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diff --git a/content/blog/2026-06-27-internet.org b/content/blog/2026-06-27-internet.org new file mode 100644 index 0000000..0d4214b --- /dev/null +++ b/content/blog/2026-06-27-internet.org @@ -0,0 +1,427 @@ +#+date: [2026-06-29 Mon 21:12:00] +#+title: The Internet I Grew Up With Doesn’t Exist Anymore +#+description: +#+slug: internet +#+filetags: :personal:web: +#+draft: t + +* Introduction + +The internet; what can I say? It's the driving force behind nearly the whole +world today - economies, countries, communities, and more run solely on the +internet these days. + +However, it wasn't always this way. + +Once upon a time, the internet didn't even exist. When it did, the internet was +a *place*. It was a place you went. You selectively chose to visit the internet, +based on your own free will. + +If you wanted to visit a chat room, or perhaps preview a fancy new Flash game, +you visited the internet for a few minutes in the evening before going back to +your family or friends. + +This has changed dramatically in the last 20-30 years. Today, it's 2026 and +woven into nearly every part of daily life for the majority of the Earth's +population. + +Let's do a quick checklist and see what requires the internet or becomes tedious +if we opt not to use the internet (yes, this list is tedious on purpose): +- Banking +- Paying bills +- Taxes +- Shopping +- Watching TV or movies +- Listening to music +- Reading the news +- Looking up directions +- Ordering food +- Booking travel +- Messaging friends and family +- Video calls +- Playing most modern video games +- Downloading software updates +- Activating new devices +- Backing up photos +- Storing files +- Finding a restaurant +- Reading reviews +- Checking the weather +- Looking up a recipe +- Researching almost anything +- Applying for a job +- Remote work +- School and homework +- Medical records +- Scheduling appointments +- Government services +- Renewing licenses +- Filing insurance claims +- Managing investments +- Home security cameras +- Smart home devices +- Navigation in your car +- Finding a phone number +- Dating +- Selling used items +- Buying event tickets +- Boarding a flight +- Receiving package updates +- Authentication (2FA) +- Password management +- Identity verification + +What a list. How fun. I love being absolutely restricted to a specific +technology or method with little to no options. + +Joking aside, this post is my personal reflection of the internet, and perhaps +tech and life in general, over my lifetime. I was born in the late 1990s, but +was also born in a rural area of the USA, so I have been privileged to see +technology evolve from the "my stereo is the highest tech equipment in my house" +stage to the "I have all of human history in my pocket" stages. + +This post is about remembering these moments from my perspective, regardless of +whether the evolutions have been good or bad. + +As you read on, *please* (*PLEASE!*) send me an email if this post sparks a memory +or you have thoughts. I genuinely enjoy hearing these stories from anyone, and I +push for you to send me them as you think of them. + +* 2001: The Family Computer + +The family computer. What a throwback. Perhaps you even had a [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_place][third place]] +computer you visited. Wherever, whatever that computer was - think of that +computer as you read this. I will be speaking from my perspective and I hope it +resounds with someone out there. + +I recall coming home from school, getting through required chores, homework, or +anything else first. Perhaps you had siblings with which you shared the computer +or the TV. + +In my case, we owned an early 2000s Gateway tower PC. A beautiful (read: ugly), +beige Gateway computer with the spotted cow on it. It sat on a big "oak" hutch, +with integrated file-compatible drawers and specific spots for your matching +beige desktop speakers. + +#+caption: Gateway Ad from 1992 +[[https://www.vice.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/08/1565048739851-image3.png]] + +To use the computer, you likely turned on a very heavy CRT monitor. Perhaps it +even flickered, emitted you a static buzz, or showed a wavy pattern in the +graphics. This was the epitome of 2000s technology and people loved it. + +#+being_quote +*Side note*: We owned a heavy, wooden CRT TV set from the 1970s or 1980s that hid +all buttons behind a fake, black "speaker" that you could press to pop open. A +decade or two after we had tossed this TV into our barn for disposal, my brother +an I took turns hitting the glass screen it as hard as we could with a baseball +bat. + +It never left a mark, regardless of how hard we hit it. Why don't we produce +that quality anymore? +#+end_quote + +If you wanted to use the computer, you had to press a very heavy, circular +button that would emit a memorable CLUNK as you engaged the button within the +PC. This would result in an airplane level of whirring while it used maybe a few +GB of memory and hard drive storage to boot up [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_95][Windows 95]]. + +#+caption: Windows 95 Desktop +[[https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/eb/Windows_95_at_first_run.png]] + +At this point, the world was your oyster. You could do so many things that +humans throughout history couldn't