Let me ask you something. Are you new to the indie web? Are you new to exploring the "true" internet? An internet that isn't run by mega corperations and money hungry fiends. Well if you are (or arent) then I want to ask you, how do you see the internet? Like, how does the internet look to you? Is it a bustling neighborhood with tons of sites? Is it an ocean full of things to explore?

The way I see the internet is oddly specific. I see the internet as space. A vast and open space with one main solar system. The sun? Chrome. And the planets? All the main social media and websites people use and cycle through every minute.

How do you get between these planets? An infinite train of course! The train is basically whatever search engine you use! (Get it.. Engine.. Trains? Hah.. Hahahah...) The train passes through all the sites, Youtube, Instagram, Twitter, Reddit, Tiktok. And most of the time you get off at these main planets whenever the train stops at them.

More "obscure" sites/planets start showing up the longer you stay on the train. I'd concider Ao3, Bluesky, and even TUMBLR those more "obscure" sites. They're only in quotes because even though not many people know of them, there's still a good chance you could find someone in your school or at work who knows of both of these.

And after a while of staying on this train, after many obscure searches. You pass through all the scam and bot sites and eventually reach a site you've never seen before! It looks unlike anything you've ever seen! Sparkly gifs, weird and wacky layouts, blinkies, and so much more!

The train makes a hault after you get off it eventually turns right back around and speeds off towards the main solar system. But don't fear, the planet you're on has it's own system of travel! Little cars that dart across roads that connect to other cool sites!

Instead of one linear path, you can choose your own path! You can choose what planets to stop at and what planets to ignore! No need to wait for the train to take you!

You're exploring through sites, actually getting caught in some sort of... web... (Get it? Web..? The world wide web..? Please laugh) You start to leave that initial solar system more and more! Sure there's some places there that are irreplacable to you! But there's so many other sites to explore that replace the old sites you one called home

I love the internet, I grew up with it! I can remember vividly sitting all night in elementary school on PBS Kids, Nick JR, Prodigy, and a whole butt ton of other sites like Scratch! Surprisingly enough I was actually kinda popular on Scratch, going by Cupcakehead42! Yep! If you ever see any accounts with Cupcakehead42, that's probably a reminant of my old internet persona!

Scratch is actually how I got into coding but I remember tons of creators promoting a little website called WIX... If you've read some of my old stuff in Abby's notebook you know that WIX IS SHIT.

I would know... Because I tried to make an Eddsworld roleplay chat using WIX similar to World of Jade Mountain....

You aren't allowed to judge alright! I was like 9-10... I've come a long way from that! I mean look at me! Two websites under my belt and a tiny presence on scratch!

This is getting off topic... What I'm saying is, the internet is just so fun to explore! One day you could be stuck in the same 3 sites, next thing you know you've trapped yourself in a web of hundreds of websites and different, REAL people that are managing them!

Real people as in real human individuals, not stupid brands or companies. No offence if you work at a company or own a small brand. It's just, the internet feels more connected whenever you find a new site and recognize someone's button on their links page, or notice your webring neighbor while surfing through sites.

The internet feels better connected.

It always HAS been connected and still is, people just aren't looking in the right spaces..!