Welcome to the first of what I hope is a series of regular entries here on the blog. I’ve been creating content in one form or another on the internet since 1995 and my hope is that this place will evolve into a place to discuss my own personal thoughts and opinions on various topics as well as share some insight and history that I’ve experienced as a long-time content creator.
Many years ago when the internet was still in its infancy, I would regularly sit down at my computer and boot up a combination of applications which usually included Netscape and mIRC. It’s so difficult to describe what things were like back then. The internet was a goldmine of information and organic communication. Around the year 2000, the commercial internet we know today looked nothing like the corporate, sanitized, and monetized monstrosity it has become. Instead, it was a loose collection of independent web servers hosting internet relay chat, personal webpages, and web forums. With a little effort, you could find a chat room or web forum for whatever interested you. There were no algorithms, invasive or deceptive advertising, or corporate AI-overlords tracking and cataloging everything you did.
These days, my setup is much more complicated and I hate it. A combination of Edge for web browsing and watching YouTube, Discord, and more recently using PowerShell for Emacs and IRC. Interestingly, my recent foray into PowerShell and back to IRC came about because of the atrocious performance of the Windows 11 operating system. Maybe one day I’ll write an entry about how bad it really is, but let’s say that when it’s faster for a 40+ year old man to type to delete a file than to bring up the UI…something is seriously wrong.
By now you’re probably wondering…what is the point of this post? Well, it’s simple, really. This is HELLO WORLD! This is where I tell you about the reasons that I plan to write on this website. So, let’s break it down a bit, shall we?
I’ve reached a point in my life where I’m simply unhappy with the state of technology. While I realize that I long for the early days of the internet with rose-colored nostalgia glasses, I am searching for a way for us to return to a more organic web. Since 2009 I’ve been heavily active on social media and watched the corporate algorithms take over. As a YouTube content creator I’ve relied on the algorithm to push my content ahead of others, with moderate success. With this blog, I want something simpler, free of the algorithm. I want a place where readers can come to escape the corporate web and get a taste of easier times. There will be no comments section, no voting, or sharing buttons. I’d like to see my work shared on other platforms, but you’ll need to copy and paste the URL…the old school way. Advanced scripting and reactive elements will be minimal to ensure browser compatibility, but no flashing lights or unusual accents. I want the most technical elements of this blog to be the content.
My plan is to make this blog a weekly event, most likely on Fridays so that my readers have something to look at throughout the weekend. Some entries will be long, some will be short. The topics will cover whatever I feel like at the moment. It will mostly be tech and opinion, but I also plan to write about projects I’m working on and things that interest me. Despite the corporate stranglehold on today’s web, there is still so much possibility out there for us to make it great once again. There’s still time for the digital nomads of yesterday to reclaim cyberspace and make it the amazing world it was destined to be.
Join me. Will you?