do: +- Open multiple programs *at the same time*. Scientists were baffled. +- Minimize a window, then bring it back later. Pure sorcery. +- Move files by dragging them with your mouse. We truly lived in the future. +- Change the color of every pixel in *Paint*. Michelangelo could never. +- Hear your speakers make a loud POP every time Windows started. Reassuring. +- Watch a progress bar slowly fill from left to right while estimating "time to + complete" at 800 years. Entertainment for the whole family. +- Crash the entire computer because you opened one too many programs. Unlimited + power comes with responsibility. + +If you were luckier than I was, you also had access to the *INTERNET* at this +point. The cyberspace where you transmitted your energy through hyperwaves to +digital ends of the earth (i.e., sent a message to a stranger). + +My family had a dial-up modem until the mid-2000s, so I was rarely to use the +internet at this point. The extent of my experience spanned between our family +computer (used for games, documents, and wasting time exploring every single +menu and application available in Windows) and the church computer lab +(containing even older computers, somehow). + +At this point, there was no ritual to the internet or even to the computer +itself. The computer was a tool used for specific tasks, such as my mother +designing pamphlets in some obscure program for printing, or for fun. + +Often times, you would sit down with no particular destination. You were +*exploring*. I use that word specifically because it's how I truly felt. Whenever +I turned on a computer, I was exploring a digital universe that had not been +charted before. + +At this point, the internet was a distinct place you visited. Or, could ignore. +If you didn't like computers or the internet, no worries. You could ignore it as +much as you'd like. + +* 2004: Exploring the Web + +The internet stopped feeling like a software. + +It became its own world. + +This is the point in my life where the internet became real. I wasn't a pioneer +by any means, unless we're talking about [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Oregon_Trail_(1971_video_game)][The Oregon Trail]], but I was willing to +test and brute force any system through sheer curiosity, from a very early age. + +At this time, we launched [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_Explorer][Internet Explorer]] and loaded up your favorite search +engine. Perhaps it was Yahoo!, Altavista, MSN, Google, or something else. + +This was probably your home page, your default search engine in the browser, and +had an annoying toolbar installed on top of the browser itself. If you were +silly enough (like me), you had numerous toolbars that sacrificed valuable +screen space for the sake of /nothing/. + +Suddenly, you could find almost anything ever uploaded to the internet. Some +options could be: +- A walkthrough for the level you were stuck on. +- A fan site dedicated to your favorite TV show. +- A forum with 12 members arguing about phreaking. +- A Flash game that somehow consumed your entire afternoon. +- Someone's personal blog documenting their life in excruciating detail. + +More than this, the internet always felt *enormous* at this stage. No matter how +much you explored, searched, or cataloged, you never had the full image. The +internet was endless, borderless, and expansive. There was always a new rabbit +hole waiting for you. Even if you had to watch every image slowly appear one +horizontal line at a time. + +Before moving on to the next section, do you remember the [[https://www.spacejam.com/1996/][1996 SpaceJame +website]]? What a modern marvel. Honestly one of the world's wonders. + +* 2007: Living There + +Here we are. The part of this post I recall most vividly. The mid-2000s were a +phenomenal time in my personal history, as they were my transformative years. As +it relates to computing and the internet, this means that the mid-2000s were the +years of my utmost exploration, exploitation, and emancipation. + +Where do I even start? Perhaps we start with the state of the internet and what +exactly was available online. Perhaps this is triggering for certain readers, +and I apologize if it is, but it is the way the internet was at the time. + +If you wanted to see gruesome videos of executions, suicides, or the pain +olympics, all it took was a single search and your search engine would happily +return any results relevant to the words you typed. + +If you wanted to share information over the internet at this point, you probably +had an email from a site like AOL, Hotmail, Yahoo, Gmail, or your ISP +(Roadrunner, anyone?). Additionally, at this point, webmail clients were +extremely popular and most users would launch the webmail clients from their +providers to participate in email. + +Those of us who were /cool/ used things like MSN Messenger, AIM, etc. to chat +quickly without having to use an email. You could even use little pictures that +provided emotional reactions for you! Oh my goodness, what a time. + +#+caption: MSN Messenger Emoticons +[[https://img.cleberg.net/blog/20260627-internet/msn_emojis.webp]] + +Beyond chatting, the next big thing coming in the digital space was gaming. At +this time, it was seen as perhaps a silly side-hobby for some. While there may +have been some money in it for a few select games, most were not profitable - +they were created for other reasons, such as genuine intrigue in mechanics, +users' fun, and curiosity. + +Games and game companies like [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RuneScape][Runescape]], [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miniclip][Miniclip]] (8 Ball Pool, Agar.io, Doodle +Army), [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Club_Penguin][Club Penguin]], [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wizard101][Wizards 101]], and more dominated the scene in the mid-2000s. + +Beyond gaming, this was the age of users learning how to launch their own blogs, +vlogs, websites, and more. + +For example, let's look at [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GeoCities][GeoCities]] (1994-2009) and [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tumblr][Tumblr]] (2007-present). +These websites rapidly evolved the internet's landscape, as they offered a free +method for anyone to deploy a website or blog. + +Imagine being a young person, or a high schooler, or a college student, or an +adult in 2009. You have access to the internet and an interest in /something/ out +there in the world. You do a quick search and find a page related to it on +GeoCities or Tumblr, leading you down a hyperlink rabbit hole. + +If you were properly motivated at this time, you may wonder: "How do I do this? +Can I create a page like this?" The answer was yes, and it was easy! A few +minutes later, you could have your own site. There were few, if any, +restrictions on what you could publish online. + +This could lead you to learning HTML and CSS, as many users wanted to customize +their sites, which generally leads to users discovering the freedom of ownining +their own sites. This included things like mail signatures, avatars, +forum-specific usernames and more. + +The end result? Everyone could have their own corner of the internet. + +There was space for everyone and it was distinct. You could tell, both visually +and otherwise, that a site belonged to someone specific. It was property, +individually owned and updated by a human somewhere on Earth. + +* 2012: When Everything Started Changing + +Let's jump forward to the early/mid-2010s. I used 2012 as an example because +that's when I was in my first year of high school. At this time, you begin to +understand a bit more about the world, log more long-term memories in the brain, +and shift your perspectives. + +Let's start by creating a perspective of the world's technology at this time: +- The iPhone 5 was released. +- The first iPad Mini was released. +- The Wii U was released. +- Windows 8 & macOS Mountain Lion were the primary operating systems. +- YouTube, Tinder, & Vine ruled the digital landscape. + - Perhaps you even watched Gangnam Style on YouTube this year. + +At this time, Facebook continued to cannibalize the internet. Each year, +including 2012, Facebook consumed pages and converted websites into pages on +their own website. Games, the app center, mobile apps, "pokes", and more slowly +replaced other websites and communities on the web. + +/Twitter did the same thing around this time, to a lesser effect./ + +As part of this domination by the top web service providers, apps started +quickly replacing URLs. It felt as if apps became a first-class citizen of the +digital world and that they may actually be *more* preferential to launching a +web-first service. + +Paired with this app-first and centralized web was a preference for *algorithms* +(/everyone shudder together/) which used data about a user to determine a precise +factor of content for a user. Who cares about privacy at this point, right? +Let's just mine the data, build the features, make our money, and figure the +rest out later. + +At the end of all this is a world where more users than ever are carrying +smartphones, using apps over websites, using algorithms to find content, and +circling around the socially-rewarding locations of the digital universe. + +Personally... this felt like the beginning of the end. There was a short period +in the mid-2000s to the 2010s where these apps were truly rewarding and +valuable. They brought people together and we shared knowledge faster than ever. + +However, there was a dark side to this revolution. As these apps progressed, and +the underlying technologies progressed, the companies and investors driving +these efforts took a turn. Efforts pushed into the world of micro-transactions, +psychological rewards for utilizing a platform, profits over value, and a slow +descent into a disregard for the users. + +To me, that 2012 era was a turning point. You may personally love a different +era (1980/1990s gamer, anyone? Any former phreaks out there?), but to me, it +felt like we kept making leaps in technological capability until we reached the +point of economical profitability in the 2000s-2010s era, where corporations, +investors, and governments took a serious interest in controlling the internet. + +From here on out, the digital landscape seems to have a more sinister appearance +and affect on us. + +* 2026: Logging On Today + +Fast forward to today: 2026. You want to check the latest headlines in your browser (a simple task!): + +1. Turn on your computer - most likely Windows 10 or 11. +2. The computer nags you for updates. +3. Windows has installed more games and ad-infested apps you don't want. +4. Windows then