How has the web revival community changed your relationship with the internet?

[DJoftheCoven]

I'm not sure how coherent the question is, so I'll try to explain myself better down here: Ever since I discovered the community of web revivalists on Neocities, I've found myself changing the way that I view the internet as a whole when I log on each day. I used to feel very trapped, mostly refreshing my Tumblr dashboard around 5 or 6 times a day even though I was obviously bored with browsing it at that point--but now I genuinely enjoy being on the web! I've started an attempt to cull my digital pacing on Tumblr and have taken to spending a little time browsing Neocities for an hour or so a day. Only a week after beginning this, I noticed how I was looking forward to going on the internet for the first time since I was in elementary school! (me at the computer)

I don't know if any of you guys will relate to this, but I'd love to hear about your stories if you happened to go through something similar!

[Cobra!]

When I first discovered them, I felt that spark again. It's always good fun to explore a Webring or Gemini. I also had a lot of fun building my site and capsule. I legit went to bed excited for the next day so I can build them further.

However, they're more or less complete now, and that spark went away. Suddenly, I didn't feel like I had the time to explore...

I should really force myself to do it and make time for it again. It's so much fun when I eventually do!

[MrsMoe]

I'm new to this community and I still use mainstream sites like Twitter all the time, but being here has made me realize that the forum sites are much better for both me and the internet in the long run. The biggest problem with social media to me is that it makes people prioritize clout and attention over saying anything actually interesting. Having separate corners of the internet dedicated to specific interests gets rid of so much pointless drama too.

I used to only use Twitter because I find sites like Instagram and TikTok extremely obnoxious (yes, even more obnoxious than Twitter), but finding stuff like Neocities and SpaceHey have given me a pleasant alternative. I hope a web revival site can really take off and gain popularity someday.

[morrysillusion]

quite a while back before i got into all this stuff with neocities (maybe 2019 or '1:cool: i was already starting to feel a pull away from social media. as DJoftheCoven says, i did the same in refreshing pages like tumblr mindlessly, bored... I started deleting social media apps (namely instagram and twitter) due to the way it often brought negative feelings with news or silly fandom arguments. i started to conmtrol my space more though- muting things, using plug ins to get rid of YT recommended/suggested feed, etc... i think that alone was my first step into understanding the internet better and making it more of "my space" and once i discovered people were making their own personal websites like this on neocities- it really clicked- this whole thing really allowed me to make the internet an experience i want to enjoy again.

probably more so with isolation from the pandemic, its made me feel like im in a nice little space of like minded people doing their own thing while i do mine. its the feeling i often got from being around art college or my internship i enjoyed- without the stress lol. it is cool to see a gathering of all kinds of people with similar intentions to make their own spot on the web for themselves, while not facing the negatives of social media sites. its refreshed my view of the internet a lot, as i was starting to dip into too many negative feelings about being online.

[Guest]

I first learned of Neocities in.. 2016 I think? And I was thrilled to find out there was a Geocities-revival thing going on and a community around it full of cool personal sites! However I didn't start making a site of my own until late 2017 due to my depression and huge lack of motivation and even after then it took a couple more years to get the ball rolling (especially as my life situation finally took a turn for the better).
It wasn't until more recently (like a year or two ago I think) that I finally just gave up and broke away from big social media sites like Twitter and Instagram. I originally came to those places to spread my work around as an artist and hoped to get it more well-known, but I only then found myself stressing about how frequently I produce art, promoting my "brand", comparing myself to others and the like. Now I've learned to come and accept that I want to just create work for me, whenever I want to and share it wherever I want to. I may not get as much popularity if I was an artist frequently uploading to Twitter and such, but frankly I feel happier just using DeviantArt (even though it's fazed out of its glory days) and my own personal space to share.
Frankly, I just felt like I wasn't getting much out of social media anyways. I felt bored and that I'd rather being doing other things with my time.

I'm just glad there's a great sizable community for older-style web stuff here too. It's made me feel like I have a place to be at home on the web, something I haven't felt in a very long time.

[creaturefeature]

well for one it made the internet fun again?
Also it gave me a new creative outlet. I feel like going to social media just, I dunno made me more passive, or having to worry about what other people think.

In trying to making my own site started to consider pick up drawing again and have a better space for my photos (i´m big into nature photography), and just explore whatever weird interests I have to my content.
Also this web revival scene looks kinda chill to me?
Like I still use twitter at times ( but tumblr more) and i´ve been trying to set more limits, even i´m not gonna completely abandon them (most of my online friends are there unfortunently)

[Guest]

It sparked the brain cells linked to feelings of "hope."

Learning that other people have the same nostalgia and desire to bring back the old web makes me feel less alone in the world.

Only a week after beginning this, I noticed how I was looking forward to going on the internet for the first time since I was in elementary school! (me at the computer)

I feel the exact same way. The past few weeks since I started browsing Neocities has rekindled the joy I used to get from being online.

It wasn't until more recently (like a year or two ago I think) that I finally just gave up and broke away from big social media sites like Twitter and Instagram. I originally came to those places to spread my work around as an artist and hoped to get it more well-known, but I only then found myself stressing about how frequently I produce art, promoting my "brand", comparing myself to others and the like.

I'm a bit like you. I originally started using social media as a joke. My first Facebook account was named "Enrique Igloosias" and my profile picture was an MS Paint drawing of myself living in an igloo and wearing socks with sandals. But I eventually started using it to promote my personal projects.

I still have my accounts, but Facebook is only there because of a few estranged friends and family members who can't get a hold of me any other way, and I just creep on Twitter to keep abreast of what's going on with a few people I follow. I haven't posted anything myself in years.

Modern social media is simultaneously too big and too isolating. Instead of a small community centred around a common interest, you have one big, generic space with way more people yet way less communication. You get a "like" or a brief comment and that's it.

[debleb]

it made me realise just how much more the web can be. when i started using the internet it was already around the start of web 2.0; by the time i could use it well we were solidly in it. so i only ever knew the internet as what it pretty much is now and kinda didn’t question it. getting into making my own personal sites and finding out about the web revival movement totally changed how i saw things though! now i know how fun the internet can really be beyond the boundaries of big-tech social media. and now i’m a lot less okay with the state of the modern web    !

[levya]

scrolling social media feels so mindless now, while browsing personal sites feels fun and exciting! as a result I've been using social media a lotttt less and I think my mental health has improved.

I feel like the web revival community has changed my relationship with life in general too. instead of looking for something quick to distract me from bad news in the world and feeling sad when I have no distractions, I've been exploring different hobbies that take up more attention and feel more fulfilling. like seeing people's blogs has gotten me into blogging when before I had no confidence in my writing, or seeing a recipes page has encouraged me to try cooking and baking more stuff!

I used to spend hours scrolling on twitter, but now I'd rather literally touch grass haha