Every Web site deserves its own creation myth, but few creators are brazen enough to sell theirs before their site has even launched. Which isn't exactly what Sam Pratt, ringmaster of just-launched TheFinger.com, did - but it's close enough. Pratt's site has been live for a little more than a week, and his launch notes have been featured at Tripod for a little less. Both are worth a few pulls.
The site proper continues in the tradition of Pratt's little-seen but much-admired tiny zine Ersatz, sharing the unique aptitude for organizing the seemingly random into a coherent chopping list. As a special bonus, the site features a state-of-the-art case study of a design metaphor taken way too far. The "digital" (as in fingers, digits - get it?) publishing motif is subtle like a fist to the neck, but it is inventive. Can Pratt continue to tame the Web financing woes he debunks in his Tripod essay by selling episodes of his publisher's diary? My hands, at the very least, will be all applause.
This article appeared originally in HotWired.
