A hill made accessible

For this post I will be going over a story that never happened in order to set my thoughts straight. The story will lead to a conclusion, one you may be able to pick up on as you read, but not one I wish to lead with.

A story that never happened:

One day I decide to climb a hill. This is not a well known hill, the paths are unkept and there are no signs. My goal is non-specific, I mainly just want to see whatever pretty sights the hill has to offer. And that’s exactly what I get, beautiful sights at varying points. Some of these points require me to climb rocks, hop over fallen trees, and often times backtrack because I underestimated said rocks or fallen trees. A couple hours of pretty vistas later I reach the top of the hill and am rewarded with a stunning view of a nearby no-name town. I take a picture or two and get back to walking. The way back down is equally tranquil. Later that day I decide to share my experience, I write a blog post detailing my track, writing about some of the things I adored the most, concluding with pictures I took at the top.

This post does well, the view at the top is all that people talk about, others want to experience it too beyond just seeing pictures. Over time more people find and climb this hill and post their own pictures of the summit. The hill garners more and more visitors over time, paths start to form, signs go up pointing towards the most direct route towards the top. Tourist attractions start to form, hotels in the nearby no-name town are booked throughout the entire month, things are really looking up for both the hill and the town. Several small companies pop up to try and capitalize on this hill, after all everyone in the country wants to visit this one hill to experience the spectacular view it has to offer. But not everyone can.

The popularity has really helped in creating clean, well established paths that are easy to traverse, but a hill is a hill. Many people are not capable, whether it’s because of mobility issues or just the shear thought of having to spend hours walking. There are perfectly understandable reasons many are not able to partake. Seeing the potential value, one company courageously and charitably stands up for this injustice and decides to build a cable cart directly from the foot of the hill to the very top, with a nicely accessible viewing platform to boot. Of course this can’t be done for free no matter how benevolent this company is, so a small charge is reasonable. This company did not ask for permission to build their cable cart, but the benefits are undeniable and applauded by the nearby no-name town folk and tourists alike.

The place was popular before, but now it has exploded beyond recognition. To facilitate the vast increase in tourism the nearby no-name town allows for the construction of new hotels, restaurants, travel facilities, and more. The town is now a world renowned travel destination accessible to everyone. The town knows it now relies heavily on tourism to keep afloat, so the local government decides to take proper care of the hill. Paths are cleaned up, some are paved, fencing is put up to keep tourists and local wildlife separated. Trash cans are placed at regular intervals to discourage disposing of trash in nature. Benches, toilets, and even some restaurants can be found at the foot, summit, and paths. Small sections of forest are removed to make way for parking lots, allowing easy access for yet more visitors. The hill lost some of its original rugged beauty, but in return it gained accessibility. The whole world is now able to see spectacular the view, given you can afford it. Of course that view has also changed over time. The nearby no-name town has gained a name for itself, and now features several impressive hotels jutting out of the otherwise picturesque streets.

As is the case with all things popular, interest wanes over time. This can be attributed to many things. What was once something special is now well documented and manufactured, removing some of what made it so special. Costs went up to recoup the investment of all the different facilities. Over time the number of visitors falls low enough that some facilities have to shut down. These buildings sit empty and only serve to remind new visitors of what once was. To try and recover, the cable cart company decides to close the original path. Walking under and amongst their facilities is dangerous, they say. Now the only way up is through a paid ticket. This of course did not help them recover in the long run, it may still be perfectly accessible, but for many the reason of climbing this hill is no more. The cable cart company decides to close its doors, leaving behind a vestige of better times.

It would be easy enough to end the story there, and in many ways it does, but I don’t think that would be fair. Years later brave adventurers once again discover this hill, unbeknownst its previous popularity. Long rotten benches, crumbling buildings, and overgrown cable carts sit amongst the trees and plants. A ghost town filled with memories looms in the background. These things tell an interesting and impressive story all on their own. A story worth sharing, a story worth repeating.

So all in all, I went on a journey and decided to share it with the world. The world wanted their part, some wanted to capitalize on the popularity, and a place I once loved turned into something I didn’t. In the process many were able to enjoy something they otherwise wouldn’t have been able to, and for a while some were able to benefit greatly. Perhaps that isn’t so bad, but it bears asking; does the convenience outweigh the journey?

So that was a whole lot of rather simple story telling, one you probably attached your own meaning to. A story of corporate greed, of beauty in the obscure, of losing what makes the journey so special by skipping right to the end. Whatever meaning you found in it is valid. If you found this story to be surface level nonsense, that is valid too.

This story came about from, what else, AI. It came from a discussion arguing that AI is a wonderful accessibility tool, allowing those without artistic skill, those without programming knowledge, those without whatever ability they need, to still fulfill their dreams. On a surface level I believe that is true, but with the tone of our story that never happened in mind I also believe that ultimately accessibility is used as an excuse, a means to an end. This need to involve everyone is not out of a want to share, but out of a want for more paying customers. The homogenization of the experience means more short term success, but the journey, the obscurity, and the effort you have to put in is what makes the end result special. Skipping to the end will indeed allow more people to partake, but in doing so you dilute the thing itself.

It’s though, as ultimately the idea of everyone being to express themselves in more ways than they previously could is amazing, but sooner or later the standard for what it means to be amazing will shift.

Thank you for reading <3