Old Internet or New Internet

[NeonTurtledude]

While some users prefer forums like these for discussion
while newer tmnt fans flock to sites like Discord and Reddit

what do you think are good and bad aspects of the Internet then
(in the 90s-early 2000s) and the modern Internet


Old Internet:
the websites were more cluttered (they had cool logos though)

YouTube was just starting and people mostly just made videos for fun and weren't always expected to get famous

Adobe Flash resulted in loads of browser games and animations, which made some websites more fun and lively to visit

Deviantart, a hub for varied artists and some perverts, with a feature to decorate your bio with coded user made badges

AI wasn't as overwhelming as it is now

Online discussion wasn't as overly heated


while the modern net has some positives, with Flash gone and more discourse, it can make me wanna fire up a flash game emulator to remember the good old days

[IMJ]

I still think forums like these are the superior format in every way. Much better, much more well organized, much more well structured than any kind of "drop down" forum where you follow a line of threads all on one screen.

Basically bulletin board style beats single-page chaos anyday.

[frank_one]

I agree. There's a reason forums like this are still around 25 years later: they work.

[IndigoErth]

Old. Too much of the "new" is all centered around social media, much of it largely looking like the same thing over and over simply wrapped in a different package (plus often requiring yet other app installed), and the internet is far more boring these days. People seem to lack the ability and patience to have the kind of conversations that forums support, which is sad. And probably more isolating than the internet already was. If they ever post something long winded it's probably just an argument with someone else.

There also just used to be a lot more fun stuff that either no longer exists in any form, loaded up with ads to the point it became obnoxious, or started charging outright. Then of course the fake and virus loaded sites became more common, making a person have to be much more cautious in their search for anything fun. Add in the addition of AI and it's all the more artificial and less entertaining. The only part of the AI stuff I've actually liked at this point is the free art generators. While it can be used for "evil" in the wrong hands, which sucks... if just used as a bit of entertainment it does remind me of the fun little things that used to exist online back in the day.

These days, much of my use has narrowed down to the handful of sites I frequent. I suppose boredom after making those rounds and finding little of interest going on does at least make me get up from the computer now and then.

[ZariusTwo]

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

The Young Internet, as I prefer calling the years 1995–2010.

Gave us more freedom.

Allowed us to use communities to discuss topics, and focused on the topic.

Allowed you to search, and find different answers.

The Current Internet, which has grown since the 2010's.

Gives us more surveillance.

Centers around social media, and focuses on the persons.

Allows you to search, and often commercial websites.

[Sumac]

I've become familiar with an Internet only in the beginning of 00s, but from my point of view it was a lot like Wild West, especially in Russia. Pirated stuff everywhere, porn everywhere, but a lot of freedom and creativity as well.

No ****** designs, trying to mimic social media sites, a lot of unfiltered discussions, without perpetually angry culture warriors and offended retards.

All in all, it had a spirit of freedom, which of course was stolen from people over the next decades.

[Mechapod]

I am thinking it may be time soon to cut the next cable, the internet one. I cut the cord for cable TV in the early 2000s; about 3 years ago, I upgraded to a dumb flip phone. The internet today is not, as others have noted, the internet of a few years ago. Bots, scammers, algos pushing degeneracy and corruption, surveillance, demoralization, psyops and perception management, censorship... and the list can go on. Why would I continue to subject myself to this? It's not healthy - mentally or spiritually.

I'm really happy that this forum still exists, even if I don't post much here. I do stop in everyday and see what is going on.

[IndigoErth]

Originally Posted by ZariusTwo

[video was here -- deleted because I hate unnecessarily quoted videos ]

Memories... 1994, my first year of high school and definitely recall a few class sessions in the library focused on teaching students how to use that stuff called internet. (I primarily remember look up a list of Titanic passengers to see if anyone of my surname was on there. Found out yes.)

Look at that stocky little laptop. lol They already existed?? I don't remember that.