When the internet was more fun?

Angel

New member
Trying to remember back in 8 years ago... How many hours I wasted having fun on the net.

I was constantly messaging - on just a few forums. Then something in the last 6 years happened that killed it. I can't wrap my head around what the big event that sort of made the net unfun. I remember 8 years ago, There were websites everywhere on everything, they were easy to find and you can get EXACTLY what you wanted from the net, with a little effort.

Anyone else get the feeling the net has dramatically changed in the last decade. I mean, but in 1998 when I first used the net, it was boring. But the most interneting bit seems to have been 2002 - 2004. Don't know why. I find I spend more time on the internet doing pratically nothing.
 
I definitely agree, a lot of it too me though was that 2002-04 had some of the most revolutionary games being released etc so there was always a lot of excitement and plenty to look up. But even now I find any of the best and funniest internet videos and so I watch now are just the same ones I initially found back then. I do sit on the net way more now and do so much less. So yeah, I think the internet was just a bit more interesting back then. It is sad.
 
I was still a teenager so I was still keen and everything was part of a trend to me. I found the friendest people then, all of which have moved on and the current crop of net peeps seem a lot less funa nd a lot more grumpy. Also, the guys running things now were part of the 2004 era it seems and whereas the kids coming through the net the same age as those guys were then seem almost... More stupid.

I mean, I knew guys at 16 coding + owning websites, now the 16 year olds seem to know nothing. O_O

Also you can't search for anything now without bringing up e-bay and price comparison sites, so surfing the net to see what gears around it almost a pointless task. And wiki-systems have stolen the purpose of individual fandom websites and turned out to be worst then they ever were.
 
It's all a matter of perspective really, and it sounds like you need to find better ways to spend your free time or have fun. Everyone goes through something like this regardless of the subject on hand.

The net hasn't gotten worse, it's just a lot bigger than it used to be and that's both a good and a bad thing. You may not have as much "fun" but individual opinions vary. The net is what it is now, a part of almost everything we do. But 14 years ago, it was hot stuff and I had a ball initially networking with people I would've never met in real life. Even made long lasting friendships in the process. The most "fun" I've had was during that time, particularly around 97 when I got into Tekken and waiting for MK4.

Years passed and I'm older so naturally I don't spend more time trying to have fun or socialize as much on the net. TRMK is one of the 3 forums I post at and look at my post count. I will say this, complexity has created a dark site over the years. Generally, just steer clear of curmudgeons, or ignore them. They had those in the 90's too.

I mean, I knew guys at 16 coding + owning websites, now the 16 year olds seem to know nothing. O_O

Again, personal experiences. Being smart is not a generational trait, and if you happen to know a few idiots kids, they're not representative of their whole generation. Besides, I should hope that you don't know many 16 years or hang around them at 26 :p

I think tech savvy teenagers nowadays are smarter simply because of the evolution of the available technology. George Hotz, the infamous iPhone hacker was merely 17 (he's almost now) when he hacked the iPhone and came close to hacking the impenetrable PS3 more than anyone else.
 
I think it's all a matter of perspective really. I thought the internet was much better in the late 90s/early 00s when most of my time was spent in #mk3 on EFnet. I was hanging out with great people who were writing the FAQs and guides for all the games I was obsessed with. It seemed like everyone on the net now is a stupid n00b, then I happened to find some old IRC logs from way back when and realized I was the stupid n00b and other people probably felt about me the way I feel about youngin's on the interwebs now.

I guess after you've been on the internet long enough, it's hard to not fall into the "damn kids, get off my lawn" mindset.
 
I go back and forth with the net. I've had periods in which the net was super fun and then there are dead times where I don't even want to go online.

I guess it depends on what you do. I usually use the net for forums and a lot of forums are dead these days.
 
Sorry to bump this, but I feel like I need to comment here. I think I agree with the topic creator here, and in fact that's probably why I've been gone so long. I think it has to do with how pervasive the internet has become in all our lives. Cyberspace used to be a new place... a frontier to be conquered. A place where boring people could acheive greatness. Now, everyone's moved in and the internet really isn't distinct from reality anymore. In the old days, you used to be warned not to post personal info on the net because someone would use that info to come and kill you in your sleep. Now we have Facebook. It's just a totally different world than it used to be.
 
Trying to remember back in 8 years ago... How many hours I wasted having fun on the net.

I was constantly messaging - on just a few forums. Then something in the last 6 years happened that killed it. I can't wrap my head around what the big event that sort of made the net unfun. I remember 8 years ago, There were websites everywhere on everything, they were easy to find and you can get EXACTLY what you wanted from the net, with a little effort.

Anyone else get the feeling the net has dramatically changed in the last decade. I mean, but in 1998 when I first used the net, it was boring. But the most interneting bit seems to have been 2002 - 2004. Don't know why. I find I spend more time on the internet doing pratically nothing.

ya know, we're about the same age and having a similar problem, but I believe I have an answer. your just getting old man. yup, thats it. the internet is just as fun you're just more mature so the content is less exiting, I'm sure smoking pot was fun 8yrs ago too I'm sure porn was more arousing and you probably did more stuff. It's just age dude. uh.. or dudette. don't cry or get excited just go with the flow, nothing matters in the flow.
 
"In the old days, you used to be warned not to post personal info on the net because someone would use that info to come and kill you in your sleep."

That's funny 'cause it's true.

And yeah, I too feel a little bit like you guys. Nowadays I spend hours on the web just staring at the same old things, at least that's what it feels like.
 
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