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I Miss the Old Internet

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Re: I Miss the Old Internet

#141

Post by tw04 »

fortran77 wrote: post #135
ethagnawl wrote: post #117

I generally agree with the author's sentiment regarding "the Old Internet". However, using "voat" and "thank goodness" in the same breath raised a red flag for me about the author and their motives. They mentioned being kicked off raddle.me for posting links to their site (the one that's currently linked to on the top of the HN homepage); maybe that was with good reason and not a result of gatekeeping? For example, f…

So because you don't like some of their content it's a "good thing" that it's hard to find on the Internet? I guess I miss the old internet, too.

Because it’s ridiculously inaccurate, sexist, and full of pointless hate. Whether he likes or dislikes it, the world was a better place when people were shamed into keeping ridiculous ideas like that to themselves.

Re: I Miss the Old Internet

#142

Post by verylittlemeat »

JohnFen wrote: post #30
notJim wrote: post #5

I generally agree. I've taken to appending "reddit" to many of my search queries, because flawed though it is, reddit is one of the few places you can read an actual human thought. It feels like nearly all content on the internet is some de-personalized corporate "content marketing" blog at this point. Just give us your email address and we'll send you a PDF (and a drip marketing campaign.) I think the old internet w…

Do you not find Reddit to be a bit of a cesspool? I tend to avoid it for that reason, but how true it is probably depends on which subreddit(s) we're talking about.

Spend enough time on 4chan and you'll realize reddit is a safezone kid gloves hug box.

And 4chan isn't even that bad in terms of bad or illegal content so that goes to show how relative it all is.

Re: I Miss the Old Internet

#143

Post by insickness »

ethagnawl wrote: post #117

I generally agree with the author's sentiment regarding "the Old Internet". However, using "voat" and "thank goodness" in the same breath raised a red flag for me about the author and their motives. They mentioned being kicked off raddle.me for posting links to their site (the one that's currently linked to on the top of the HN homepage); maybe that was with good reason and not a result of gatekeeping? For example, f…

It's far trashier to dig through a person's history to find the most risque tidbit you can in order to disqualify everything he is saying.

Re: I Miss the Old Internet

#144

Post by cartoonworld »

ShteiLoups wrote: post #121
dencodev wrote: post #84

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I miss the "discussion" filter that Google used to have. For a while it still worked if you added a parameter to the URL. Now it's often difficult to impossible to search for stuff without 99% blog spam.

What's the difference between blogs and hobbyist sites though? A defined purpose? monitization? I suppose it would be a hard fight to get google to specifically favour non-adsensed sites.

I just ran a google search for "Power Inverter Van". All of the results are either direct sales or affiliate advertising brochure sites disguised as a lifestyle blog.

I guess you could argue that if I google that search term I'm probably planning to buy one or something, but if I append reddit I can get a really crappy discussion tab-esque function.

If I try "Solar Powered Van" the results look a bit better but are basically the same kind of lifestyle sales content.

I think we accidentally hacked the internet into some sort of Möbius supermarket magazine aisle.

Re: I Miss the Old Internet

#145

Post by tenpies »

verylittlemeat wrote: post #142
JohnFen wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Do you not find Reddit to be a bit of a cesspool? I tend to avoid it for that reason, but how true it is probably depends on which subreddit(s) we're talking about.

Spend enough time on 4chan and you'll realize reddit is a safezone kid gloves hug box. And 4chan isn't even that bad in terms of bad or illegal content so that goes to show how relative it all is.

4chan is outright fantastic in some aspects.

/g/ is actually quite useful and friendly, especially the DPT (Daily Programming Thread), more-so if you're a beginner.

/trv/ (travel) is just good and perfectly slow where you won't feel pressure to keep up with a thread because it will still be there tomorrow.

/fit/ has good information and really encapsulates what happens when the internet meets bro-gym culture.

Compared to parts of Reddit, I would honestly take 4chan over it. I mean even some of the formerly "default" sub-Reddits are cesspools of hatred with the occasional call for targeted violence and Moderators who will ban you by association. Some of the big sub-Reddits openly discriminate based on race.

I know journalists have zero motivation to investigate sub-Reddits or the incestous circle of Reddit moderators that control the groupthink in most of the major sub-Reddits, but one day that will come out and it will be an internet scandal. If they time it right it could sink any hope of an IPO or serious monetization.

Re: I Miss the Old Internet

#146

Post by martin_a »

ImprovedSilence wrote: post #85
superkuh wrote: post #21

The old internet is still there, it's still growing. It's just covered in a thick layer of corporate shit sites. All you have to do is be the change you want to see. Start hosting your website from home. Code it by hand. Don't use any javascript frontends. It's a good time. As for finding others, well, HN isn't a bad place to start. Just install an RSS reader client and every time you find yourself enjoying an articl…

So much this. Unfortunately post google reader I never found an rss reader that really clicked with me as much. Part of it is because I followed a mix of text and just pure image sites, and par of it is the sites come and go and I haven’t found new sites. RIP ffffound and the like...

