Uninterrupted Real-time Publishing

Reading response to Paul Soulellis, URGENTCRAFT

When I first read this I happened to be in a rather anxious and confused state. On social media, people were loudly debating every kind of social issue imaginable, environmental crises one moment, public health crises the next. Even though we were already drowning in information, it still felt like something was missing. a real “lever” that could turn knowledge into action. Reading Soulellis’s introduction from Facebook posts and presidential tweets to meme dances and self-published zines, I suddenly realized that “publishing” is far more than a one-off, one-way act of delivery. It can be an ongoing process of shaping a public, gathering consensus, and creating tighter bonds among people. It can also become a tool for those in power to manipulate grand narratives. In the midst of that tension, how do we make publishing radical and full of vitality? This “syllabus” tries to offer some pathways.

Like the experience I had reading “The Web’s Grain,” Soulellis’s material also carried a very human, practice-oriented sense of calling: this feeling that “anytime, anywhere, you can print, share, protest, and create.” Technology is the backdrop, yes, but also a tool. In the end, it’s human beings bringing our needs, attitudes, and emotions who turn those tools into “radical publishing” with real political resonance and community care.

Some thought-provoking topics

Different Modes of Publishing

In “The Web’s Grain,” the author uses “bicycle bears” to poke fun at those who make websites flashy but neglect their essential purpose. Soulellis’s article goes further by breaking down the act of “publishing” into Posting, Stacking, Dropping, and Feeds/Streams. At first glance, these might seem unrelated to websites or front-end design, but in fact, they share the same underlying logic:

• Posting: returning to bulletin boards, street posters, or online threads; the most direct action of publicly expressing oneself.
• Stacking: from piles of newspapers and magazines to stacks of zines at a book fair. The point is “you can pick one up,” a “free to take” approach where people encounter information in a physical space.
• Dropping: during wartime or propaganda, it might mean leaflets dropped from the air; in peacetime, it could be a book box, a USB drive nailed to the wall, or file sharing on a digital platform. It carries a stronger sense of “direct delivery.”
• Feeds/Streams: social media feeds in the digital era, emphasizing constant refreshing, continuous flow, and push notifications.

If in the “Bicycle Bears” article, people took different stances on whether to “add more” or “strip down” a website, then in “RADICAL PUBLISHING,” these actions similarly raise core questions: “Is the information over-packaged?” “Is it being manipulated by a commercial model?” Not every method of delivering information is inherently good. What matters is:

1. Is this publishing action controlled by a small group of monopolistic platforms?
2. Does it leave room for spontaneous community-driven sharing?
3. Does this medium inspire us to reflect on oppressive structures?

This aligns with Soulellis’s insistence on “resisting design perfection / ultimate smooth flow.” Interfaces that are too seamless often hide a concentration of power or data monopoly. The more conveniently and frictionlessly content can be published, the easier it is for the platform to collect data or profit. As the saying goes, “free is the most expensive.” When using these platforms for radical publishing, one must also stay alert to the capital logic and censorship that lie behind them.

“Urgentcraft” and the Paradox of Slowing Down

In item 17, “URGENCY AS A SLOW, ONGOING COMMITMENT…,” Soulellis proposes a seemingly paradoxical idea: blending “urgency” with “slowness.” We usually think “urgent” means quick, immediate action. But in this syllabus, “urgency” points to a sustained awareness and commitment, rather than just a burst of energy.

• Slowness does not mean procrastination; it’s about resisting mainstream pressure to move ever faster. When “speed as a linear progression” dominates, speed often equates to efficiency and the pressures of capital, leaving little space for deeper thinking.
• Urgency is not just shouting slogans; it’s a persistent focus on vulnerability and injustice. As the text puts it, think about “the speed of trust”—cooperating at a pace shaped by mutual understanding and support, instead of a schedule forced by the market or external factors.

I recall that in some community projects, there’s always a short period of intense attention but a long need for maintenance: a piece of news breaks, everyone’s excited for a while with online protests or shares, then within weeks, the buzz dies down. Real change, though, demands sustained organizing and patience, exactly where a community’s “slowness” is tested. Soulellis’s idea of “publishing in a crisis” isn’t about merely responding to the flashpoint of the crisis—it views crisis as something continuously forming, continuously brewing. “Building networks and mutual aid over time” often proves more valuable than any fleeting wave of emotion.

Personal Reflections: Beyond the Words, a Continual “Public Practice”

Some might wonder, “Why bother with such scattered and trivial publishing during a crisis?” I think it highlights a long-term autonomy:

1. Let more people jump in without barriers—be it through a photocopier, a pen, or an empty wall.
2. Foster dialogue in both physical and digital spaces, not just chase likes or shares.
3. In facing systemic oppression, accumulate more “external microcosms” (like queer archives or mutual aid networks), so you’re not forced to survive only within official narratives.

This reminds me that it’s not just about making apps or websites, but about rebuilding values on a deeper level. As the text says, “Use modest tools and materials” and “Practice a slow approach to fast making”—use the least flashy means to break through that capitalized “smooth surface” and gather a genuine public sphere.