supaiku dot com

taking back the web

what if using the internet could be nice?

  • the internet used to be an amazing place
  • that was until, the algorithms hit. first google, then youtube, then reddit, then facebook, instagram, reddit and tiktok
  • with each step, we lose more and more control over what content we see
  • these algorithms attempt to predict what we would like, but what we’d like is dependent on what we see
  • this creates a feedback loop, a wirehead
  • this drives both the algorithm itself, and us, towards the metric being optimized on — watch time, retention, interactions, …
  • but there is a way out
  • the old internet is still here
  • we just have to throw away the convenience of the algorithms
  • and embrace boredom

ground rules

  1. if i have no control (blocks, mutes, subscriptions, boosting, strong filters), then the platform is rotten. the raw internet is not a safe place to be
  2. vibes. does it look like tiktok? or does it look like textbook? find a cutoff point and filter everything on the tiktok side
  3. no internet on the phone. these things have been optimized to wirehead you at the hardware level. use them as sparingly as possible
  4. whenever possible, become my own recommendation algorithm.

things that i have cut out of my life

  • instagram
  • reddit
  • facebook
  • old twitter

things that i am cutting out of my life

  • every streaming service (netflix, youtube, anime/manga sites)
  • reddit

things that i find refreshingly free

  • 4chan, for the sheer audacity to have barely any moderation or recommendation boosting
  • new twitter (i have the mute, block and filter on hotkey)
  • blogs (favorites over here)

useful tools

  1. block things at the ip level
sudo vim /etc/hosts
  1. adblock, i use ublock origin
  2. own all your content. i now buy physical copies when possible, and download to local otherwise. nyaa, suwayomi, 1337x, libgen, all great
  3. quality reviewers/curation platforms. i’ve recently started using mal again, and find it very freeing. here are some curators i trust:

review

it really does feel like i’m back in the early 2000s, back when i first discovered the internet. i use tech much less, and enjoy it more while doing so.

there’s also the sense of bespoke software that comes when i first started out doing this. i am no longer a consumer, but a curator, even if it’s just for myself.