I set up my own FreshRSS instance. Maybe not like Google Reader but I find it better than nothing.

Re: I Miss the Old Internet

#147

Post by myrandomcomment »

shantly wrote: post #18
notJim wrote: post #5

I generally agree. I've taken to appending "reddit" to many of my search queries, because flawed though it is, reddit is one of the few places you can read an actual human thought. It feels like nearly all content on the internet is some de-personalized corporate "content marketing" blog at this point. Just give us your email address and we'll send you a PDF (and a drip marketing campaign.) I think the old internet w…

> I've taken to appending "reddit" to many of my search queries, because flawed though it is, reddit is one of the few places you can read an actual human thought. Same. It's the only place to find the sort of genuine, informed opinion that used to be common on the first page of Google results, on a wide variety of topics, without an awful lot of digging.

I am six months into reddit detox. The amount of time I have back is amazing. Only semi social site I read is this one. I have internet down to BBCNews, NHK, Reuters, HN, a few comics, Ars, next platform, the morning paper, Matt Levine and el reg. I am much happier :)

Re: I Miss the Old Internet

#148

Post by anon9001 »

ChristianBundy wrote: post #138
robotstate wrote: post #132

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The way you're just completely proving his point is amazing.

Voat is a breeding ground and gathering place for white supremacists. A small selection of the top posts on Voat right now: - "jew politician calls for war on whites" -> http://magaimg.net/img/9f2p.png - "NFL player's wife accuses Dolphins owner of favoring 'Jew buddies'" -> https://www.timesofisrael.com/nfl-players-wife-accuses-dolph... - "Everything's about race. Every single thing is about race. Remember that it's…

What those people really need is to have their opinions challenged by outsiders. That used to happen more on the early internet.

Keep in mind that they didn't leave Reddit because they wanted to leave. They left and made Voat because they were banned. Now they don't have to interact with people that have dissenting opinions, and they can ban you if you dissent.

Reddit is relieved because their users are no longer exposed to this toxicity. Unfortunately, now those users are no longer exposed to anything but toxicity.

Re: I Miss the Old Internet

#149

Post by danharaj »

anon9001 wrote: post #148
ChristianBundy wrote: post #138

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Voat is a breeding ground and gathering place for white supremacists. A small selection of the top posts on Voat right now: - "jew politician calls for war on whites" -> http://magaimg.net/img/9f2p.png - "NFL player's wife accuses Dolphins owner of favoring 'Jew buddies'" -> https://www.timesofisrael.com/nfl-players-wife-accuses-dolph... - "Everything's about race. Every single thing is about race. Remember that it's…

What those people really need is to have their opinions challenged by outsiders. That used to happen more on the early internet. Keep in mind that they didn't leave Reddit because they wanted to leave. They left and made Voat because they were banned. Now they don't have to interact with people that have dissenting opinions, and they can ban you if you dissent. Reddit is relieved because their users are no longer exp…

Subjecting people to the degrading and hateful ideas that target them for the sake of the well-being of the people spewing it is not an equitable proposition.

You can go to voat and debate white supremacists tho.

Re: I Miss the Old Internet

#150

Post by verylittlemeat »

tenpies wrote: post #145
verylittlemeat wrote: post #142

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Spend enough time on 4chan and you'll realize reddit is a safezone kid gloves hug box. And 4chan isn't even that bad in terms of bad or illegal content so that goes to show how relative it all is.

4chan is outright fantastic in some aspects. /g/ is actually quite useful and friendly, especially the DPT (Daily Programming Thread), more-so if you're a beginner. /trv/ (travel) is just good and perfectly slow where you won't feel pressure to keep up with a thread because it will still be there tomorrow. /fit/ has good information and really encapsulates what happens when the internet meets bro-gym culture. Compare…

Yeah 4chan is great but it differs from reddit in a fundamental way.

You can have a normal thread where someone will casually drop the N word or other slur and it will just sit there, maybe not even acknowledged but also not downvoted or deleted.

That alone is enough to turn people off immediately. They need that sense of retributive justice for a wrong they see in the universe. You're right that reddit can be just as bigoted than 4chan if not more so but I think you realize it's way more subtle and dogwhistley. The only reason a 4chan post will ever dance around being blunt bigotry is usually for the sake of humor not to ban evade.

Also I can't imagine browsing 4chan without something like 4chanX and your average person probably isn't going to bother installing that.

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