The Internet Free Zone (1997)(arachnoid.com)
arachnoid.com
The Internet Free Zone (1997)
https://arachnoid.com/freezone/
42 comments
> I find it amusing how programs from the 90s can have much better usability, more features and better reliability than something released today in many cases.
Those programs were new then.
Then 10 project managers were added, and each wanted something new (or in case of google, a new program altogether), new features, new design, new something, and instead of a good (and later maintained) program, we have software with pretty much the same features as in 1997, but suddenly uses 3 gigs of ram.
Those programs were new then.
Then 10 project managers were added, and each wanted something new (or in case of google, a new program altogether), new features, new design, new something, and instead of a good (and later maintained) program, we have software with pretty much the same features as in 1997, but suddenly uses 3 gigs of ram.
Those programs could also be paid for on a one-time basis.
Bad software is less about PM bloat, and more about the SaaS model that incentivizes companies to continually add features and "make work", whether or not their customers have asked for it.
Bad software is less about PM bloat, and more about the SaaS model that incentivizes companies to continually add features and "make work", whether or not their customers have asked for it.
Maybe? A Gemini link just came across my feed the other day. It seems to be an underground scene, and its quirky protocol and format suggests it's going to remain an underground scene for quite some time.
Back to basics is already available, in a sense, if you want it.
Back to basics is already available, in a sense, if you want it.
I hang out in that scene from time to time (particularly, the "tildeverse": https://tildeverse.org/).
IMO, it's necessarily an underground scene because mass culture wants big tech. It takes a certain awareness and commitment to principles to reject the convenience afforded by seemingly free everything that happens to be paid for by selling user data and all the other negatives that come with that (like engagement at any cost).
True, there's a lot of free stuff in the tildeverse as well, but everything there exists because someone thinks it's cool and is willing to take on the financial hit to have it exist without asking for compensation.
IMO, it's necessarily an underground scene because mass culture wants big tech. It takes a certain awareness and commitment to principles to reject the convenience afforded by seemingly free everything that happens to be paid for by selling user data and all the other negatives that come with that (like engagement at any cost).
True, there's a lot of free stuff in the tildeverse as well, but everything there exists because someone thinks it's cool and is willing to take on the financial hit to have it exist without asking for compensation.
I believe a lot of tech choices made over the last 10-15 years were a result of zero interest rates by the federal reserve. I think some of these things were good tech, and others were made to compensate for the rapid influx of bad bootcamp programmers who were needed to scale businesses with the free money coming out of the fed.
I think with a more selective job market, people can make tech choices based more on tech and less on labor
I think with a more selective job market, people can make tech choices based more on tech and less on labor
The premature departure of flash, and the premature state of Javascript trying to be a hammer to everythign also contributed to this.
Web apps were running fine with a bit of Jquery.
Today's experiences are much more immersive for sure, and the technologies underpinning them are getting much more effective and efficient to write and maintain. Svelte is one that comes to mind.
Web apps were running fine with a bit of Jquery.
Today's experiences are much more immersive for sure, and the technologies underpinning them are getting much more effective and efficient to write and maintain. Svelte is one that comes to mind.
"Enshittified" is a valuable contribution to the lexicon.
Apparently coined by Cory Doctorow in January this year - https://www.wired.com/story/tiktok-platforms-cory-doctorow/
Indeed amusing! :) One could argue that they are back - but now as desktop webapps each with their own bundled browser. And making sure to drain the same proportion of available resources on the system.
Edit: fixed typo
Edit: fixed typo
A process that began with computing being easier and easier so users became less and less skilled has ended with companies that have their hooks in people from the moment they're old enough to work a touchscreen through the rest of their lives.
> I wonder whether we'll be seeing a return back to basics in terms of the internet/applications soon.
I am aware of a few underground scenes that are doing this. It seems like it's possible for one of them to break out into public consciousness and gain traction eventually.
I am aware of a few underground scenes that are doing this. It seems like it's possible for one of them to break out into public consciousness and gain traction eventually.
I don't foresee this happening anytime soon, given the abstractions that keep doubling.
It has been a very long time since I even thought of this site, and the related CareWare license. I am happy to have the opportunity to bring it back into my mind! For further good feelings please see the author's Acracnophilia license.
https://arachnoid.com/careware/index.html
Something like this would be pretty cool as a registry. I'd love to be able browse a bunch of websites that are all about creating and sharing instead of exploiting and profiting.
A webring might be a good for the "old internet" vibe, but a search engine limited to sites that don't sell anything (including visitors) would be even better.
I'm not sure this page would technically quality for the level 1 membership considering it has the "These Pages Created and Maintained using Arachnophilia" ad for Arachnophilia but maybe since it's on the same domain it doesn't count.
A webring might be a good for the "old internet" vibe, but a search engine limited to sites that don't sell anything (including visitors) would be even better.
I'm not sure this page would technically quality for the level 1 membership considering it has the "These Pages Created and Maintained using Arachnophilia" ad for Arachnophilia but maybe since it's on the same domain it doesn't count.
> A webring might be a good for the "old internet" vibe, but a search engine limited to sites that don't sell anything (including visitors) would be even better.
Like marginalia[0]?
0: https://search.marginalia.nu/
Like marginalia[0]?
0: https://search.marginalia.nu/
There's also http://wiby.me and https://searchmysite.net
> Over the past few years, the Internet has been almost entirely taken over by commercial interests.
As if the other interests are better. Eg Russian trolling ain't a commercial interest, it's a geopolitical one. Or [politics](https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/9weLK2AJ9JEt2Tt8f/politics-i...) in general.
