I am old enough to had accessed the internet right as it was becoming mainstream so it was that “old web” people are nostalgic for, yet young enough that I did not understand some of the fucked up shit I saw. I have vague memories of stuff that I frankly will never mention, as well as all the porn my older brother looked at because he was too stupid to clear his browsing history.

Still, I think these things are worth exploring. This fear we have I feel is a reason why large companies were quickly able to take control. People wanted a safe space, a sanitized internet. Now we talk about the good old days of the web like it doesn’t exist anymore.

It does, we just don’t know how to find them anymore, and most people want instant gratification instead of taking the time to explore lovingly crafted websites that often were like mazes and held secrets waiting to be discovered. It is art.