individuality in an algorithmic web

Embracing the visual web's original spirit to build personalized, creative, and joyful interfaces.

#5 about 1 min

Tracing content provenance with the C2PA standard

Using content authenticity protocols to identify AI-generated imagery and track intervention points.

#6 about 4 min

Fostering authentic human connections in digital spaces

Building self-sustaining, tracking-free networks centered around inclusive human experiences.

#7 about 3 min

Data mining literary works for language patterns

Using modern algorithms to analyze sentence structure, vocabulary frequencies, and themes in classic writing.

#8 about 3 min

Preserving developer communities in an AI era

Addressing the isolation caused when junior engineers rely solely on LLMs instead of peer forums.

#9 about 3 min

Fostering inclusive global developer communities through outreach

Partnering with nonprofits to create supportive, cross-cultural learning environments for early-career developers.

#10 about 4 min

Combating exclusivity in emerging technical communities

Modeling inclusive behavior from leadership to prevent emerging tech groups from alienating newcomers.

#11 about 1 min

Pushing back against web design conformity

Experimenting with new web standards to build strange, highly individual projects openly.

Matching moments

5:43 min

Pushing back against predictable AI interfaces

3:37 min

Balancing developer productivity tools with digital nostalgia

Andrew MacLean Andrew MacLean +2 · LIVE

1:11 min

Mitigating frustrations around ephemeral social media content design

Chris Heilmann Chris Heilmann +2 · LIVE

1:08 min

Consciously designing work for meaningful human connection

Brooke Gazdag Brooke Gazdag · Europe 2026 Virtual

4:21 min

Preserving genuine curiosity and human connection in coding

Benjamin Dumke-von der Ehe Benjamin Dumke-von der Ehe +1 · World Congress 2026 Europe

3:32 min

Preserving the joy and curiosity of human coding

Chris Heilmann Chris Heilmann +4 · LIVE

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