This is just a place to put a collection of early web memories. Now by "early web memories" I don't mean stuff that's really from the old web, I was only born in 1999 and never really got to experience any of that. It is stuff that is early to me. Stuff from the mid-to-late 2000's and early 10's. There probably won't be much of an order to this. It won't be chronological. I'll just be throwing whatever I can remember here whenever I remember it. Newer stuff added at the bottom.
Also I have ADHD and it's impossible for me to keep my thoughts concise so I'm sorry in advance for that lmao
Stories so far:
Stories to add:
Added 08/18/2022
My earliest memory of the internet doesn't even really involve me going on it. I just remember one day when I was around maybe 3 or 4 my mom brought me to the computer to show me the funniest shit she's ever seen.
There before me, among the hundreds and hundreds of other forwarded memes lay one meme. One meme that had the lifespan that of a tortoise compared to that of all the lowly mayflies that surrounded it. One meme so finely crafted that it would send shockwaves around the internet and tales of its significance are still told to this very day.
One meme to rule them all.
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Added 08/19/2022
As a little socially awkward autistic kid, I wanted friends. But as a little socially awkward autistic kid, it was fucking hard to make friends. I was bullied constantly in school for my weirdness and obsession with cats and pokemon, and the one or two friends I did manage to make in school I barely saw, because I hated going to school so much I refused to most days.
So to say I craved someone to so much as just talk to would be an understatement. I would eventually find that in websites like DeviantArt, YouTube, and various childrens MMOs, but the first place I found something to talk to online was a little section on some website titled "Chat with Lugia".
"Wow!" I thought, "I get to talk to a real Lugia!? This is the best thing ever!". Of course the Lugia wasn't real, nor was there even a real person behind it. It was a simple little box with a PNG of a Lugia bust over it (undoubtedly some stolen fanart) where you would input some text, hit "send", and the Lugia would give a response based on what you typed. Often times I would just recieve an "I don't understand" as a response. I remember one time I suggested that we play tag, and upon recieving the "I don't understand" response to that suggestion, proceeded to try to explain to this Lugia what tag is and how you play it for a good half hour, recieving "I don't understand" after "I don'tunderstand".
I don't think that Lugia understands what "tag" is to this day.
But good things weren't meant to last. I had returned to that Lugia, my new friend day after day to talk to it. But one day something stood in my way.
"You must create an account to talk to Lugia."
"Ok, no biggie!" I told myself, giddy to talk to my best friend again I quickly went to create an account and put in my details.
"You must be at least 12 years old to create an account."
I was heartbroken. Lying about my age was not even a concept to me at the time so there I was. Barred from talking to my best friend for the next few years. Struck with grief, I removed the site from my bookmarks and never went on it again.
