Comment by apublicfrog
1 day ago
People who were not technical then and are not now made it work with Myspace, Neopets and Geocities. There are a number of free microhosts out there. And the big social media sites also allow you to post a lot more crap.
I think bringing back websites like hawkee etc and providing an easy way to host is the right way forward, but it needs a catalyst (like most things) to become a trend.
There's a line from a 2009 episode of The Office that sums it up:
Jim: "Pam texted back saying we could give them all iPods".
Phyllis: Oh, if they don't have an iPod by now they really don't want one."
Website creation has reached its equilibrium rate of growth. Those who want a website will make one, and the rest won't. Personal websites are one of many media for public self-expression today; in 2004, the options were far more limited. Those who are on Neocities or mmmm.page or Bearblog etc., are the spiritual successors of that MySpace HTML template generation. They are a trickle relative to the number of people who'll start a Tiktok, Bluesky or Youtube account. It's not going to grow any faster than what it is, regardless of whichever points of friction in creating one can be eliminated.
I see it similar to writing books. Everyone can write it (dictating to someone else is also writing), it can be good for person (putting ideas in understandable way, sharing inner ideas). Buuuut not everyone wants to do it.
I guess fetishising books and personal blogs has a limit.
“Everybody does have a book in them, but in most cases that's where it should stay.” - Christopher Hitchens