[baristavibes]

Not to diminish the quality of the content in the answers of other respondents, but don't link directories and self hosted HTML blogs filter for a certain potentially unwanted writer bias? i.e. 30-something, male, agorist, nostalgic for the old internet, oddly niche hobbies, English as first or second language, ...

[krapp]

>but don't link directories and self hosted HTML blogs filter for a certain potentially unwanted writer bias? i.e. 30-something, male, agorist, nostalgic for the old internet, oddly niche hobbies, English as first or second language

I suspect the bias is wanted, consciously or not. Part of the nostalgia for the 'old web', which this specific thread is a subset of, is for a return to the sense of homogeneity and community from when the web was primarily the playground of white male adolescent nerds, a culture with common referents and ideals. It's a kind of "white flight" from the modern web in that sense.

[billyhoffman]

It’s a flight from SEO optimized nonsense and junk food content. I don’t care at all if a creator looks like or thinks like I do. I want to read interesting content.

As an example, Gemini has a strong collection of LGBTQ+ and furry creators. I am in neither of those groups, and I’m enjoying the content immensely. Not because of how the authors identify, but because they are writing with passion and detail into interesting topics. That’s what I crave

Attributing desire for “the old/weird web” to Some kind of identity monoculture is a disservice.

[krapp]

Except there's plenty of interesting content on social media platforms and "commercial" sites. Lots of content by LGBTQ+ and furry creators. Plenty of writing with passion and detail on interesting topics, although granted much of that writing is for video.

And as far as Gemini goes, I suspect it's far more homogeneous, culturally and politically, than even the early web was.

[RunSet]

If anything the opposite. The goal is to return to a web before facial verification was required to create accounts and before everyone knew you were a dog.

[spangry]

> don't link directories and self hosted HTML blogs filter for a certain potentially unwanted writer bias? i.e. 30-something, male, agorist, nostalgic for the old internet, oddly niche hobbies, English as first or second language, ...

Why is this? (genuinely asking)