Remember the early days of the internet, 20 years ago or more? A time when the internet was a completely different experience. That unmistakable sound, like a fax machine, when you dialed in… But today the internet is a nightmare. A dumping ground of data theft, espionage, time theft and AI-generated crap.
I clearly recall the hours I spent at my parents' PC. The connection was slow, painfully slow. Sometimes it felt like ages until a page finally loaded, often several minutes. Just think of sites like MSN, Myspace, Yahoo, and those endless forums that seemed to offer nothing but bad Chuck Norris jokes. Yet, it was a special place, a place of simple discovery and exchange. There was hardly any advertising, no one was out to collect or sell personal data. Instead, knowledge was shared, freely and willingly. The websites themselves were simple, almost bare, but precisely for that reason so clear and easy to navigate.
Of course, there were also moments of frustration. When Microsoft replaced MSN with Skype, I was far from thrilled. After all, I had taught myself the 10-finger typing system through nothing but hours of chatting on MSN. It was an era of learning and connection, in a way that is hardly imaginable today.
The rapid development of technology in a short time makes the past seem ages ago. In contrast, authorities seem unable to keep pace with this rapid growth and digitization. This is evident, for example, in the new EU laws on data collection and cookie banners. The legislative proposals are often inadequate, even when websites implement them correctly.
From this observation came the idea to create an ad-free, and privacy-oriented website. A simple, clear, and stylish website in the spirit of the early internet years. And before anyone complains, the picture with the wine advertisement in the gallery is for entertainment only and is not real.
When I search the web for a technical solution to a minor PC problem, I am directed to countless websites. The first five are sponsored and irrelevant. Other sites explain the causes and background of the problem without asking me, without helping me to find a solution. These sites have only one goal: they want to keep me on their site as long as possible so that I consume their bad and tedious advertising and the site gets a better ranking in the next search engine search.
If I stay in bed for a day and google my symptoms, I'm directed to websites that just want my time and data. There I find out that my fever is caused by a non-existent virus and that my body needs an oil change. Bad journalism combined with intrusive websites that deliver nothing and only want to collect data is an annoying mix.
And as if that wasn't enough, now AI-generated content has filled the internet with low-quality and fake junk in record time. Soulless AI videos and bad AI-generated images are everywhere on social media, designed to deceive and mislead us - one big scam!
Don't get me wrong, AI can be a good thing and a real help, we also need it to correct texts or to improve (hand-made) images. Unfortunately, completely generated AI shit spreads like nothing on the Internet.
We've already sold all our privacy and have to deal with useless agreements that don't protect us. Cookies that spy on us at every turn and were definitely not baked by grandma are tracking us online. If I do a quick search for rabbits, I'm coerced into buying rabbit supplies all over the internet for two weeks afterwards. This is no longer personalization, but digital coercion! We are aware that the issue of privacy and data transfer is very complex.
What do I wanna say with that text? - Honestly, not much. It's more of a cry to bring back the old days, but since that doesn't work (and I've tried) now I just look back on the good old days with rose-colored glasses. Unfortunately, the reality is that too much money and powerful corporations are involved to change anything, even if we all joined together. And even if a miracle happened and something changed, it would be destroyed again in a very short time.
That's why I prefer to spend my time writing, editing videos or photos, and as little time as possible on the open internet.
With these words, have fun in the Internet. - Samantha Silverstein