What do you miss about the Old Net?

For those who used the internet pre-2009 what are some things you miss about the old net?

There’s a lot for me but the big ones is I hate algorithms, and I hate how everything turned into monetization. You cannot do anything without “But will it make me money though?”

On Sep 17, 2026, Xyphien said:

For those who used the internet pre-2009 what are some things you miss about the old net?

There’s a lot for me but the big ones is I hate algorithms, and I hate how everything turned into monetization. You cannot do anything without “But will it make me money though?”

I definitely agree about the algorithms and monetisation. I think what I miss most though is when the internet actually felt SOCIAL 😂 You’d log onto MSN, forums or a chatroom and actually talk to people. You recognised usernames, had running jokes and genuinely got to know people.

I miss how unpolished it was too 🤣 Ridiculous usernames, chaotic MySpace/Bebo profiles, forum signatures and MSN statuses that were very obviously aimed at one particular person. Nobody cared about reach, engagement or turning everything into “content”. We were just online having a laugh.

We’re probably more connected now than we’ve ever been, yet somehow the old internet felt more personal 🤷🏼‍♀️♡

Limewire 🤣

Most of all, the fact that it was fundamentally an “Internet of Discovery”: a place to get to know new people.

These days, it’s more of an “Internet of Familiarity”: a place to keep talking to the people you already know. Which is certainly useful, but I do wish it didn’t dominate!