I’ve lamented the loss of what I called “old internet energy” — the feeling of a largely-nerdy community forming around something new. I felt it on early Digg and on Reddit for a good while, until the last 7-10 years or so after mainstream users started pouring in. I feel that here again. ‘It’s nice.

I’m honestly surprised it even got this far. It was just common sense to me, even a decade ago, that companies that burned through VC cash and tried building up user bases with little regard for actual profitability couldn’t possibly keep it up forever.

I agree. This feels more like the AACS encryption key fiasco to me than it does Digg v4. Brief context for the unaware, in 2007 Digg started taking down posts and accounts that referenced a hex code that could be used to decrypt HD-DVDs and Blu-rays. The userbase was very unhappy about it and spammed the front page with the code, rendering Digg basically useless. Digg relented pretty quickly, and while the site continued to chug along for another couple of years or so, the bad taste left in users' mouths surely triggered a lot of them to start jumping over to Reddit.

I loved TechTV when it was a thing, and had followed many of those personalities to their respective podcast networks and to Digg when that channel imploded; over time I definitely started leaning more towards Reddit though, as one could definitely see the corporate pressure that Digg was starting to cave to. The "darkening" of Reddit today feels a lot closer to that moment than to the big Digg v4 switchover -- the beginning of the end rather than the final nail. Feels very surreal looking back and having been there for all of it.

This is how I feel too! “Old internet energy” is what I’ve called it, and it’s great to feel that again

It's hardly been 24 hours, but this is the most engaged I've felt in an online space in years. I've gone on a k.bin/Lemmy/Mastodon tear over the past day, exploring instances and looking for the one that I vibe with the most. So far I've been very happy with Beehaw as my home base, and love that I still have access to the communities on the other instances as well. It takes a slight bit of effort to find communities and make sure that I'm subscribed to them on this account, but I've actually found some satisfaction in the process.

Sure, there's a low volume of content compared to the old place, but if I wanted a constant barrage of content I could just go back to RSS readers and have my fill. It's the discussion and sense of connection that has made it worth investing my time here.

I don’t want it to. I enjoyed reddit the most when it was mainly a techier and generally thoughtful crowd, large enough to always be interesting but not so big as to be a gluttonous mass of nonsense. The ever-so-slightly higher barrier to entry to the Fediverse compared to other platforms (which spooks mainstream users even though it’s really not that hard) gives me hope that the Fediverse will keep its character for a good while.

Yeah. Pretty clear now that Reddit, being community-driven above all else, would’ve struggled to get anywhere without Alexis around to handle basic human interactions in the early goings.

Same but with American Truck Simulator!

I don’t have that fortitude yet, haha. My account is from 2007. Have my little Colbert Rally badge on it from a goofier, tighter-knit time on Reddit. Feels more like a monument than a home now, though.

They’ve slowed down considerably, but ERB still put out new ones a handful of times a year and the quality is still pretty damn high!

I don’t know how experimental they were per se, solidly jazz fusion, but anything by the Mahavishnu Orchestra tends to be a journey.

I will second Cuphead. Fair warning: it’s really difficult in that old-school sidescroller way in that you will lose many lives and you will have to try the levels again many times. But it is far and away one of my favorite games ever because the developers hand-animated it in 1920s rubber hose style — I’m talking frame by frame, by cell. They have a great art book too if you really take to it like I did. 😅 ! Book.

I love the quiet tension in this.

I feel you! Such is the game with photography, experiencing beautiful moments of serendipity!