Still can't quite believe it's over

So, yeah, hi. I still don't have a functioning links page, nor an 88x31 button of my own, and I'm only just now getting around to the second post. Part of this is due to depression, and part, I have to admit, is due to forgetfulness. But there's also the fact that, in my head, posting after Cohost's demise makes it real. For a fleeting moment, we all saw what a better Internet could look like. And now it's gone.

It's not all bad. I've kept in contact with most of the people I wanted to, and the whole debacle finally gave me the kick in the arse I needed to build the bespoke, non-enshittified, obscure, deeply personal Web1-style blog that I've kind of always wanted. But... well, fuck, I don't think it's enough.

See, the thing is, I like the "social" aspect of social media. I literally wouldn't be alive without it, nor would I have all the friends that I do. But I hate the algorithms, the dark patterns, the performance metrics, and the ever-creeping enshittification of big platforms. I wanted a platform without any of that crap -- a platform that treated its users with respect and care, a platform that carefully avoided all (well, okay, most) of the miserable aspects of social media. And, for a fleeting moment in time, I had that. We had that.

I still don't want to accept that it's gone.

So, whither this blog? Well, I still fully intend to post on it, and to make a proper Links page and all that stuff. We'll see how much my mental health lets me do that. In the meantime, thanks for reading, and I'm glad you're here.