Anyone miss when the internet was 'weird'?

CM30

Diamond City Mayor
Diamond City Leader
Both in terms of the kind of content you found there, and the type of people that posted it?

Because in the old days, it felt almost like a refuge for the unpopular and slightly crazy people. Internet forums were filled with 'interesting' personalities that either took everything far too seriously or goofed off in the most ridiculous ways, creative works posted online looked somewhat 'cheap' most of the time, and expectations for things like videos and websites were basically somewhere below the floor; if it wasn't recorded on a potato and didn't literally burn your eyes out, it'd probably find something of an audience.

And to me there was a level of charm there. Yes, most people sucked at the things they wanted to do. Yes, most fan fic was barely comprehensible, most cosplay was clearly done on the cheap and most fan games were amateurishly made at best. But you can tell there was an effort there. Perhaps a misguided one sure, but an earnest effort from someone that had way more ambition than skill and was willing to give it a go regardless.

Plus as someone who was themselves awkward and socially lacking, it felt nice knowing there were communities where I'd fit in. Communities where the people who I didn't get along with in school were nowhere to be seen, and where everyone was in a similar boat.

Nowadays? It feels like expectations for anything you post online are ridiculously high, so anyone who doesn't want their hobby to take up their entire life will just be drowned out by the folks doing it at a near professional level. And the popular kids on social media are the same ones who'd be popular in real life too, with a lot of them being somewhat boring 'normies' posting vapid but easily understandable stuff and getting millions of views for it. It just feels like the internet has gone from a place where the weirdos mess around and post without a care in the world to a non stop virtual equivalent of an American TV high school.

Anyone else feel similarly?
 
I wish I was around for that period, I want to see a strange internet without just being edgy or brain rot. I guess we just need some avant-garde nowadays, that's what I think at least. I'm just glad nobody's been like "boo your art sucks" to me, while it does, there's some definite improvement

That's not to say I dislike some edge, I just think it shouldn't be empty edge.
 
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I do miss lower production values for videos and how the Internet was more luxurious rather than ubiquitous. It felt like a get away from everything rather than the usual way of contacting people. Overall it's hard to say if I prefer back then over now as going back I'd be too spoiled by higher speeds at this point


I wish I was around for that period, I want to see a strange internet without just being edgy or brain rot.

That's not to say I dislike some edge, I just think it shouldn't be empty edge.
You perhaps may not find the YouTube poops or the goths up your alley. Sure you can go earlier than YouTube but you can't go earlier than cringe edge that was day 1


I kinda missed out on the 2000s era of forums, But I do remember playing a bunch of fun, edgy, Mario flash games on my school laptop Instead of doing my school work.

Mario-Combat

Man, those were were the days!
Mario combat was one of many flash games I wish didn't just have one level, definitely high bar for old flash games. And like it has been said a million times yes to all those forums before everything centralized around several sites
 
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