Kate Wagner's article 404 File Not Found explores varying levels of nostalgia. The author begins by conjuring early memories of the internet and takes the readers on a journey that questions the human relationship with technology and nostalgia. Additionally the article looks at the issues of racism, classism and identity that are tied into the human relationship with the internet and technology. The subject matter leaves the readers with many thoughts to unpack.
The author is a millennial and draws experiences from that particular age group. Those younger may view her memories from a historical context, but for myself being older, I viewed it through the lens of experience. "When I was a child, for example, the internet was still indexable you generally found websites through directories and webrings. Favorites meant something, because finding what you were looking for often took quite a bit of time." I could relate to this recollection by the author as I went through this process as well. However, my history goes back to a time long before the Internet and the reliance on computers. This process made me think of searches at the library using a physical card catalog. The article moves through the evolution of the internet from Google searches, Geocities, Myspace and onto social media. Even though I'm quite a bit older than the author, I did use the early platforms of the internet such as Geocities and later, Myspace. I have similar feelings of nostalgia for these platforms, but also for a simpler time before computer technology.
I agree with points the author makes in the discussion of the demise of the early internet platforms. The author used this quote as part of her discussion, "capitalism will obliterate everything you know and love" which explains much of what transpires in our society. These platforms died as they were not profitable and the corporations. Corporations will search for profitable ventures regardless of the human experience and despite of their branding messages. "And countless hagiographies and histories have been written about the technology of the internet and its "inventors" hailing from the FAANGs (Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Netflix, and Google). But the users of those technologies and services can only be found in the data point or the footnote, transformed into an anonymous bleating mass a world below the visionaries who built the platforms that now alchemize our consumer preferences into chunks of fool's gold." This supports the shift from early internet to the current landscape largely being driven by capitalism, but also brings up the underlying themes in the article.
The early internet was far more customizable and required some knowledge and hands–on activity which enabled the user to develop identity and individuality. The act of coding and developing content was far more involved and allowed the users more possibilities for expression, in contrast to social media. Facebook and Instagram pages look basically the same for everyone, unlike the customization of Myspace and Geocities pages.
With the loss of individuality and personality that came with social media, another issue brought about is that of racism and classism. The attitudes towards the earlier platforms shifted as young people moved to social media such as Facebook. Facebook was being utilized by white, upper class students and was seen as far more respectable. This left older platforms with a bad reputation. But, as the article describes, our attitudes toward technology changes and cycles over time. With the rise of a polarizing political climate, Facebook gave a platform to questionable views, often hateful. Also, as parents and an older population started using the platform, it lost its cool.
The Internet and its relationship with humans moves through cycles. The initial excitement fades then moves through states of contentment, ennui, complacency and indifference then back to excitement. The human condition is to continue to question this ongoing cycle.
Work Cited
Wagner, Kate. "404 Page Not Found." The Baffler, Jan. 2019,
https://thebaffler.com/salvos/404–page–not–found–wagner