So I revisited Gaia Online just to see how its been and hoo boy has it been. Most of the features no longer work due to flash shutting down. Theres only a couple of games you can play without downloading some obscure browser (which the site itself recommends. They’re not going to fix it anytime soon). The forums are barren compared to how things were years ago. At least the avatar customization still works and the art styles still cute.

But it got me thinking about the how much the internet changed since Gaia launched. Old websites from twenty years ago had more of a focus on meeting and talking to people that current social media doesn’t have. And yea, people have been saying that current social media is anti social for years but you never really notice how until you see a more social site. Seriously! Modern sites are all about clout chasing and grifting to a large audience. Gaia does have a more chill atmosphere in comparison. You’ll get no rewards for stirring up shit like social media, just a bad reputation and a ban. Just- goddam we need to get back to that!