Ribbonfarm is an essay archive created in 2007 by Venkatesh Rao. For more than a decade, it was one of the most distinctive places on the internet for long-form, multilayered explorations of culture, technology, management, and society. The project has since been officially “retired,” but its rich archive remains freely accessible and highly influential.
Rao described his style as “refactoring perception” – attempts to reframe the way we see and interpret the world. Among the most famous works is the “Gervais Principle”, a series analyzing corporate culture through the lens of The Office. Other essays tackled the attention economy, memetics, internet subcultures, technology, and politics.
Ribbonfarm stood out for the scale and depth of its texts – often tens of thousands of words, written as extended series. Over the years, the site also featured guest contributors, experimental visual formats, and unusual narrative projects.
Even though no new content is published today, Ribbonfarm’s archive continues to attract researchers, cultural explorers, and curious readers who seek intellectual inspiration beyond the mainstream. It remains a prime example of an online “idea laboratory” that shaped thinking about society and technology.