Missing The Past 😞

Is there anyone else who truly mourns for the olden days of when the Internet was just getting going? I’m talking just past the BBS days, when IRC was THE place to be, Geocities kept me busy for days and people weren’t corralled into little subsections of the internet by algorithms?

I mean, I suppose people DO miss it, considering this site, obviously…

I don’t know whether it’s old age hitting me (I’m 45 this year) or what, but I just have been recently feeling so ‘meh’..

I think I’m going to start my own webring, among other things. I don’t know, what do you all think? 

Being on here does make me miss the old internet days for sure. It just blows my mind how much everything has changed. Nothing good has came out of having algorithms. I haven’t been on the book of faces in a week since being on here and I feel better actually.   I know that sounds weird but I do. 

Hi guys! Joining the discussion.. 

I just escaped the commercial social media. For a month already I don't scroll in FB and I don't miss it and I feel wonderful and it is like I woke up or sth!? I found the distributed social networks, found neocities, indieweb, THIS place (thanks to you, Sam Thul) and other cool stuff. I feel excited that there are still cool ppl out there!

Now, I don't even have time to miss the past. :D So busy planning my projects, websites.... :D But I love and cherish it. And Sam, I am coming soon in the webrings!

I am 1984 born, 1998 came online, 1999 my first website, then some more websites and many artechie stuff through the years.. I still remember in 2000, for example, ppl writing me emails (not only the guestbook), but emails!

Yes and no, although I may be speaking of a different experience than others[24 going on 25]

I do miss when the internet was more decentralized. There were so many websites to explore! Games to play. It felt more personal. Sometimes you'd find something you probably shouldn't have, but that was part of the fun. Even social media was better. People would post things similar to what we do here. No algospeak, influencers felt like they were a part of the community, few were trying to sell you stuff, and only some politics.

What I don't miss is the nasty behaviour some people had. Shock humor was very popular, and as such, casual racism, sexism, and queerphobia was common. Victim blaming was something you would also see, especially with underage victims of grooming. Fatphobia and thinspo was encouraged, but I think that was more of a problem with 90s and 2000s era culture.