Dull

When I think back to the internet of old (1995-2002) there wasn’t all that much to do. A majority of my time online was spent Instant Messaging, popping in chat rooms, browsing Usenet groups, or hunting for good websites. Of course, when you found a good website, you’d bookmark it and visit back often, and if you were really luck, they’d have a forum where you could get constant information.

I played a lot of games like fantasy wrestling and worked on projects like creating skins, shoes, and graphics for the NBA Live series.

That’s what led me to creating my own content. I wanted to have a place of my own and well… the sandbox was rather dull. It took a lot of effort to find good sites or sites with information I cared about. I’m reminded of this because that’s how I feel in 2023. Things have come full circle.

With my stepping away from places like Twitter, reddit, Hacker News, and what not, I’m not left with a lot of refreshing content. So, I’ve taken to the web to try and find creators that create content I might enjoy. I don’t want a podcast to listen to nor a video blogger, I’m looking for the written word, which is harder to harder to find in a world where AI and Google push advertising and SEO hacks down your throat.

This has left me surfing the fringes, places like Bear Blog, Write As, and using WordPress’ own search function to try and find folks talking about their lives and not giving advice. If there is one thing, I cannot stand in a blog it’s someone talking like an authority figure and writing things like, “You want to be happy? Do this” or “You’re doing this all wrong.” That rampant narcissism that runs wild on social media has definitely made its way into blogs as well and maybe those type of headlines gets more views. I don’t know, I’ve tried to avoid being an asshole online.

There is something enjoyable about the hunt for content, but the fact that most internet content is fleeting at best makes it feel pointless. I do find myself writing more and even leaning towards reading books more because of the internet being well… dull again. This time I just don’t have chat rooms, IMs, and Usenet to lean back on. Sure, Discord, reddit, and what not exists, but the internet has changed a lot in the past twenty-five years, and while it was toxic back in the late 90’s as well, those places are worse now in my opinion.

The news is entertainment, flashy graphics are prioritized over quality text, and the push for video/audio entertainment is just not my cup of tea. It’s really gotten to the point where if the internet continues down this path, I could see myself fully stepping away from it in a year or two. Right now, I rarely spend more then 10-15 minutes online on days that I’m off. I’m usually checking my email and maybe checking a site or two, but it’s all optional. There is nothing that really compels me to hop online other than boredom and that’s a bit of a bummer. I liked the internet back when it was exciting and fun.

Things change, people change, and I know my tolerances have changed. So, I’ll keep doing what I’m doing, and let the evolution continue uninterrupted.