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Bring Back Crappy Forums

The article reflects nostalgically on early web forums, arguing that their messy, community-driven format fostered genuine connection and discussion, contrasting with the polished but algorithm-controlled social media platforms of today.

Background

Tedium is a long-running newsletter and website known for deep dives into obscure tech history and internet culture. This article reflects a growing sentiment among tech writers and veteran internet users: the "old web" of small, self-hosted forums (powered by software like phpBB, vBulletin, or Simple Machines) felt more authentic and community-driven than today's centralized social media platforms (Reddit, Discord, Facebook Groups). The author argues that the rough, ugly, technically clunky forums of the 2000s fostered genuine connection precisely because they were local, slow, and not optimized for engagement or advertising. The piece is part of a broader "Web Revival" / "Small Web" conversation that critiques platform monopolies and algorithmic feeds, and yearns for the internet's earlier, more decentralized era — often called the "web 1.0" or "IndieWeb" ethos.

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