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Why isn't the internet more fun and weird? (2019)

jarredsumner.com

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Re: Why isn't the internet more fun and weird? (2019)

#2

Post by EddieDante »

This sales pitch doesn't impress me. The internet isn't fun or weird any longer because corporations have taken over, and most normies aren't going to bother to learn how to build and operate their own websites. Just like most normies aren't going to bother to become their own sysadmins so they can run GNU/Linux on their PCs.

Most people are fine with the Web being what it is today: QVC with a comments section.

Re: Why isn't the internet more fun and weird? (2019)

#3

Post by raxxorraxor »

EddieDante wrote: post #2

This sales pitch doesn't impress me. The internet isn't fun or weird any longer because corporations have taken over, and most normies aren't going to bother to learn how to build and operate their own websites. Just like most normies aren't going to bother to become their own sysadmins so they can run GNU/Linux on their PCs. Most people are fine with the Web being what it is today: QVC with a comments section.

QVC is almost quality content compared to parts of the web. Corporations do like it sanitized and fun is the lowest common denominator of content that is still able to hold your attention while reaching the largest audience as possible.

But there is also truth that creativity of people gets stifled by locked down environments. In the past myspace blogs got a lot of mockery but I guess most people will miss it in contrast social media we have today. There is good stuff too and Tiktok is not the end of society, but the interesting stuff that can hold your attention beyond 10 minutes is rare. Perhaps it was never different and just seems this way because there is unlimited content.

Re: Why isn't the internet more fun and weird? (2019)

#4

Post by Kaotique »

Fun and weird has moved into TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram with stickers, music, sounds and overlays. It allows millions of people to enjoy creating fun and weird things and not only the handful of people who want to mess around with html snippets.

I miss it too, but we are the minority.

Re: Why isn't the internet more fun and weird? (2019)

#9

Post by kossTKR »

I remember the thousands of interesting and weird pages listed on StumbleUpon - directories of obscure topics, avant garde art projects and detailed field specific blogs - many of them both pretty and thoroughly made.

Mind expanding stuff.

I feel like today all of that has moved to silos like tiktok and instagram, in extreme short form formats that are easily disposable - so almost no one creates truly great "compilations" of stuff, directories, blogs, galleries or whatever - it's all just streams of disconnected content free floating towards oblivion in a few days.

This has made everything bite-sized and fragmented everyones attention as nothing is getting polished or curated to perfection.

I miss people polishing stuff, then just letting it sit out there for people to enjoy. Today everything is hidden after a few days - so the rare gems disappear too while the algorithms and search engines favour the easily devourable in the first place.

We need something like Stumbleupon back, does that exist? I wonder why it wasn't viable.

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