Simpler Times
Oh, the old internet days. Remember when websites looked simpler? When logging off was easier? When you didn't have to question whether the things you saw online, be it video, art, or pictures, were AI-generated? The internet was a heck of a lot different back then, when everyone was just excited by the prospect of going online and being able to connect without hopping on a phone call. You'll probably feel a pang of nostalgia, too, as you scroll through these 20 things we miss most about the old internet days.
1. MSN Messenger
Long before texting became the preferred way to communicate, we had MSN Messenger. This was the place everyone gathered after school—all you needed was your friend's (or crush's) email, and boom, you could chat with them, spy on who's online, or play Minesweeper with them. You could even set your display name to something cryptic, just to catch people's attention.
2. Customizing Your MySpace Profile
Of course, MSN Messenger wasn't the only place you stalked your friends (read: crush). MySpace, too, gave you the opportunity to express your personality through your profile, albeit with some... questionable design choices. Either way, you had to show off your glittery graphics and who your Top 8 were.
egg (Hong, Yun Seon) from Seoul, Korea on Wikimedia
3. Playing Flash Games
Sure, now you can play practically any game on your handy dandy smartphone, but most of us can probably remember spending an entire afternoon on Miniclip and AddictingGames. Whether you wanted another Puffle or you were itching to be a sushi master, there were thousands of free Flash games available, no expensive gaming console or smartphones needed to enjoy them.
4. Websites That Weren't All Designed the Same
Websites you see today pretty much look the same: they're clean, minimalistic, and professionally designed. But during the old internet era... let's just say the websites back then weren't necessarily attractive, though they certainly had tons of personality.
5. No Streaming Subscriptions
Wanted to watch a movie or TV show? Well, we lived in the golden(ish) age back then. Before streaming platforms like Netflix and Disney+ became the norm, you could simply search up what you wanted to watch, and you could watch it, without subscribing to a monthly payment.
6. Twitter Before X
Twitter swapped to X in 2023 after Elon Musk took over, but anyone who used the platform before the rebrand probably misses the simplicity of the blue bird app. Now, you're bombarded with pop-ups, bots, and who could forget about Grok...
7. Posting Art on DeviantArt
Remember DeviantArt? If you're an artist (or at least you were back then), you likely posted your illustrations here. It was a little community just for budding artists and hobbyists, where the most you had to worry about was whether the posts you saw were actually drawn by a user (and not taken from Google Images), not whether they were generated by AI.
8. YouTube Before the Content Creator Era
Early YouTube was full of random covers, vlogs, and Vevo (remember that?) music videos. Now? Almost every user you see is an influencer or content creator, not just someone uploading clips for fun. Yep, there was a time before all the sponsorships, ads, and engagement rates... What a time it was.
9. Not Having to Create an Account for Everything
These days, even simple online activities can involve registering an account. Websites of yesteryear, though, were often much more straightforward, meaning you could buy and do things without needing to sign up first. Being able to access something immediately was a convenience we truly, truly didn't fully appreciate.
10. Simple HTML Websites
Remember when we said the websites back then were kind of unappealing? Of course, you'll still find plenty of plain HTML websites (made by newbie web designers) today, but with so many pre-made themes and tools today, the neon pink background with green Comic Sans font you saw on old websites is no more.
11. Personal Blogs About Everyday Life
Sure, people today still blog. We post about our daily life all the time on social media! But during the old internet days, there were actual personal blogs. Heck, you were able to find tons of them on LiveJournal and Blogger, where strangers online would post about everything from their personal thoughts to the next instalment of their latest fan fiction.
DaryaDarya LiveJournal on Unsplash
12. Making Your Own GIFs and Animations
You'd have dedicated apps to transform anything for you nowadays, be it video to GIF or HD photos. You could even get a still photo to animate or turn 3D! Of course, we didn't have this luxury growing up, which means every animation you saw in the old days was made by human hands.
13. Funny Chain Emails
Raise your hand if you remember those ridiculous chain messages all your friends would forward. Yep, we see you—you definitely have your hand up. Who could forget those blasphemous tales, promising good luck with our crush if we passed the email on, or warning of terrible fortune should we break the chain? As nonsensical as most were, it'd be pretty entertaining to have this trend start up again...
Stephen Phillips - Hostreviews.co.uk on Unsplash
14. Downloading Music Onto Your MP3 Player
If you're like most, you probably have a Spotify account or stream your music from Apple's dedicated app. The kids in today's era would never know the struggle we once faced, when every song had to be purchased individually and carefully transferred onto an MP3 player. And if it wasn't on iTunes? Well, then you had to seek out more creative methods.
15. Old Internet Memes
Every era is full of different memes, and you might even cringe when you think back to the ones you used to laugh at. Remember Nyan Cat? Rickroll? The troll face you saw alllll over Tumblr? We might have funnier, better jokes today, but nothing beats the nostalgia of the old ones.
Open Knowledge Foundation Deutschland from Deutschland on Wikimedia
16. Using Internet Explorer
Before Chrome became the dominant browser, Internet Explorer was how millions of people first experienced the internet. That said, you probably wouldn't ever trade Chrome for the mess that IE was, but hey, there was something kind of exciting about using it...
17. The Simplicity of Early Facebook
Even Facebook was much simpler back then! Back before the boomers took over, the teens of yesteryear would stalk their crushes, add friends by the dozens, and spam messages on everyone's walls. And who could forget the iconic games, Restaurant City and Pet Society?
18. Actual Fan-made Websites
Your favorite celebrity likely has their own management-run website or social media page now, but most of the ones you saw during the old internet days were, well, fan-made. These pages often featured photo galleries, trivia, downloadable wallpapers, and even extremely detailed information collected over years. Sure, the designs weren't always professional, but it's the thought that counts, right?
19. Not Having to Worry About AI-Generated Content
One of the biggest differences between the old internet and today's online experience? No AI. No AI! You never had to question whether what you saw online was real or not, but in the modern era, you now have to constantly scrutinize text, video, images, and art to make sure it wasn't AI-generated. Even seemingly harmless posts can raise uncomfortable questions.
20. Being Able to Actually Disconnect
Perhaps the biggest thing people miss about the old internet is how separate it once felt from our everyday lives. Now that smartphones are widespread, you're basically online 24/7, and you never really "log off"—not like in the golden age of MSN Messenger. Today, notifications, messages, and social media updates follow you practically everywhere.
