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this post was submitted on 05 Sep 2023
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There was a time before google's search engine, when all the previous attempts had not managed to become the dominant entry point for the web. During that time, we would find interesting web pages through people and/or specific interests. Then, google came, and for a time it was good (read like The Second Renaissance Part I story from animatrix). Ads and SEO were not everywhere yet, content mattered more than those two. So, while I came here to suggest what @bbbhltz@beehaw.org commented, when I read your post text I thought that maybe, at least for what we tend to constantly look for news, articles and discussions, we shouldn't constantly rely on search engines. For example, most technologies have news letters, weekly/monthly magazines, mailing lists, community boards or other forms of group communication through which you can gradually discover better content sources (individuals or groups) on what interests you. Without the search engine service and its cost (direct or indirect) between you and the content.
I beg to differ, during that time I found most of my interesting content through AltaVista and its weird cousin HastaLaVista, and aggregators like Portal of Evil (though, bad example, I seem to recall PoE was pretty much the same time as google).
Well, I guess not everyone had the same experience. Maybe I should have spoken only for myself. It's not that I didn't use search engines before google appeared or that I don't do it now. Just the fact, at least in my experience, that I would get to know way more and way better web locations, related to what interested me, through discussions with other people with similar interests, than I would through search engines. Even when discussions are not possible (like in magazines) or are too massive to follow, it is often, especially in technology-related subjects, preferable to have them archived (through subscriptions) and search directly those archives when I need something specific. It was true for me back when engines didn't have as good indexes, it is true for me now that their role as businesses is becoming obvious. I guess it also depends on what someone considers interesting.
I did love how altavista translation service was called though, really liked the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy :-)
:) yeah it was cool.
Sorry if I sounded disagreeable, I didn't mean to be. I was just taking a trip down memory lane.
I have to admit if it comes to anything in my field I mostly find good content through discussion groups too.
But for me, in terms of personal interests and some other stuff, the 90s internet was full of static lists of links, even webrings etc. It was great because most people I knew irl who were my age weren't online. I could only add people from other countries on Friendster because my flatmates refused to use it and my friends didn't know what it was!
No worries. Felt exactly like that. That's why my mind went to how I felt when altavista's babelfish appeared, I did the same thing for a few minutes before responding :-)
Babelfish was so impressive in its day. Felt like living in the future.
Hey have you ever been to https://www.neocities.org? It's reminiscent of geocities and kind of cool.
No, haven't even realised that Sheldon Brown's site was hosted there. I used to have a website up on geocities when I was a kid, browsing neocities brings back so many happy memories.. Thanks!