Honest question: is there also a boatload of sketchy stiff to avoid if you just wanted to have a nice SFW time? Early 2000s internet before Google indexed everything had some pockets of unsavory.
Also, is it just a bunch of middle aged dudes in mostly text forums? That’s like 85% of my experience with 90s internet.
I haven’t stumbled upon much sketchy stuff, you’d need to know where it is and discovery is still fairly manual though indexing services exist. Of course you need to find those services in the first place…
Anonymity is more of a focus than 90s internet, so it’s hard to tell who anyone really is but you’re probably right. There are active Russian and Iranian dissident text forums though.
However, for me, it’s the people just hosting personal websites e.g., a darkwave radio site, or a cryptography blog. Obviously the barrier to entry means it leans fairly techy.
If you’re not yet on I2P, start with https://geti2p.net/ and then set up an I2P router.
Once you’re on I2P, personally I use notbob.i2p to see what’s up.
that third one killed it for me. I hate what the Internet has become. We need to setup a second Internet that somehow can’t be monetized.
It’s called the i2p network
Correct. Come to I2P and experience 90s internet again. It’s slow but has character, if by character you understand I mean anonymous Geocities.
Honest question: is there also a boatload of sketchy stiff to avoid if you just wanted to have a nice SFW time? Early 2000s internet before Google indexed everything had some pockets of unsavory.
Also, is it just a bunch of middle aged dudes in mostly text forums? That’s like 85% of my experience with 90s internet.
I haven’t stumbled upon much sketchy stuff, you’d need to know where it is and discovery is still fairly manual though indexing services exist. Of course you need to find those services in the first place…
Anonymity is more of a focus than 90s internet, so it’s hard to tell who anyone really is but you’re probably right. There are active Russian and Iranian dissident text forums though.
However, for me, it’s the people just hosting personal websites e.g., a darkwave radio site, or a cryptography blog. Obviously the barrier to entry means it leans fairly techy.
How would you recommend someone start exploring i2p?
If you’re not yet on I2P, start with https://geti2p.net/ and then set up an I2P router. Once you’re on I2P, personally I use notbob.i2p to see what’s up.