Title: Hello stranger.<p>It has occurred to me that one of the crucial elements of the early internet was the feeling that there was somebody out there, _somewhere_ on the globe, that was actually responding to that particular thing you were putting out there. It was a special feeling, because it was a sense of connection. Just being online and being part of the few select communities that existed back then was a commitment, and I believe that&#x27;s in part what made it feel special.<p>With all the world gaining access to the internet, I think we&#x27;ve gained a lot, but lost this sense of wonder: Since online interactions have now become commonplace to the point of para-social meaninglessness, any single post or message doesn&#x27;t really feel all that _real_.<p>HN is still the closest thing I know to that primordial kind of internet, and so I&#x27;m putting this post out there. It might get buried instantly, or it might survive, and on the off chance that it does:<p>I encourage you to comment here about whatever you&#x27;re passionate about at the moment, however niche it might be. It might let you find some likeminded people and maybe recapture a bit of the best aspects of the internet in those early days.<p>In any case, I sincerely wish you a great day, from one surprisingly-real-but-currently-text-based being to another :)
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