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<blockquote data-quote="Hacker News" data-source="post: 73895" data-attributes="member: 365">Hello stranger.It has occurred to me that one of the crucial elements of the early internet was the feeling that there was somebody out there, _somewhere_ on the globe, that was actually responding to that particular thing you were putting out there. It was a special feeling, because it was a sense of connection. Just being online and being part of the few select communities that existed back then was a commitment, and I believe that's in part what made it feel special.With all the world gaining access to the internet, I think we've gained a lot, but lost this sense of wonder: Since online interactions have now become commonplace to the point of para-social meaninglessness, any single post or message doesn't really feel all that _real_.HN is still the closest thing I know to that primordial kind of internet, and so I'm putting this post out there. It might get buried instantly, or it might survive, and on the off chance that it does:I encourage you to comment here about whatever you're passionate about at the moment, however niche it might be. It might let you find some likeminded people and maybe recapture a bit of the best aspects of the internet in those early days.In any case, I sincerely wish you a great day, from one surprisingly-real-but-currently-text-based being to another <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile&nbsp; &nbsp; :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" /><hr />Comments URL: <a href="https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=33488891" target="_blank">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=33488891</a>Points: 20# Comments: 3<a href="https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=33488891" target="_blank">Continue reading...</a></blockquote>

[QUOTE="Hacker News, post: 73895, member: 365"] Hello stranger. It has occurred to me that one of the crucial elements of the early internet was the feeling that there was somebody out there, _somewhere_ on the globe, that was actually responding to that particular thing you were putting out there. It was a special feeling, because it was a sense of connection. Just being online and being part of the few select communities that existed back then was a commitment, and I believe that's in part what made it feel special. With all the world gaining access to the internet, I think we've gained a lot, but lost this sense of wonder: Since online interactions have now become commonplace to the point of para-social meaninglessness, any single post or message doesn't really feel all that _real_. HN is still the closest thing I know to that primordial kind of internet, and so I'm putting this post out there. It might get buried instantly, or it might survive, and on the off chance that it does: I encourage you to comment here about whatever you're passionate about at the moment, however niche it might be. It might let you find some likeminded people and maybe recapture a bit of the best aspects of the internet in those early days. In any case, I sincerely wish you a great day, from one surprisingly-real-but-currently-text-based being to another :) [HR][/HR] Comments URL: [URL]https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=33488891[/URL] Points: 20 # Comments: 3 [url="https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=33488891"]Continue reading...[/url] [/QUOTE]

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