Sometimes, I miss certain aspects of the old internet 👴🏻:

- Usenet via NNTP (discussion threads in plain text)
- Chats on IRC (chat without bullshit)
- Simple websites that were about content and passion instead of monetarization, tracking and advertisement.

Meanwhile the modern net in 2025:
- Ads and intrusive tracking omnipresent
- Centralization, platform economy, gate keeping and entshittificatiion.
- Overregulation and legal pitfalls everywhere.

The Fediverse is a step into the right direction: Open protocol, decentralized and community driven, in a time where huge parts of the net are simply driven by corporate greed and governments that want to regulate everything.

#oldinternet #nostalgia #fediverse #mastodon #goodoldtimes

"That #oldinternet feeling.
Not the dial-up speed or the clunky UIs or the hours spent waiting for downloads to finish — but the vibe. The sense of freedom, curiosity, and ownership. The thrill of customising things just because you could. The joy of getting your hands dirty with tech.
I thought that era had ended. Turns out, it’s still there. You just have to #builditback yourself."
@laurahttps://laurahargreaves.com/the-old-internet/

"That #oldinternet feeling.
Not the dial-up speed or the clunky UIs or the hours spent waiting for downloads to finish — but the vibe. The sense of freedom, curiosity, and ownership. The thrill of customising things just because you could. The joy of getting your hands dirty with tech.
I thought that era had ended. Turns out, it’s still there. You just have to #builditback yourself."
@laurahttps://laurahargreaves.com/the-old-internet/

✨ New blog post: “Back to the Old Internet: A Personal Reboot”
Switching to Linux. Self-hosting. Fossifying my phone.
I thought the old internet was gone — turns out, it just needed a reboot.
https://laurahargreaves.com/the-old-internet/?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=autopost

#OldInternet#OpenWeb#FOSS#Linux#DigitalReboot

✨ New blog post: “Back to the Old Internet: A Personal Reboot”
Switching to Linux. Self-hosting. Fossifying my phone.
I thought the old internet was gone — turns out, it just needed a reboot.
https://laurahargreaves.com/the-old-internet/?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=autopost

#OldInternet#OpenWeb#FOSS#Linux#DigitalReboot