I found myself struggling with this reading because I kept getting distracted by all the links Parimal referenced lol. Their inspiration sources, their homepage, their guestbook page (which I did sign lol). Aside from that, I thought the essay was great! I’ve always heard about the “old internet” and had some idea what it was like but never saw great examples or a timeline laid out! The old browser logos treating internet exploration as traveling was really cool because I hadn’t realized that! Microsoft Explorer is, about, exploring the internet lol, or something like Safari!
I’m really intrigued by the contrast of older website browsing versus modern app scrolling. At their most basic, I think the two things are the same, no? You’re exploring a website/app in search of unknown content, usually made by other humans that you can connect with. I think the major difference is, of course, the intention behind the actions. Someone’s handmade website about their favorite band wants you to browse so that you can learn more about the band, and potentially connect with other fans. Maybe you stumbled across the site and you didn’t even know about it, but you come away with this new information. The feeling is much more genuine, I think. The author (or webmaster, like in the essay) is likely fueled by their passion and desire to share that with others. The website might not look polished, but it was crafted by someone who cares. Compare this with scrolling through instagram reels.
You did not stumble across a random post that was handcrafted, the algorithm has presented you with something that will keep you on the app longer. While of course people can post anything they want to instagram, much of the content you interact with was made for the purpose of garnering attention. This too is similar but still different from the old web. I think that it is the authenticity that is the major difference between the two. Instagram’s algorithm wants you to scroll so that you spend more time on the app and you can get more ads pushed at you.
I got a little more focused on the old web over the small web maybe, lol.