Yesterday, Manton released yet another much-needed tweak to Micro.blog, and I realized something: I don’t really miss the old web. There are plenty of folks around me on the indie web who miss and even mourn the old web, and I get it — but actually going back? Nah. As I kept thinking about it, I realized that I don’t really miss how things were in general: I don’t really have a notion of “the good old days.” I know this is kind of a shock coming from a grumpy old man, and plenty would disagree with me.

My first website that I remember having was one of those HTML mutants on Angelfire. It had blood-dripping bars instead of <hr> separators, spinning skull animations, and a MIDI of Metallica’s Unforgiven playing in the background because I was an angsty teen (unlike other teens, I guess?). I’m also old enough to remember BBSes, for those of you walking around with long white beards. I remember playing Duke Nukem 3D (or maybe Doom?) with my friend and getting interrupted when my mom picked up the phone and disconnected our dial-up modem connection. No, I don’t those days.

My old website was a lot of work. I learned a lot, sure, but most of my time went into fixing annoyances I don’t need to deal with today, not to mention the lack of content and the awful poems I posted online. I remember going through Photoshop tutorials on other sites and learning how to create metal ball effects with simple radial fills and shadow effects for some of my images. The BBSes were interesting, but there were few people online, and back then it cost money to make phone calls, not to mention it prevented anyone else from using the phone. Duke Nukem 3D was a fine game, and I learned how to create my own levels, but… actually? I don’t have a “but” here. It was fun to make levels.

But when I look at Micro.blog today, with what it offers, and when I use this magic box we call iPhone to snap photos of flowers that I can edit and post to my blog within seconds, I don’t want to go back. And it’s not just the technology itself; it’s also the people. I write to people today and they write back. Part of it is because I matured and have stuff to say (or those I talk to are crazy and like my ramblings for some reason, take your pick), sure, but part of it is also because Google came up with Gmail and with it the whole concept of free and accessible email that just makes it possible. Micro.blog comes with built-in themes and features I used to spend hours getting right on Movable Type (remember that?) and later WordPress. When I started using Micro.blog it was because I was tired of self-publishing my website through Hugo each time.

Emacs was around for years, but I didn’t have the mindset to use it. And AI… look. All I can say is that I could deal with CSS before, and I could research things, but not like this. I wouldn’t even know what to ask, and I ask a lot of questions. I research better. I write better. I enjoy it all better.

As a kid, I remember I was told by my elders (parents, family members, teachers, etc.) that I had it easy and that being an adult isn’t fun and games. Baloney.

I can do what I want, to start with. I can see whoever I want, which led to finding friends and partners, which was not an option for me growing up. I hated school, and I got poor grades to prove it, until I got to college and could choose what to learn, which earned me scholarships and honors for a period, because I loved what I learned. It was a complete change from the angsty teen with the spinning skulls. I simply never fit into the mold, and as an adult I am free to find my own mold. And it works. I don’t miss being the bullied outsider at school. Even D&D, which I loved playing with the weirdos I was able to gather at some point, is something I could enjoy more today with other weirdos, better adult-oriented themes, and all the rules available whenever I want, mostly for free or close to free. Everything is potentially better. I can bring the old, reinforced by the new, and create these moments again, but this time with a choice of leaving the annoying angsty parts out.

And this is what I want to leave as a message. If you miss something and feel nostalgic, you can recreate it to an extent. The indie web is one such example, and D&D is another. Take what you remember, and celebrate it. Mix it up. Share with your friends. And what better time than scary season, my favorite time of the year with its cool hoodie-weather? As an adult, I get to enjoy it with a hot cider, too.