zlacker

>>topshe+(OP)
In the end, I feel like there is a silver lining to all this. As the world wide web becomes more sanitised with their codes of conduct, corporate censorship, ads, witch hunts, all these limitations - more and more, I hope, would the valuable, interesting bits of it drift to alternative locations.

The internets of old were just that - a place where nerds, freaks, outcasts, and other antisocial personalities congregated. Everything was permitted and everything was possible. Many, myself included, hoped that it would change the world. It didn't - the world is winning again, as everyone can clearly see. Still, I hope that the normalisation of the web might as well create a critical mass of those who just want something more than just a corporate safe space.

I sincerely wish that there is a future where protocols like gemini - stripped from all the visual noise and 'dynamic' features - get a critical mass of useres. If that doesn't happen - as someone who doesn't use any mainstream social media, google and microsoft services, llms and other modern (and some might add - dystopian) stuff - I don't really loose much. There are enough great books for a hundred lifetimes, enough hikes to walk and friends to get blasted with. Maybe it'd even be for the better.

>>suslik+Vm
That colourful internet of yore coexisted with doing your banking at a bank. Now, banking has largely moved online and banks have eliminated a lot of their physical locations. Ditto for accessing government services in many countries. The concern here is no longer being able to do important everyday things without using a supported browser, even if a small hobbyist internet for nerds, freaks, and outcasts survived out there.