The golden age of the internet

[Feynman]

Does anyone else think the time during which Boyah was most active also happened to be the golden age of the internet? 2006-2009.

A lot of rich culture (shits and giggles) came during that period, and it was right before the huge social-media-obsessed smartphone-centric tsunami came to engross the internet into truly mainstream culture.

I know I sound like a grandpa, but I really do miss the days when people spent hours hunched over a laptop or a monitor, messaging on AIM and posting on message boards. Now everything is mobile and pseudo-social... most users of the internet are now in self-reinforcing echo-chambers. The internet went from a place to escape from reality to a sad extension of reality. I don't doubt a lot has progressed and the internet is a great thing, but the culture of the internet has really been diluted by the tumblr and instagram generation. Celebrities and the major media outlets of yesteryear dominate the internet today, the very institutions we hoped the internet would liberate us from.

-end rant-

This place was really fun, and I have really fond memories of spending long summer days on this site instead of going outside. It's made me who I am, for better or worse. I was 12 years old when I joined PowerSpike. I became permanent administrator less than 6 months later.

Discussions with you people helped me figure out my hobbies, interests, values and political opinions. The older programmers here piqued my interest in programming, reaper gave an ambitious 12 year old the opportunity to add to an online community, and all of you gave me a sense of community online when I felt like I didn't have one offline. The relationships and experiences I've had on this site are no less real to me than the ones I've had in person, and it was a very beautiful thing.

I'm 21 years old now and doing pretty well, and I just want to say thank you to Boyah, this community, and the general internet culture that kept me company during those formative years.

[Daddy]

First off. I'm high as fuck right now.

I can't really compare the two because the 'golden age' for me was really time I was in high school and doing underclassman college classes with no job

then 2010 i started working.

So while I do feel a difference in the 2006-2009 and post 2009 times, there is a defining factor to catalyze that. 

[??????]

i like the internet more than before
i can order groceries online now and meet people through apps and share things relatively quick and have instant communication through the internet anytime i want

[Daddy]

i like the internet more than before
i can order groceries online now

Motherfucker you could do that in 2008

[C.Mongler]

i'm also high as fuck

and damn u right

[caponehollywood]

i joined powerspike when i was 12 too.. guess i wasnt cool enough to become a mod

also pretty high

[snoorkel]

the golden age of the internet coincided with hip hop in 1993-94

[don't let's]

aol all the way

[silvertone]

the golden age of the internet coincided with hip hop in 1993-94

so it was never good

[Classic]

Oh my god I'm old. 

[Travis]

the golden age of the internet coincided with hip hop in 1993-94

so it was never good

wrong

[C.Mongler]

for real tho i miss this place, like id come home from school and just sit here and post for fucking hours and there was always like a good handful of dudes online and everyone was chattin and shit

it was nice 

[Cookie]

I miss all those old post Nsider forums I use to lurk around with the occasional post. I remember this place about twice a year or so

[Hippopo]

I'm sober as fuck, and also feeling very old right now.

[The artist formally known]

reaper was so fucking cool where did that guy ever go