The more I think about it, the more I'm convinced that Slashdot saved my life.
In the late 90s I had developed some very unhealthy habits, and while lurking on Slashdot all day wasn't the best use of my lifetime, it was certainly the best I was able to do and one of the few activities I enjoyed. Visiting my people.
Yes, it was just another dopamine hit, but at least you could read about open web standards and peak oil and how we will all have portable computers in our pocket, and did you hear about the WAP protocol? It will be huge.
I learned so much just tapping into the knowledge and opinions of other people. It was much better than FIDO and Usenet, and I was hooked.
Bill Gates got it wrong. It was not about the information superhighway, it was about the information high. Sugar and news run this world.
I'm still somewhat excessively consuming information. Now mostly on HN.
But I believe Slashdot was what kept me from spiralling out of control, when I didn't know why I would even want to have control.
Years later, I moved to the US and decided to make Michigan my new home.
I didn't know much about the area, so I checked Wikipedia, found the entry for Hope College, clicked on alumni and was surprised to see your name. I had no idea Slashdot started in Holland, MI, even though I visited your site every day for over 10 years.
I guess I should have mined bitcoins instead. But in Soviet Russia, bitcoins mine you.
In the late 90s I had developed some very unhealthy habits, and while lurking on Slashdot all day wasn't the best use of my lifetime, it was certainly the best I was able to do and one of the few activities I enjoyed. Visiting my people.
Yes, it was just another dopamine hit, but at least you could read about open web standards and peak oil and how we will all have portable computers in our pocket, and did you hear about the WAP protocol? It will be huge.
I learned so much just tapping into the knowledge and opinions of other people. It was much better than FIDO and Usenet, and I was hooked.
Bill Gates got it wrong. It was not about the information superhighway, it was about the information high. Sugar and news run this world.
I'm still somewhat excessively consuming information. Now mostly on HN.
But I believe Slashdot was what kept me from spiralling out of control, when I didn't know why I would even want to have control.
Thanks, CmdrTaco and Hemos. For everything.