we didn't know any better
as i learn more about the indie web and its modus operandi of reviving old internet customs, i think back to how we used to behave in ye olden days...
and it was not pretty.
you see, since the early days of the internet, there have been users using their real names and faces, and there have been anonymous users. put them together, and you get... conflict. to make a long story short: if you were black, LGBTQ, neurodivergent, or a girl, you were bullied online. a lot. much of the web was boy's territory, and if you were a girl, your only options were sites with a "pretty pink princess" look. not to mention the multiple sites covered in GIFs and eyesore backgrounds; if you were sensitive to flashing lights, forget it! no web for you!
need i mention 4chan? or early reddit and deviantart? or the fact that facebook started out as site for college boys to rate pictures of girls? without their consent? and don't go thinking that myspace users were innocent, either. when it comes to the indie web revival movement, i certainly don't want these attitudes revived.
but, you know, maybe all of this was excusable back then because we were just kids. we didn't know any better. but every problem from back then is somehow worse now. i don't think i need to tell you what's happening on the big social media platforms now for you to know what i mean.
and it's even more pathetic because now we're all adults. we should know better. if someone is being a jerk, or doing stupid things, we should all have the will to say, "that's not okay!" easier said than done, i suppose.
so, what's the lesson to be learned from the "evolution" of the world wide web? 2 lessons. 1) anonymity will make certain humans say what they want without fear of getting punched. and 2) boys and men need to learn how to behave themselves around others.
the internet has grown up. now's the time to grow up with it.