goodbye cohost
cohost is officially actually read only. its been read only for like 24 hours. i wrote a post about cohost shutting down earlier this month, when it was first announced, but i was so stuck in "improving website in preparation for cohost shutdown" mode that i didnt really process my feelings around the shutdown yet. and then i had a trip to denmark where i met lots of people, and then i had a bunch of stuff to do when i was home. but now i dont have anything to do, and the fact that i cant scroll cohost now that i finally have time to chill is really being Felt. im really gonna miss cohost.
ive been trying the alternatives for a bit. i made a bluesky account before the shutdown was even announced, because i wanted to see what it was like. but i could never imagine using bluesky as a main social media. i made a fedi account again, after i left fedi for cohost ages ago because i just found that it was impossible to make my feed on fedi even remotely pleasant to scroll. i think i could make fedi work, but im kind of finding that i just... dont want to? i really just dont have the motivation to use any of these websites anymore.
ive got a bunch of rambles written down about why i think im not motivated to use these other websites, about what the others are lacking that made cohost so nice. the lack of numbers made all the interactions more authentic, cohost felt like a space where i was safe to express myself however i wanted, and people would interact with me because of shared interests much more than on other websites. there are people who i would probably never get to become friends with if i had met them on like, twitter or something instead, because there was no pressure to gain more Numbers on cohost.
but that doesnt really matter, does it?
one thing that hangs over my experience on cohost is that its not really about "what made cohost so nice", its "what made cohost so nice for me". because there were lots of people who did not get to feel safe on cohost. lots of people left the website because they could not find a community that was safe for them, lots of people left because they were harassed endlessly on cohost. and like, the one nice thing about cohost was that it was run by people who cared. but that doesnt help when you see unchecked racism every time you open the website, i can only imagine it makes it feel worse.
so, like, cohost was really nice. but only to some. and i really hope that whoever gives it a shot next tries to fix cohost's real issues, not made up issues like "you shouldnt pay workers well". i want a space where everyone can feel safe, and i will not settle for any website with major flaws anymore. its just not worth it.
so i think you wont be finding me active in any of the other websites. id much rather just blog on my own little website.
but that said, i hope this wont mean the end of the internet being a social space to me! im optimistic, because lots of people have created blogs, and my rss feed has so many people now!! im really hoping that i'll still continue to discover new cool people through their blogs!
and most importantly, i hope that people will still talk to each other. i hope that everyone who makes a blog adds an accessible way for others to reach out to them, so i can let them know my thoughts, and talk to them more! i loved that people were much less afraid of commenting on cohost, and i dont want that to die. some people add comment sections to their blogs, and i have an "email me ur thoughts" button, and i really hope more people will add things like this!
and also, btw, i really hope people will use my little "email me ur thoughts" button! even if your thought is as simple as "woaw cool post", i'd love to hear it! and i mean it!!