The Internet Is Dead

Well, is it though?

So where are we now?

In recent times there's been a lot of posts about the internet being dead. It's really been a theory for quite some time. There also have been a lot of posts about the internet being alive.

We'll both is true. There's so many bots out there, uncountable amounts since AI became powerful. They scam people, they create people's opinions, they confuse people and they make people question reality. Who and what is real?

Companies are starting to create content primarily for AI. UX people claim to no longer only focus on humans alone, but also on bots and AI. Designers, artists and developers are being replaced with AI, since some investors and CEOs no longer believe in their value. These changes worry me. They scare me. I'm a developer myself. I'm not sure I'll have a job in 2 years. And it's not my choice. It's not even about me not believing I can add value.

It's also very hollow. After SEO tricks, ad-boosted content, AI coded websites and companies taking up large parts of the web, most websites are not meant for 98% of people. What are we doing here? We're creating an abstraction layer to humans, but for whom?

On the other hand, there's an healthy amount of humans just making content for other humans and themselves. Newsletters like The Index, that focus on the love of the craft of the web and the people behind it. The whole movement about digital gardens, now pages, communities on discord or other forums. People that care about their hobbies and interests, however niche they may be. Ecological gardens, Speedrunning or just people being called Josh. That is amazing.

To me, that's the point.

My internet is great

And it's been on my mind. I love the internet. At least some of it. It's been a big part of my life for 20 or so years. Online-communities, reddit, a lot of possibilities. I love browsing websites, I love looking at digital design, I love finding people who express themselves on the internet. There really is a place for everyone.

I've learned so much on the internet, connected with people accross the globe, learned about different cultures, foods, recipes. Pinoy Dota, fun twitch streamers, great youtube content. It influenced me a lot. I've went out to buy ingredients from Ghana, from Sichuan, from Chile. Places I've never been nor will I ever visit. And some of them become stable foods and recipes for me. I love Mapo Tofu, I love a good Chili, I love Fufu.

I played so many games with people I've never met before. I made friends on the internet. I've even found love on the internet, both in Germany, but also in the UK, in Sweden, in Hungary. I even visited some of them later. It's so weird.

And I don't think that's going away. At least, I hope so. I will continue to build websites for humans. I will continue to try to create online communities and I will continue to use the internet as a medium to connect people.

I don't care, if some people want to ingest all of their content through chat interfaces, through their sad little perv glasses or think that design and UX don't mean as much anymore.

To me, they do. I enjoy websites. I enjoy looking at good design. At quirky design. Just SOME HUMAN EXPRESSION. Show me, what you care about. Show me your taste. It's not about perfection. It's about communication, it's about expanding your horizon, it's about us - humans.

Thank you for being here

If you're reading this, it means you care. It means, I'm of some interest to you. And that means the internet isn't dead.

Explore further. Send me an email. Look at what other people have to say. Check out other personal sites. Join a webring. Join the indieweb. Build your own website and send it to me. There's so much good internet waiting. And we'll keep it alive.

You're not alone.