Hacker Newsnew | past | comments | ask | show | jobs | submitlogin

> That's what I recall as well. I wonder what happened.

I think the biggest factor is a kind of 'paradox of choice' effect, where any online community feels less worthwhile just because there is such a huge variety to choose from. If I look at my Discord now, I'm part of a few dozen servers now, which all at some point seemed interesting. But that interest was fleeting, because... well, how important can they be, if there are a few dozen of them in my list, without me even looking very hard?

So I think on the one hand, it's fine to be a bit nostalgic for an old internet that simply won't exist in that way again. But on the other hand, it's probably also a matter of personal choice and a willingness to engage with the small communities that still exist, which could probably revive some of that old feeling of connectedness.

I think I was pretty lucky with this post, because I managed to capture people's attention in a place that's maybe a bit unusal for this kind of interaction, which made it more singular and 'worthwhile' again. But that can't be repeated at will, of course.



Consider applying for YC's Winter 2026 batch! Applications are open till Nov 10

Guidelines | FAQ | Lists | API | Security | Legal | Apply to YC | Contact

Search: