My initial experience of the internet was much more private and ephemeral. Basically an invite only private IRC like terminal where most people knew each other

My initial experience of the internet was much more private and ephemeral. Basically an invite only private IRC like terminal where most people knew each other in real life first. The experience was tied to those friendships, many which still exist today, but I don’t know how I could recreate those circumstances again to make new friends, or even if I want to. I said something wrong once and was mortified by it so I’ve avoided public forums ever since. If I do post it’s anonymously. So I’ve always watched the broader internet culture from an outsiders perspective. The Eternal September was no surprise, the thing people said was going to happen happened. For me the internet took a noticiable turn for the worse when Facebook opened up and absorbed so many niche communities. These days I lament the intentional manipulation of search, it’s like I’m being algorithmically gaslit.