Web Weeklyskimask



Comprised of everything from 3D art galleries, to forums, to creative resources, MelonLand is truly a multi-faceted web project. Daniel (aka Melon) has built a wonderful space where webmasters and visual artists can congregate. One of their domains, Melonking.net, is one of the most viewed sites on Neocities. I had the pleasure of conducting a short interview with the Melon King themselves.


                                                                                                                                      

Melonking                                                                                                                  
 "Hi, I'm Daniel aka Melon; I'm an artist and computer scientist from Ireland. I run several web projects such as GifyPet, MoMG, TextureTown, ozwomp.online, the MelonLand Forum and Melonking.net; they all loosely fit into the MelonLand Project! The goal is to promote homepages and the indie web as "new-media art" and as an alternative to mainstream digital culture. MelonLand fits into a wider movement of freeform web crafters loosely called the web revival."


                                                                                                                          Badgermein skimask
"MelonLand isn’t just one thing, or one place even. It’s a community, it’s a gallery for art, it’s a place to find resources for creativity. Why is such a project important for the internet of today?"


Ozwomp Online is just one of the many MelonLand realms.


Melonking    
"Hmm, I'm not sure I can say what's important for the internet at large, but it's important to me because I found that the culture of the web was just not giving me what I needed. I wanted a space that was supportive and kind, yet at the same time radical and open to experimentation. It sounds simple, but so few people on the web understand the basic need for true creative spaces that value simply having fun while challenging our ideals of the web and its role in daily life.
I want MelonLand to be a lucid dream of the web as it could be; a web that's inclusive, trusting, generous and genuinely works to connect people in a way that positively influences their lives and society as a whole.
Also a side note, I love that you see it as a gallery, that's something I'd like to expand on a lot this year!"



Badgermein skimask

"When MelonLand first began, was what you wanted it to be then what it is now?"



Melonking
"I don't think I could pinpoint when it began! It's made of ideas that go back as far as I can remember; however, the oldest currently active site (melonking.net) started in 2016 and the forum started in 2021. Both of those years were quite traumatic times for me; I needed a space I could retreat to and call home; so in that sense, it is exactly what I needed it to be. As a community and creative hub; it seems to work for others too and that always makes me happy to see. On the technical side I had hoped to focus more on 3D-game-like sites, but the reality is they are still so hard to get into, and it's not what most people need; so it pitched more towards helping people get started. I have some cool upcoming projects for new homepage makers in the works right now!"


The MelonLand Forum hosts a smorgasbord of topics.


Badgermein skimask
"I’ve noticed your interests are varied, and I love the way that you express your interests via MelonLand. Do you think that we’ve lost this beauty of self-expression somewhere in the evolution of the web? That individuals have become condensed into bite-sized, easily digestible sentences and short profiles?"


Melonking
"Its a good question, but I've found that self-expression on its own isn't all that important; self-genuineness or the ability to be true to oneself needs to come first. When you're a kid you don't care about all the dumb things adults are interested in; I remember when that started to change for my friends around age 13; for some reason, I was never able to make that transition; I still live in my play world, but I also have an intense desire to express that world in my work. People condense themselves to try and fit into someone else's model; the bite-sized web is just a reflection of that process. The real value of art is that it starts to blast those models apart and makes people encounter themselves in a way that nothing else can."


Badgermein skimask
"I was looking through Melon’s Thoughts (or your thoughts, I suppose) and found some of your answers to that Rockstar North Interview. I LOVED number five about the crab concept, I thought that was very original. How did this idea come to you?" 


Melonking  

"Its great to hear you enjoyed that one! I honestly don't know! It kinda just appeared as a fully formed idea when I read the question. The concept of fads has always fascinated me, and the idea of how trends and cultural whims can shape the world around us scares me too. I wanted the crab to be totally silly and absurd, but it also had a dark undertone about politics and the way we define our values as a society. I think perhaps that was a bit too much for the Rockstar guys, but it was fun to write!"



My rendition of such a concept.


Badgermein skimask
"I enjoyed reading your manifesto. It’s very to-the-point. But I can’t help but wonder...some of us are stuck in the social media ‘bubble’, so to speak. Stuck in a constant feedback loop that rewards negativity and sucks the creativity out of the online space. How do you think one might get unstuck from that loop?"

Melonking  
"So many people are stuck in so many ways and it's not just social media - we work so we can afford apartments so we can work - we tell the same stories in every movie - we always think the next iPhone will make us happy, or the next super-food will make us immortal - we make the same mistakes and fight the same wars every few years. Perhaps the only thing you can do is ask "Am I doing what I want to be doing?" then, ignore your answer, look around, and try something else! The goal is not instant happiness; peace and contentment often come from chaos, so sometimes you need to mess up your life to find a better one. Maybe it's a bit dark to say, but if you can create little disasters, then necessity will force you out of your loops; after that, it's up to you to make sure you land in a better place."


Badgermein skimask
"I really enjoy MelonLand and I wish the best of luck to you. Thank you again for taking time out of your day for this interview."


Melonking

"Thanks for inviting me and taking the time to explore MelonLand! I think this is a great project and I love the design work you've put into the webweekly site :^]"