IMHO, old internet started to slowly die with the introduction of MySpace, Digg, and even 4chan, I call the period of 2006 to 2010 the slow decline era, then 2010 to 2016 the rapid decline era. 2016 to 2022 is the “classic centralized internet era”, and now we have the era of the “new centralized internet”, characterized by the peddling of far-right ideologies of these centralized platforms, alongside with the potential rebirth of the old, decentralized internet.
Yeah I have often said that the internet died when conservatives figured out how to use it. And not like the old school “libertarian” nerd conservatives, but like mainstream Republican cultists.
15-20 years or so ago. Whenever smartphones became the dominant communications tool, and pretty much everyone had access to the internet from their pocket square.
Been online since '93 myself at pretty much the dawn of the World Wide Web.
I remember cliques and a lack of online monoculture on Usenet and IRC before the World Wide Web even existed; the web exploded things even further, as did the privatization of DNS and takeover of funding by VCs and ad conglomerates. All that had happened by 1998.
Even then there were things that were more or less known in all corners of the Internet. You could mention things like SCP, ‘Charlie bit my finger’, or My Immortal on any forum and people there would recognize it.
Now it’s all fragmented. Someone can mention something that’s a massive phenomenon in one part of the platform and no one else on the same platform would recognise it. For example, I only recently heard about backrooms and apparently it has been a thing for half a decade. That’s a long time in internet years.
When was this?
Asking as someone who’s been on the Internet since 1989.
IMHO, old internet started to slowly die with the introduction of MySpace, Digg, and even 4chan, I call the period of 2006 to 2010 the slow decline era, then 2010 to 2016 the rapid decline era. 2016 to 2022 is the “classic centralized internet era”, and now we have the era of the “new centralized internet”, characterized by the peddling of far-right ideologies of these centralized platforms, alongside with the potential rebirth of the old, decentralized internet.
Yeah I have often said that the internet died when conservatives figured out how to use it. And not like the old school “libertarian” nerd conservatives, but like mainstream Republican cultists.
Ever since facebook
Facebook was fine at first. I remember excitedly hearing that my school was added to the list of approved schools to get a Facebook account.
Not sure if problems started when it was expanded beyond just listed colleges, or if it was just the public stories or wall or whatever it’s called.
Facebook was never fine; it just wasn’t a silo effect at first—but it was still a privacy and security nightmare.
the 1st of september 1993
You’re not an internet veteran if you didn’t get your start on ARPAnet
Anyone who wasn’t online in 1969 is a n00b.
15-20 years or so ago. Whenever smartphones became the dominant communications tool, and pretty much everyone had access to the internet from their pocket square.
Been online since '93 myself at pretty much the dawn of the World Wide Web.
I remember cliques and a lack of online monoculture on Usenet and IRC before the World Wide Web even existed; the web exploded things even further, as did the privatization of DNS and takeover of funding by VCs and ad conglomerates. All that had happened by 1998.
Even then there were things that were more or less known in all corners of the Internet. You could mention things like SCP, ‘Charlie bit my finger’, or My Immortal on any forum and people there would recognize it.
Now it’s all fragmented. Someone can mention something that’s a massive phenomenon in one part of the platform and no one else on the same platform would recognise it. For example, I only recently heard about backrooms and apparently it has been a thing for half a decade. That’s a long time in internet years.
…backrooms?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Backrooms
https://knowyourmeme.com/editorials/guides/what-is-the-backrooms-and-where-is-it-located-in-real-life-the-viral-phenomenon-explained
I’m a little surprised there’s no reference to The House on Ash Tree Lane in that wiki article
I downloaded my first image from internet in 92, just took a prolonged coffee break (a couple of kilobytes small b&w image).
You must have been in an American uni?
Sometimes wish we could go back to BBS’s and MUDs
I don’t miss spending hours trying to get a slot on the modem pool.
But I’m still happy to while away a few hours on mume.org or some random Diku server.