Is it the Internet, or is it me?

[sonnik]

Okay, here's the gist of this post: Is the Internet not as fun, in a usable sense, as it used to be?

I'm thinking of years ago... perhaps back as far as even the BBS days. We then progressed into Newsgroups and the Web. Just browsing like the newsgroups or some obsure web site, it always seemed like you could find some good compilation of information or some cool download.

Now, we're inundated with stuff like viral YouTube clips and social networking sites. It seems as there's actually less content, and just more sites linking to the limited amount of content.

Perhaps it's just we're so reliant on a few dominant search engines that limit the kinds of web site they crawl. For example, while vBulletin and phpBB have seemingly taken the place of Newsgroups - is it still easy to search for/find all the content you really are looking for?

[Redux]

not as fun, in a usable sense, as it used to be?

I'm thinking of years ago...There will never be anything like the old BBS days. Very focused, tight groups, frequently fewer than a hundred people in a subject area. High cost of entry.

But it's like modern music and films, I'm sure there's just as much quality there as always, but some of us are simply getting too old to appreciate much of it.

For example I haven't been to a University library in 3-4 years. The amount of research information available on this Internet thingie, absymally laid out and filled with noise as it is, is simply astonishing when you stop to think of it. There was never anything like this on BBSs or Arpanet.

[Marc]

High cost of entry.
I wouldn't be surprised if this could be the key element that defines the difference.

When you let the pigs into the dining room, the food turns to slop.

[grondramb]

It feels to me a lot like 1999 - everything that has been fun on the net has 100 companies trying to monetize it.

[farleyruskz]

I think we're on the cusp of Internet bubble 2.0 with this whole "social media" revolution, and it's just a matter of time before it bursts.

Facebook worth $15 billion? Give me a break.

[dirk1843]

I want more text and less photos, java, whatever all that crap is that takes forever to load a page.

My "broadband" connection of 1.5 mbs seems like dial up all over again!!

[Snowman]

Because any dumbass that wants to can set up a site, well, you get a lot of dumbasses. I'm amazed at the people with links to their blogs. I can't imagine anything in my life worth setting up a "look what snowman has done or thinks" site. Why would anyone read a blog of an unknown that has nothing to do with nothing? Oops, myspace has a gazillion users so I must be the one "behind the times".

There's a LOT of good information out there, but I'll agree that there's a huge amount of copying that goes on, and a huge amount of trash. So, when you're googling something like wolf spider (just a guess), you'll find a gazillion hits, 99% having the exact same content, some about people being bit by wolf spiders and pix of their wounds, etc. If you want information that isn't contained in the single site that everyone else copied, you're going to be looking for a LONG time.

[Mysteryman]

12 years ago there were two BBS's within local calling range for me on my 2400 baud modem. Only one of the two actually had two modems so you didn't have to wait for someone lese to log off before you could get in. I'd do my 5 minutes of Legend of the Red Dragon my 5 minutes of Tradewars and check my messages and fidonet. I'd spend the rest of the night dialed into the local university shell account and logon to some Canadian (I think was in CA) telnet chat room making pathetic attempts to hit on girls.

Last night I downloaded in 11 seconds an MP3 that a guy made of "chocolate rain" using 8-bit nintendo sound libraries.

Go ahead, tell me we haven't traveled far. :)

[grondramb]

Anything called "Chocolate rain" would scare me in light of what has been posted recently...

[Makita]

12 years ago there were two BBS's within local calling range for me on my 2400 baud modem. Only one of the two actually had two modems so you didn't have to wait for someone lese to log off before you could get in. I'd do my 5 minutes of Legend of the Red Dragon my 5 minutes of Tradewars and check my messages and fidonet. I'd spend the rest of the night dialed into the local university shell account and logon to some Canadian (I think was in CA) telnet chat room making pathetic attempts to hit on girls.

Last night I downloaded in 11 seconds an MP3 that a guy made of "chocolate rain" using 8-bit nintendo sound libraries.

Go ahead, tell me we haven't traveled far. :)
Legend...
...Chocolate Rain.

Legend...
...Chocolate Rain.

Legend...
...Chocolate Rain.

Sorry, dude, I am goin' with the Dragon on this one.
:)