I kinda wanna see an alt-history TV show where every technology gets developed but then technology stagnates around the internet era and the internet (in the current form) never gets developed.
What do you think of this type of society?
I think a sort of like text packet-radio of public chatrooms would be so cool as an alternative to the current “internet”. Like a meshtastic sort of thing, and Libraries would have info on how to build them, and some stores will sell them.
So basically like a internet-but-not-really-internet sort of “internet”, and there would be range limited, and you have the option to not pass on messages you deem hateful. And no corporation will control it, no central servers. Less trolling.
Am I making any sense?
While it could be interesting, I don’t think it’s realistic. Before everyone had Internet, there was Fidonet. Trolls were on BBS FidoNet.
Before FidoNet there were Ham radio operators relaying across the world. There were Trolls on Ham when Ham was used by many during the 1970’s CB craze.
There is something inherently cool about communicating with people across the globe. So a few technical people make it happy and the masses use it.
So any communication medium evolves into an Internet even if the underlying technology is different.
The best you could realistically do is assume something causes an bandwidth limit of say 9600 bps. There would still be an Internet with all the problems but it would be text based.
I dabble in ham radio stuff, you can (and many people do) send data, video, etc. using ham radio equipment. It’s a bit more specialized than just sending voice or Morse code, but it’s absolutely doable.
Not amateur radio, but back in about the 80s there were even a couple countries that experimented with distributing computer programs over regular FM radio. They’d play some electronic buzzing noises that you’d record to a tape then to run it as a program. I know the BBC did it, and I believe Finland also had a radio station doing it for a bit.
In a world where the internet as we know it never came together, I could definitely imagine those sorts of technologies evolving into something that still looks a hell of a lot like the internet.
the Internet and the Web are fine – Web 2.0 was where things started going wrong – the cancer that begat the parasites of Web 3.0, crypto coin, and LLMs feeding off the twitching remains
You make perfect sense, and I’m inclined to agree with you. I think an argument can be made that the internet, for all it’s positive aspects, has made our society worse in a lot of ways. I would love to go back, even though I know it’s not possible.
The Internet was nice in the begining… But like everything …I guess it’s capitalism and marketing that destroy it.
It used to be an alternative reality of freedom now it’s like a cancer just as much as it is good.
I liked life before in the era of flip phones.
We are all being watched used and manipulated almost constantly now. And I don’t think the trade off is worth it anymore.
You were then too you just are aware of it now.
and the internet (in the current form) never gets developed.
based on my recent online shopping experiences, we may get there, soon.
It feels like nobody knows how to Java a Script anymore.
It’s been done in a few places. Fallout and Starwars have been mentioned, but there is also the Maniac series. And while not as hopeful as your example, Blade Runner and Dune also stagnated in terms on communication with no internet.
Maybe the technology doesn’t exist to transfer data electronically at high speeds.
So like Star Wars?
No
Welcome to Fallout.
