It’s strange how things have gone online the past years. I remember just a few years ago configuring a MySpace page and browsing without ever having to give any personal info. Sure we still ran into ads but even the most egreguis of ads that weren’t outright malware would still leave a site usable. The internet used to be a place for expression and experimentation with no risk or consiquinces. You could have a dozen different aliases and be just about anyone you want to be.
As time goes on this is no longer the case. The internet has moved from a place of free expression and anonymity to a place where you can no longer prefrom even the most basic of activities without handing over some sort of info to prove who you are. As I grew up I was fortunate to get the chance to actually be whoever I wanted to be online. One account was me pretending to be older (to learn what all the secret stuff was) another was me trying on for the first time being a woman while more still where dedicated to political fighting. Having the option to be all of these things was an important part of me finding out about who and what I am. Without the option to just chuck that old identety in the bin and start a new one I never would have been able to meet and become friends with the most important people in my life now. Sad times are upon us as this no longer being possible for most folks to actually do.
There is a small glimmer of hope though as more and more people are seeking out alternatives to the mainsteam internet. More and more are searching for a place that can actually be theirs and not be ruled over by some algorithm that only exists to make money. Many people that I’ve seen are looking once more for something they can have that belongs to them. Where they control how and when and where their content is presented to people. I believe that freedom to design create and make something your own is a huge part of what made me what I am today. I want to see more and more people able to explore ideantity in the way I did growing up. The very idea of no longer being able to just be whatever you want is concerning. Now days any fuckup can follow you forever. People can find out who you are and destroy your life over something that was said over the internet. All because companies want to find another way to just sell you for money?
So what are some of the alternatives and ways to resist becoming just another part of the money making machine? You could start by looking into federated social media like Mastodon but that still only gives you a little bit more freedom. No I think folks should look into services like NecoWeb or NeoCities or even just hosting their own website. Thats the only way to get any sort of freedom now days on the web. Is do it your self. If you want to be able to make a place truly yours those are the only options. Don’t just slap some default theme on there and call it good make a page that is yours. Make it ugly make it pretty it doesn’t matter whatever makes you happy because you aren’t playing to someone elses taste here. Explore your self your likes your dislikes and be unapologetically you for once.