advertises these new "features" to you via notifications. +5. You open your default browser - most likely Chrome. +6. When you do so, Edge nags you and asks if you want to switch to Edge? +7. The homepage of your browser is littered with ads, promotions, and other + distractions. +8. You start typing the URL of your favorite news site or searching for it - *but + wait*, your browser has some "recommendations" first, which seem like + thinly-veiled advertisements. +9. If you searched instead of typing the URL directly, your browser (most likely + Google) will show you an AI summary loosely related to your search but not + really what you were looking for you. Somewhere in the distance, a tree + wilts. +10. Below the AI "summary", which somehow takes half of the page space, results + are loaded. However, the top 3-5 are promoted results, which means they may + or may not relate to your search but someone paid to have them included. +11. *FINALLY*, below all of that, will be the "real" results. These have been + predetermined by Google's search algorithm. At this point, you'd suspect it + would be consistent or at least transparent, right? Wrong. It's a black + box - don't ask anymore questions. +12. You may click one, or maybe thirty, results before you find what you're + looking for. +13. Great, a website with a real answer. But wait! You're not trustworthy + because you haven't accepted every cookie and tracking beacon in the last + decade. Therefore, you will have to solve a captcha that requires 13 + iterations of clicking the "fastest animal" in an array of images, or worse, + bikes in various countries. +14. Once you solve all that, there's a cookie banner waiting for you that gives + you two options: + 1. Agree to all tracking (without seeing any information). + 2. Or, "see more", where you will be presented with somewhere around 20 + toggles to limit "legitimate interest" third-parties in the numbers of + the hundreds to thousands, or be ignorant and just accept all. + 3. If you don't wish to spend a week of human time reading the agreements of + these various parties, you will eventually lose hope and click whichever + button lets you access the website. +15. Phew. Finally. We're on the site itself. *Oh wait* - another AI summary and + maybe even an AI voice/podcast-style version of the article first? And it's + the latest feature, so of course you'll be nagged to try it out. +16. Oh wait, you're interrupted again. This site requires age verification to + view its contents. For some reason, another country's laws apply to you + right now (spare me the legalese in your responses). Therefore, you will + need to create an account, giving this company personal data again, and then + upload your national ID or other identification to prove who you are. +17. Whoo! What an easy process that would inspire you to visit again. At this + point, you can view the latest news article on the topic you were searching + for. Unfortunately, this site is owned by the same group of people who own + basically all news sites - ensuring you are reading the exact viewpoints + they are looking to communicate. + +What's the common theme here? There's an expectation on us at every single +step - proof of identification, proof of humanity, testing of their new +features, consumption of their views, etc., etc., etc. + +Pause too long on an ad because you're doing something in real life? Dang, seems +like someone online made an impression on you and you will be shown that content +religiously for months. + +We are rarely, if ever, allowed to freely roam and consume content we search for +or type in. There are innumerable layers of intermediaries impeding our digital +navigation. At each step, you may feel as if there's another party extracting +commercial value from your visit, your clicks, your eyes, your mouse, or your +scrolls. + +* The Internet I Miss + +I'm going to yell at clouds now. Be prepared. + +I miss the /old/ web, the indie web. Where websites were authored by humans, even +in capacity underneath a corporation. + +We had rudimentary tools to solve the riddle of discovery, but they were tools +nonetheless. Want to discover and explore new sites? You had search options, +such as early Google or Jeeves, or third party tools. We had web rings, +blogrolls, link lists, and other manually-curated pages to discover top-tier +content. + +We dealt with slow speeds, lack of early web security, and strangers because the +internet offered so much opportunity. Over time, that opportunity has shrunk +drastically and the cost of visiting the internet has both become mandatory, yet +more expensive. + +Finally, /no one/ owned the internet. Sure, we can get into semantics of the DNS +system and infrastructure, but the web - and specifically, content - quickly +became decentralized after the early stages until the recent centralization of +content. + +I just miss being able to visit the web, find personal content from fellow +internet explorers, and not spend the whole time avoiding the pitfalls of the +modern web. + +* Closing + +As I wrote this post, I went through many thoughts and emotions. One thought was +that the internet, as we knew it, disappeared. However, I don't think it did. +Rather, the experience of the internet disappeared. + +I certainly don't want to go back to 2005, I just hope we don't lose the parts +that made it feel worth exploring. |