Reddit Asks the Question: 'What Is So Ancient That Only An Internet Veteran Can Remember It?'

It seems surreal to ponder now, but there was a time once, not so long ago, when the volume of great reading material on the internet was almost overwhelming. Whether you wanted to read about films, TV, politics, science, or pretty much anything else, there was a site—or multiple sites—catering to your need. Skilled writers were in abundance, nurtured by those sites, and encouraged to stretch themselves and hone their craft. Places like Cracked and the AV Club, to name but two, felt like limitless pools of creativity. I had a list of sites I’d eagerly check in the morning and evening, saving articles that I knew I’d have to read as soon as I had time.

These days, I find myself barely venturing outside the walls of Pajiba—my esteemed colleagues’ bylines excluded, of course. Part of that is a function of aging, but the fact is that the successive waves of corporate buyout, venture capital slash-and-burn, and now AI-enabled ‘restructuring’ have gutted what was once a rich and vibrant cultural scene. More and more that scene now feels like a relic of a distant past, rather than the reality of a moment that was still here only a few short years ago, and that would—and should—still be here, were it not for the relentless vandal that is capitalism.

Reddit had this topic on its mind the other day when it asked people to remember what the Internet of old looked like. You can check out the full thread here, but below are some highlights:

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by u/Andra5555 from discussion What is so ancient only an Internet veteran can remember?
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by u/EstherRWhittle from discussion What is so ancient only an Internet veteran can remember?
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by u/Old_Army90 from discussion What is so ancient only an Internet veteran can remember?
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by u/explosively_inert from discussion What is so ancient only an Internet veteran can remember?
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by u/draggar from discussion What is so ancient only an Internet veteran can remember?
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by u/Hina74656 from discussion What is so ancient only an Internet veteran can remember?
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by u/BeatnikBrand from discussion What is so ancient only an Internet veteran can remember?
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by u/55x11 from discussion What is so ancient only an Internet veteran can remember?
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by u/CAF00187 from discussion What is so ancient only an Internet veteran can remember?
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by u/Nonid from discussion What is so ancient only an Internet veteran can remember?
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by u/PeteGraffe from discussion What is so ancient only an Internet veteran can remember?
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by u/PioneerStandard from discussion What is so ancient only an Internet veteran can remember?
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by u/brutecookie5 from discussion What is so ancient only an Internet veteran can remember?
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by u/draggar from discussion What is so ancient only an Internet veteran can remember?
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by u/PubicWildlife from discussion What is so ancient only an Internet veteran can remember?
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by u/TheWhiteDrake94 from discussion What is so ancient only an Internet veteran can remember?
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by u/User8675309021069 from discussion What is so ancient only an Internet veteran can remember?
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by u/haltline from discussion What is so ancient only an Internet veteran can remember?
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by u/Brief_Platform_8049 from discussion What is so ancient only an Internet veteran can remember?
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by u/ScreamBeanBabyQueen from discussion What is so ancient only an Internet veteran can remember?
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by u/Nuts4WrestlingButts from discussion What is so ancient only an Internet veteran can remember?
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by u/kokkomo from discussion What is so ancient only an Internet veteran can remember?
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by u/Affectionate-Tough92 from discussion What is so ancient only an Internet veteran can remember?
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by u/UlfarrOT from discussion What is so ancient only an Internet veteran can remember?
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by u/jstar77 from discussion What is so ancient only an Internet veteran can remember?
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by u/justarollinstoner from discussion What is so ancient only an Internet veteran can remember?
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by u/Aggravating-Bottle78 from discussion What is so ancient only an Internet veteran can remember?
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by u/antiquated_human from discussion What is so ancient only an Internet veteran can remember?
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by u/Calm_Lingonberry_265 from discussion What is so ancient only an Internet veteran can remember?
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by u/ginger_whiskers from discussion What is so ancient only an Internet veteran can remember?
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by u/darkknight109 from discussion What is so ancient only an Internet veteran can remember?
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