Hey all. Since the Internet has just been boiled down to the main big social media sites, it feels like the magic is gone. Whens the last time someone said to you “hey check out this cool website”? It’s always the same: TikTok, Twitter, Instagram, FB, Reddit, Discord. Forums are basically dead. Chat rooms are dead. Message boards are dead.
I miss that feeling of just discovering interesting or quirky websites. Lemmy is cool because it feels fresh and new, and there’s not a boat load of users here yet. But what other sites do you guys use or can recommend? I remember browsing Joe cartoon, Newgrounds, weebls, Ebaums, failblog, damnlol, and a bunch of other stupid but either funny or interesting sites.
Are there sites out there that still have that early Internet vibe? I feel like there is a treasure trove of still active websites out there but I have no idea what they are. Any recommendations would be GREATLY appreciated.
Edit: I created !oldweb where these sorts of sites can be shared!
I didn’t run in exactly the same internet circles that you did, but I do still crave the sense of discovery of the early web. A few months ago, I put together a list of “old web” on-ramps to sate the hunger.
Neocities is a big hub for weird web sites that aren’t trying to make a buck. For me, that’s the key. What’s the motivation for this web site? Is someone trying to sell me something, or do they love this thing they’re talking about so much, their enthusiasm has spilled out onto the internet?
Thank you for this! I have been plowing through your links throughout the day. I found some fantastic stuff and a rush of nostalgia.
Just read all the info on your link and this is mind blowing. I could spend hours just going through all the various links.
That’s awesome to hear! I can identify because I did spend hours going through them all! 😅 It was really fun! Took me back to that time. The stuff is still out there… it’s just hard to find because search engines don’t care about it.