I got into web revival maybe a year ago? I honestly don't remember how, though it was probably tumblr.
one way or another, it led me to yesterweb. sadgrl seems to be the starting point for a lot of us, huh?
the ideas there resonated with me, i wandered neocities for a while and found myself in melonland.
every version of this page has used someone else's template. i'm no good at code, i just know how to manipulate it.
and honestly, that's great!! having the ability to make your own space without a computer science degree is wonderful.this stuff probably only seems so esoteric because of social media companies anyway... hmmmmmm...
i was an insta addict. i posted a lot, especially reels. even had an account get fairly big. eventually i recognized how toxic
it had become for me, and left. that was hard, since it was my *only* line of contact with a lot of people.
but in the end? i really feel like that's part of the toxicity. theres plenty of talk about parasocial relationships,
but what about real relationships that end up being 90% through social media? that shit is just as fake.
and i'm glad i cut it out. i had a youtube channel for a while, but i would never go back.
the realization was the same one as with inta: if it seems like they're not selling anything, you're probably the product.
not only with data sales, but also the content itself. on corporate social media we're both producer and consumer,
but veeeeery few of us make a cut of the money. tumblr was my last refuge, but i left after i accidentally followed some
pedo's blog and found my feed full of proship drama and creepy "debates" about age of consent...
i was just going to take a break and make a new account, but ultimately decided that i just didn't want to support
a company that lets pedo rings form as long as they label themselves "radqueers." fuck that.
so now all i have is my website and discord. i'd ditch discord too, but i can't without cutting off friends of mine
who cant afford a phone number. i fucking hate tiktok, but that's a rant for later.
i'm too young to remember yall's glory days of adless internet and no facebook, but honestly, i get the feeling
that like many things it's been oversimplified. so to me,the web revival movement is less revival and more
"where do we go from here?" i have no idea what would be best, but i can say what would be *better*:
less ads, less algorythms that push rage bait and misinformation, less fucked up billionaires
in charge of our communication. more direct interactions, more exchange of ideas, more education
more *social* in social media. i don't think this is the long-term solution, but it's a better alternative.
we need more education on how to navigate the web beyond "don't dox yourself", "here there be nazis", etc.
i like the alternative web for privacy. there's much less incentive to overshare. having to directly code it all in
means a bit more thought into every update. anonymity is great for getting away from data brokers, and for free speech
without the worry of it fucking with your employment or education. but for the exact same reason, it's dangerous.
i can't deny that the reasons that appeal to me because i don't want to be outed as soon as someone searches my name
or targeted by classmates like before are the same reasons neo-nazis and other bigots prefer it too.
i'm conflicted, then. i don't want to see this movement become the breeding ground of hate speech spaces.
it at least makes it more difficult for bigots to target minorities, but it isn't infallible.
so this is my friendly reminder to be careful how much you share. personal sites are a great space
for self-expresssion, but you never know who's going to be on the other end of the screen.