The Internet Totally Sucks Now
I can't believe I've gone full circle and am back to having a personal blog in the year of our lord 2025, but here we are! What happened, and how did I get here? Multiple reasons!
Ever hear about the dead internet theory? If not - I’ll quickly summarize the gist of it since like most good conspiracies, this one is a deep dive through the rabbit hole and if you're like me, you have limited gumption these days!
Basically, the theory states that most of the content and "people" you engage with online is now a soulless slurry of nonsensical AI generated content churned out by stupid algorithms and bots designed to manipulate (and anger) the hell out of you for various reasons - mostly insidious in some shape or form. The shittiest part of this? It’s working well and as intended. We are ALL affected and infected. It is meticulously planned - pushing all kinds of propaganda in their most horrifying manifestations, and there’s absolutely no way to escape it. Even if you log off. Even if you unplug your computer from the wall and throw your phone into an active volcano. The well water is poisoned! Digital Giardia.
I don’t think I even have to go out of my way to cite examples, to be honest. Just quickly glance at Facebook and whatever the hell Twitter is called these days. Those sites are so bloated with garbage that they are unusable and an instant migraine trigger. Finally getting fed up enough to delete your accounts is also bittersweet - since for a lot of us, online exposure is our bread and butter. Personally speaking, leaving the big websites was a definite slash to the amount of illustration work I’d receive, but I was already bleeding out from a thousand little cuts anyway - and unless you have the $$$ or somewhat questionable online ethics, there really isn’t much you can do on that front.
This is the part where the elder millennial glued to a huge CRT monitor in me slips out because I remember when the Internet was cool and fun. I remember when the worst thing you’d encounter ad wise was a 468 x 60 banner at the top. Websites and forums were organic and fueled by real people with real experiences to share. You and your friends would link to each other’s sites on static pages with guestbooks and web rings, and it was a magical era. Once upon a time, you could use Google to actually search for things! There used to be a tiny, digitally enslaved butler named Jeeves you could ask for information!
I am extremely on the fence about AI. I think many people are, and I'm hoping that this "Wild West" phase starts to calm down so we can come to some sort of ethical consensus about how to go about utilizing it beneficially, but I ain't holding my breath. Not gonna lie - I absolutely abhor it being used to generate "art" and other avenues where human creativity should be forefront, but for small automated tasks? I don't know. Medical advancements? Actually helping us survive and thrive? I suppose I don't like the idea of real people becoming redundant or replaceable when they shouldn't be. Maybe I'll return to this post 50 years from now as a happy cyborg and be embarrassed/dunked on like some sorta old-timey woman hell-bent on trying to destroy the cotton gin. Most likely, I'll be long dead under the rubble of a post apocalyptic hellscape.
Then there are the REAL people.
Truth be told, there's always been varying degrees of assholes on the internet, but things definitely shifted this last decade to make everyone turn into a feral, slobbering beast when presented with a keyboard or smartphone. Moral panic, divisions being divided into smaller divisions, finger pointing, and bandwagons being commandeered by hatred and fear. The worst opinions have been amplified from the bullhorn to a tornado siren these days, and we happily supply tinder to the wildfires.
I don't know. I guess I'm just tired. Hence making this here website! So far, the plans are all over the place, and I'm in the middle of getting ready for a big move, but that's the way things work best. I just want to talk about the weird and interesting. I just want to make silly, vaguely related doodles. I don't want a comment feature, and I don't want the best of little ol' digital me hosted on platforms ran by goobers and goblins.
So with all that said, Hi! This is my first post! Thanks for possibly reading!