• most websites have navigational centers and landmarks, like menus and homepages, that direct traffic through its content, making "navigation simple and ubiquitous" (source). (the internet has been suburbanized)
  • you might see a series of links in the header, links to other key pages within the body, and a feed of recently published or most read blog posts.
  • there could be dozens of other pages and articles on the site, but users are unlikely to come across it themselves.
• this has a few implications and creates some restrictions:
  • content is arbitrarily prioritized. once something is no longer “most recent” or “most read”, it will be bumped from the homepage.
  • users are discouraged from exploring other material. constantly returning to landmarks like the homepage, post feed, or categories, gives users a premature sense of closure or completeness. worse, one page may or may not answer a reader’s question, and then they leave.
  • there are fewer serendipitous discoveries. rigid navigation limits your user experience.
• this makes rich, large websites feel small.
• on the other hand, complex navigation through links is more fluid and offer unexpected discoveries.
  • you’re able to create the best path through your material rather than the shortest.
    • the structure of digital gardens encourages curious exploration
    • combinational creativity
    • {6.6} reader-generated essays as a use-case for AI
  • As Bernstein explains:

- Links need not be treated as dangerous hazards; links are new opportunities for expression.

[!note] major overhaul 2026-07-30