Netokogust

Netokogust is a term used in speculative digital aesthetics to describe the evaluative sense or taste for networked, participatory media practices. It denotes a preference for content that is co-created, open-ended, and mediated by online platforms that enable real-time feedback and social collaboration. The concept emphasizes how the structure of online networks shapes aesthetic judgments, favoring immediacy, interoperability, and communal authorship over polish and solitary consumption.

Origin and etymology: Netokogust is a neologism that arose in online discussions in the late 2010s. The name blends the word network with gust, from gustus or taste, to indicate a taste or preference for networked media. It is used primarily in speculative design and critical discourse rather than as a formal theory.

Characteristics: Key features include participatory creation, short-lived or iterative formats, glitch or retro-digital aesthetics, and content designed to invite remixing. It is often associated with platforms that support user remixing, live collaboration, and social commenting.

Contexts and examples: The concept appears in essays on digital culture, game studies, and media art, and is used to analyze responses to livestreams, collaborative art projects, and meme cultures that rely on shared authorship and rapid iteration.

Reception and critique: Critics argue that netokogust may normalize performative openness and overlook issues of exploitation in participatory labor, while proponents view it as a useful lens for understanding evolving online aesthetics and user engagement.

See also: digital aesthetics, net art, glitch art, participatory culture, user-generated content.