The web of 1997 was so much more innocent, when we mostly had to worry about those 'evil' commercial interests.
As if the other interests are better. Eg Russian trolling ain't a commercial interest, it's a geopolitical one. Or [politics](https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/9weLK2AJ9JEt2Tt8f/politics-i...) in general.
The web of 1997 was so much more innocent, when we mostly had to worry about those 'evil' commercial interests.
One thing aged poorly: Level 2 means you don’t sell stuff or spam. Level 1 means you don’t violate user privacy and show ads.
Selling actual stuff doesn’t seem bad, especially when compared to user tracking.
Selling actual stuff doesn’t seem bad, especially when compared to user tracking.
"Selling actual stuff" is why the Internet is awash in soulless SEO blog posts. The only reason to write them is to pull in search traffic from people looking for that term. And there's no reason to want to do that unless you want them to buy something.
This immediately stuck out to me as a flaw. I don't have a problem with, e.g. small content creators selling hats with their logo on, but that site wouldn't be condoned by IFZ.
But a site showing adverts for those hats would be okay? It seems backwards.
But a site showing adverts for those hats would be okay? It seems backwards.
Very nice, I'm going to add the banner to my site :D
Aside: Arachnophilia was the first editor I used for web page development in the late 90s as it was installed on every PC in my university's computer rooms. It's amazing to rediscover it now!
The worst thing about the enshittified Internet is that government sites used to have the old free spirit of the 'net, whereas now they are as bad or worse than the commercial crap.
For example, even in the late '90s you could still access the research reports on the DEA website. One of the more memorable ones was about the "Bay Area Organization" that their chemists determined was the source of virtually all LSD-25 sold in the North American market. Furthermore, the distribution network was found to travel with Grateful Dead shows. Another interesting observation in the report was that this organization was impossible to infiltrate, because unlike the narcotics traffickers who were money motivated, the Bay Area Organization appeared to be made up of true believers who wanted to share psychedelics for spiritual or mystical reasons rather than commercial gain. Needless to say this information isn't in any way surprising to anyone who was there, but that level of transparency from a three letter agency on the Internet is utterly unthinkable today.
I wouldn't be surprised if some former members of the "Bay Area Organization" read this site. If any of you are, I hope that you are writing memoirs and will please publish them at a time you find prudent.
For example, even in the late '90s you could still access the research reports on the DEA website. One of the more memorable ones was about the "Bay Area Organization" that their chemists determined was the source of virtually all LSD-25 sold in the North American market. Furthermore, the distribution network was found to travel with Grateful Dead shows. Another interesting observation in the report was that this organization was impossible to infiltrate, because unlike the narcotics traffickers who were money motivated, the Bay Area Organization appeared to be made up of true believers who wanted to share psychedelics for spiritual or mystical reasons rather than commercial gain. Needless to say this information isn't in any way surprising to anyone who was there, but that level of transparency from a three letter agency on the Internet is utterly unthinkable today.
I wouldn't be surprised if some former members of the "Bay Area Organization" read this site. If any of you are, I hope that you are writing memoirs and will please publish them at a time you find prudent.
So innocent and naive. Now we just sell the user data to advertisers.
I really like that the old web is making a comeback
A shop I worked for had a web 1.0 easter egg version of their homepage.
Apparently there's a whole subset of Japanese only websites that still use web 1.0 design considerations.
I've been tempted to learn Japanese just so I can experience the joy of being frozen in the 90s.
If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
Apparently there's a whole subset of Japanese only websites that still use web 1.0 design considerations.
I've been tempted to learn Japanese just so I can experience the joy of being frozen in the 90s.
If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
> I've been tempted to learn Japanese just so I can experience the joy of being frozen in the 90s.
When it comes to Japan, you can even double up on the '90s goodness by maintaining a POTS line with a fax machine.
When it comes to Japan, you can even double up on the '90s goodness by maintaining a POTS line with a fax machine.
Stop I can only handle so much nostalgia!
Funny enough, I end up using a fax 0-1 times a year. Enough that I can just do it at work.
Document scanning however is a different story. I do that enough times a year that I keep one on hand next to my laser printer (<3).
Funny enough, I end up using a fax 0-1 times a year. Enough that I can just do it at work.
Document scanning however is a different story. I do that enough times a year that I keep one on hand next to my laser printer (<3).
Japanese websites often seem really busy to me. I'm not fan of narrow strips of content with excessive whitespace designed for cell phones but too much information/link/image density and it's overwhelming.
One analysis I’ve heard of that is that Japanese is naturally a more dense language than English or other European languages, so the style seems more natural to native readers of Japanese.
There may be more to it than just that. Japanese culture seems to value really busy spaces. Frantic pop music, blinking lights, and all that. Possibly not coincidentally, the most popular recreational drug in Japan is meth.
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I mean, I'll never sell my customer data... but I do charge for hosting so I guess I don't qualify...
I love that it looks like a banner ad.
I think I qualify for a level 1 membership.
I wonder if www.emlia.org qualifies?
From before the internet was so overwhelmed by late stage capitalism that it's almost impossible to conceive of something not based on sales and/or advertising. "Those were the days."
The optimist in me says that it will happen as almost everything popular becomes enshittified and unusable, so the "old" alternatives come back because they are just that much better, so a new cycle of innovation starts again. The pessimist in me says that it won't happen and in 5 years, we'll be using our computers as slightly larger phones and everything replaced with hyper-monetised, LLM-generated trash.