Well, this is my 1500th message.It seems quite timely. I've not been around for years and years, I'm not sure if anyone I knew from back then (Dave the Hat for instance?) would even still be around.
It's a funny coincidence with that message number, as I've been thinking of dropping that last pieces of social media / social networks, and going back to nicer, smaller environments. My first thought was something like the old bulletin boards I used to use (I mean, I'm old enough to have used BBSes before the internet, but I mean like phpBB stuff). Small, niche communities where people are generally intelligent, nice to each other, and talk positively.
So I dusted off my old b3ta and SA accounts. I've been in a couple of kebble subs on reddit which were generally pretty good, and I have fond memories of usenet in the 90s. Obviously, you can't go back in time, but that's the sort of community/vibe I feel I need to be around again now, and less whatever... all this is *gestures at internet*
So, hello, I'm going to be delighted to keep an eye on this place again, and I wonder, does anyone have other similar interesting forums with nice vibes they'd recommend? B3ta was a daily event for me back in the day, SA seems to have fallen into itself a bit, and 4chan was never my kind of vibe.
Sending everyone a good Thursday and hoping you're well.
(It's a funny coincidence with that message number, as I've been thinking of dropping that last pieces of social media / social networks, and going back to nicer, smaller environments. My first thought was something like the old bulletin boards I used to use (I mean, I'm old enough to have used BBSes before the internet, but I mean like phpBB stuff). Small, niche communities where people are generally intelligent, nice to each other, and talk positively.
So I dusted off my old b3ta and SA accounts. I've been in a couple of kebble subs on reddit which were generally pretty good, and I have fond memories of usenet in the 90s. Obviously, you can't go back in time, but that's the sort of community/vibe I feel I need to be around again now, and less whatever... all this is *gestures at internet*
So, hello, I'm going to be delighted to keep an eye on this place again, and I wonder, does anyone have other similar interesting forums with nice vibes they'd recommend? B3ta was a daily event for me back in the day, SA seems to have fallen into itself a bit, and 4chan was never my kind of vibe.
Sending everyone a good Thursday and hoping you're well.
fross Read your email on,
Thu 23 Apr, 13:20,
Reply)
I genuinely used to use 5.5, maybe 3 or 4 before that.I definitely have Redhat Linux 3.0.3 in a physical box and CD set somewhere.
( fross Read your email on,
Thu 23 Apr, 20:29,
Reply)
I'd suggest subbing to the newsletter - works as a reminder we exist(
rob,
Thu 23 Apr, 14:00,
Reply)
Alright RobThis is going back so far, we met at that Jonathan Coulton gig in a tiny venue in London. I don't even know what decade that was anymore.
( fross Read your email on,
Thu 23 Apr, 20:31,
Reply)
Cheers :)My photoshop skills haven't so much degraded from 20 years of non-use as they will need to be unearthed by some intrepid explorer and Steven Spielberg will turn it into a bloody movie.
( fross Read your email on,
Thu 23 Apr, 20:30,
Reply)
All my old forums are dead or enshittificated, soz.I never joined social media because I have no need to include another billionaire middleman in my private communications.
Now it seems like mostly OAPs are using it to make their WW2 hero parents turn cartwheels in their graves.
(Now it seems like mostly OAPs are using it to make their WW2 hero parents turn cartwheels in their graves.
brb Monkhouse Stampede,
Thu 23 Apr, 16:20,
Reply)
A few are still out there!There is a wonderful little one for fans of Sid Meier's Pirates (one of the best games of all times, fr fr no cap etc). There's an immense modding and replaying community around it, and they're not on twitch/youtube etc, they play and share on the forum.
www.hookedonpirates.com/forums/
Of course you have to be a fan to be interested in it, but this is the sort of thing I mean - little groups of awesome people doing fun stuff together, not performative or for the views.
(www.hookedonpirates.com/forums/
Of course you have to be a fan to be interested in it, but this is the sort of thing I mean - little groups of awesome people doing fun stuff together, not performative or for the views.
fross Read your email on,
Fri 24 Apr, 8:03,
Reply)
Forums were the best use of internet, for sure.Most of mine died quite early after MySpace and Facebook ruined everything.
( brb Monkhouse Stampede,
Fri 24 Apr, 20:43,
Reply)
Pardon my igorancewhat is SA? a quick search says Sexual Assault, Salvation Army, Sturmabteilung. Not sure which of these are associated with b3ta in any way.
My dream is that it refers to a yet-undiscovered trove of similar skills and humour to comfort my twilight years.
(,
Fri 24 Apr, 13:06,
Reply)
My dream is that it refers to a yet-undiscovered trove of similar skills and humour to comfort my twilight years.