On the 5th of November 2024, exactly one year after we announced the International Roadmap, the Pitcairn Update (v2.1) was successfully completed at a pace that exceeded all expectations.
As of today, we are ahead of the real targets of the roadmap, which spans the next 10 years. We would like to thank everyone who has embraced this vision and directly or indirectly added value to the Ad Astra Community with their ideas.
The most comprehensive update AdAstraa.Net has received since its inception is named after Pitcairn, “the most remote place on the planet”. This group of islands in the Pacific, hundreds of kilometres apart, inspired the writing of Moby Dick and was home to the Bounty rebels in the 18th century. Behind the reference to this isolated part of the planet lies Ad Astra’s idea of creating a dynamic production space in cyberspace that is creatively decentralised and integrated with the real world, in line with the Web3 vision. The accumulations of the period 2013-2020, during which Neo-Beat was active, and the projects implemented during this period have had a direct impact on the shaping of this vision.
This update prioritises the following subjects:
-Web3
-Improved user interface
-“Events” and “AstraMap”
-Personalised user experience
-Multilingual components
-Real-time content sharing tools
-International communities
There will be additions to this thread as some updates are gradually activated.
Per aspera ad astra
“Per aspera ad astra”, which has a similar function to the Hector craze in the Neo-Beat scene and has its origins in ancient Roman texts, has been the motto of the Ad Astra circles since the early days of the scene’s founding values. People who feel this excitement in many different countries around the world have come together under this motto, realised original productions and become part of inspiring stories.
In the regions where the Ad Astra Community has intensified its activities, it has been observed that the use of this motto has increased greatly with the butterfly effect. Somewhere along the line, people forgot what the motto meant, why people were tattooed with it – each with their own individual motivations. But we will remind them powerfully of that forgotten reason.
According to Google Trends data, while the global use of the phrase “Per aspera ad astra” remained largely flat between 2004 and 2014, a significant increase was observed in Turkey in 2017, when Neo-Beat began to emphasise the motto. In 2020, the establishment of AdAstraa.Net and the writing of the Ad Astra Manifesto online on Twitter with the participation of hundreds of people spread the butterfly effect, and this effect turned into a tsunami after 2022.
Language
-The main language of the site has been changed to English to facilitate communication, as it is the most widely used common language among the circles in the Astra ecosystem.
-The number of languages supported by AdAstraa.Net has been increased to 23. Authors and content creators will continue to be able to post, comment and collaborate with other authors in these 23 languages. In technical cases, we will provide support feedback for all these languages.
-The default language of the site will be automatically determined by the location of the browser from which authors and users log in. General announcements will be primarily in English. Announcements can be instantly translated into your native language if you prefer. We are moving to a multilingual model because we want to break down the barriers between different countries and cultures.
Applications and Web3
-AstraMap has received a major update for the South East Asia region. Dozens of new locations have been added to cities such as Ho Chi Minh City, Singapore, Bangkok and Jakarta.
-A Regions tab has been added to the map to make it easier to find locations in the app. AstraMap has been updated to allow followers in that region to enter content.
-The “Events” section, which complements AstraMap and lists events related to the Ad Astra Community and vision, has been activated. AdAstraa.Net users can add new events, access event locations, synchronise announced events with their calendars or comment on existing events. It will also be possible to attend and register for webinars on platforms such as Zoom through this application, which is still in early access.
-AdastraNews, which provides 24/7 news flow from The Independent, The New York Times, CBS, Reddit, Yahoo Sports, Gamesradar, Variety, Buzzfeed and Wired platforms, has been adapted to the new interface. News filters have been overhauled and content quality improved.
-AdastraNews, whose algorithm is systematically updated according to the interests of AdAstraa.Net readers, aims to provide readers with the fastest access to information.
-Applications that can be evaluated within the framework of Web3 have been integrated into the site in a way that will be open only to developers. Due to the closed BETA system, access to these applications will be opened up to the site’s content producers, the site’s readers and, eventually, to all Ad Astra followers when the target point is reached. Ad Astra’s focus in the coming year will not be on social media, but on the development of these applications in the closed BETA process. Therefore, details of the Web3 process will not be announced until the closed BETA process has been completed.
Optimization
-The 2020-2024 version of AdAstraa.Net included many improvements and new applications compared to beatkusagi.com. This version of the site, optimised in Web2 standards, helped us achieve the goals we had set according to the roadmap of that period. However, in the next few years, we needed a more advanced system to achieve the goals of the International Roadmap and for the Web3 applications we planned to activate. Therefore, instead of updating the old version of the site, we decided to rebuild it from scratch and rewrite a lot of the code, preserving the database, content and all the features integrated into the site, while enabling many new applications and features.
-Due to the transition, it will take a few months for the site to reach its full performance potential. At the time of this announcement, some applications are still being updated. During this time, we will continue to optimise the site and integrate new applications based on feedback from the Ad Astra community.
User Interface
-The site’s interface and theme have been completely redesigned.
-More personalised user profiles have been created for site authors, content producers and editors.
-The site map has been restructured to reflect changing priorities.
-Page designs have been given a more modern look. New handy features have been added so that social media feeds can be interactively dragged into articles on the site.
Ad Astra Community
-A comprehensive announcement about the Ad Astra Community will be made in the first half of 2025.
-In line with the principle of decentralisation and the Web3 vision, micro-teams that apply/initiate to participate in Ad Astra’s active projects will be organised primarily through AdAstraa.Net, using the tools of their choice. Closed workspaces will be created on the website for these teams. The creation of a bureaucratic centre will not be allowed.
-Real organisations, non-governmental organisations, initiatives and online circles that create new values at a global level will be supported free of charge.
-The “Ad Astra International Roadmap Booklet” has been added to the “About” section.
-Extensive security updates have been made to protect the confidentiality of site users’ information.
Contact
-The use of social media networks will not be a priority for the Ad Astra Community in 2025. The focus will be on the development of real projects and applications activated on AdAstraa.Net.
-As explained before, Ad Astra does not have an active communication group (WP, Facebook, Telegram, etc.) in Turkey and it is not planned to establish one as the main production centre is no longer in Turkey.
-Technical questions regarding writing/project submissions and access to the site can be directed to @neobeatkusagi on Twitter, @adastraanet on Instagram or via email to neobeatgeneration@gmail.com.
-Active content producers and authors of the site can also use these communication channels for technical issues (new password request, suggestion, project application, feedback).
-Since the launch of the International Roadmap, AdAstraa.Net will no longer offer authorship to individuals, but will only recruit new authors through real and online applications. All applications will be examined in detail by the Editorial Board (which will be specifically formed each time, taking into account the fields of work of the applicant author) and the result will be notified by e-mail.
As The Beatles immortalized in the last song they recorded:
“And in the end
The love you take
Is equal to the love you make”
