this post was submitted on 09 Jul 2024
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When you connect a new device to a 'smart' tv, you must pay homage to the manufacturer with a ritualistic dance. Plugging and unplugging the device. Turning them on and off in the correct sequence like entering a konami code.

Every time you want to switch devices, the tv must scan for them. And god forbid you lose power, or unplug something. You are granted the delight experience of doing it all over again.

I have fond memories of the days of just plugging something in, and pressing the input button. Instant gratification. It was a simpler time.

What is some other tech that used to be better?

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[–] wesker@lemmy.sdf.org 216 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (4 children)

The internet.

The internet of the 90s was wild, creative, and not as accessible. We dreamed that as it grew and became more accessible, a utopia of information and creativity would flourish.

Instead we got a bland, corporate wasteland, and free soapboxes for every shithead out there.

[–] doctortofu@reddthat.com 58 points 4 months ago

Yup, most of the internet is now sadly an ad-infested monetized corporate hellhole, and as a bonus it's now rapidly being filled to the brim with AI slop, because it clearly wasn't bad enough just yet... :(

[–] theshatterstone54 26 points 4 months ago (7 children)

Is there a solution (other than being on Lemmy)?

[–] wesker@lemmy.sdf.org 57 points 4 months ago (4 children)

There is a bit of a smolnet renaissance happening in niche tech and creative circles. Using IRC to socialize, reviving gopher protocol for blogs, creating lofi and pure HTML/CSS sites instead of using bloated JS frameworks. And of course, creating simple and/or federated services for media sharing.

Tell me if you'd like to know more. Additionally, my home instance is full of people with such interests.

[–] bangsnooter@lemmy.zip 18 points 4 months ago (1 children)

I would like to know more.

Mind linking some communities?

[–] Zoop@beehaw.org 2 points 4 months ago

I hope they reply (and that I remember to come back and check again so I can see it,) I'm very interested, too!

[–] AnarchistArtificer@slrpnk.net 8 points 4 months ago (1 children)

I've been thinking of starting a blog to help motivate me to do more writing. For a while I felt burnt out because I knew I'd have no hope in hell of being able to do a bunch of SEO stuff to enable people to actually see if anything I write, but I've concluded that people based networks are the only way something like this will work for me. After all, most of my favourite blogs or blog posts are ones I've heard of through word of mouth.

I've not heard of gopher protocol though, that sounds interesting

[–] kionite231@lemmy.ca 5 points 4 months ago

If you are interested in gopher you might also like gemini protocol.

[–] Blisterexe@lemmy.zip 6 points 4 months ago (1 children)

To be honest i hate irc, im glad matrix is slowly replacing it

[–] wesker@lemmy.sdf.org 12 points 4 months ago (1 children)

IRC will never be replaced. Matrix is just a more modern option.

[–] JetpackJackson@feddit.org 5 points 4 months ago

Theres XMPP too, its nice

[–] DarkDarkHouse@lemmy.sdf.org 4 points 4 months ago (1 children)

If you haven’t tried I2P, it gives me those old web vibes.

[–] Zoop@beehaw.org 2 points 4 months ago

Ooh, I looked it up and it sounds interesting. I look forward to figuring it out and experiencing it for myself, thanks! :)

[–] Walking_coffin@lemmy.dbzer0.com 14 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Webrings, decentralized networks and list of links proposed by a blogger you like. That's a good start I'd say.

[–] mesamunefire@lemmy.world 10 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)

Yep, theres a lot of old/new sites for that:

https://yesterweb.org/community/

https://www.notechmagazine.com/

https://goblin-heart.net/sadgrl/cyberspace/webrings

All kinds of stuff. https://melonking.net/melon

Most kinda look like the old geocities lol

[–] makeasnek@lemmy.ml 6 points 4 months ago

Decentralized & federated networks: Lemmy, Mastodon, Nostr, Freenet, I2P, etc

[–] MonkderDritte@feddit.de 4 points 4 months ago
[–] witty_username@feddit.nl 3 points 4 months ago

Donate monthly to Wikipedia

[–] vext01@lemmy.sdf.org 1 points 4 months ago

Go back to gopher :)

[–] TropicalDingdong@lemmy.world 17 points 4 months ago (1 children)

All that chaos is still out there. Its just that its smaller and you have to not get stuck in the corporate bullshit.

[–] makingStuffForFun@lemmy.ml 11 points 4 months ago (3 children)

Finding it is almost impossible though. I've tried and tried but the search engines don't show any of these cute little niche sites that are definitely out there.

[–] TropicalDingdong@lemmy.world 6 points 4 months ago

You know, you aren't wrong.

I've been noodling on an idea for a while:

What about a.. fediverse focused/ federated search engine?

[–] Carighan@lemmy.world 1 points 4 months ago

Yet back in the "good" days, we didn't have search engines.

[–] iAmTheTot@sh.itjust.works -2 points 4 months ago (1 children)

I disagree. There's so much more creativity and information out there than there was in the 90's.

[–] mark3748@sh.itjust.works 1 points 4 months ago

It’s just easier to access and in a prettier box, covered in advertisements.