So, Jack Dorsey's at it again. This time, he's bankrolling a Vine reboot called diVine. Because what the internet really needs is another social media app, right? And one based on six-second loops from a decade ago, no less. I mean, come on. Jack Dorsey funds diVine, a Vine reboot that includes Vine’s video archive.
He's doing this through his non-profit, "and Other Stuff." Seriously? That's the name? Sounds like something I'd scribble on a napkin after too many beers. But hey, at least it's focused on open-source projects, which is...okay, I guess.
Evan Henshaw-Plath (aka "Rabble" – these names are killing me) is the guy actually building this thing. He dug through the Vine archive, apparently saved by some internet hoarders called the Archive Team. Bless their hearts, but I'm not sure if saving millions of K-pop videos was the best use of their time.
Rabble claims diVine will let us "see an era of social media where you could either have control of your algorithms, or you could choose who you follow..." Give me a break. Those days are gone. They're never coming back. And pretending we can recreate some innocent, pre-AI utopia is just delusional.
And the AI filter? Yeah, I'm sure that'll work perfectly. As if AI can't evolve faster than any filter they throw at it. It's like trying to stop a flood with a sandcastle.
Dorsey's pitching this as a win for decentralization, built on Nostr, so it can't be "shut down based on the whim of a corporate owner." Which is rich, considering he used to be a corporate owner. Did he forget his time at Twitter... or X, or whatever the hell it's called now? Maybe he's trying to rewrite his history.
Elon Musk even chimed in, promising to bring back Vine in "AI form." Seriously? That sounds like a nightmare. Just imagine six-second AI-generated garbage flooding the internet.
Speaking of Musk, I still can't belive he named his kid "X Æ A-12." What is that even supposed to mean? I bet that kid's gonna have some serious issues later in life. But, back to Dorsey...
Rabble thinks there's "consumer demand for this type of non-AI, social experience." Maybe he's right. Maybe people are tired of the algorithm-driven, AI-infested hellscape that social media has become. But is nostalgia really enough to build a successful app? I'm not convinced.
They've got about 150,000 to 200,000 videos from 60,000 creators. Vine had millions of users and creators. This is a fraction of what it once was. And offcourse, creators can issue DMCA takedown requests if they want their Vines removed. Which, let's be real, some of them probably will.
And what about the creators who actually made Vine popular in the first place? Shawn Mendes and Logan Paul got their start on Vine. Are they gonna come back? Are they even interested? Or have they moved on to bigger and better things?
Look, I get it. People miss Vine. It was fun, it was creative, and it was a simpler time. But trying to resurrect it in 2025 feels... desperate. It's like trying to bring back dial-up internet or pagers. The world has moved on. And no amount of nostalgia is going to change that. Plus, diVine will flag suspected generative AI content and prevent it from being posted... good luck with that.
