Using the internet like it's 1999 | Hacker News

A Hacker News thread argues that archived late-1990s web pages show the early internet was already full of pornography, malware, spam, and extremist content.

The post pushes back on nostalgic claims that the old web was cleaner or safer than today.

It frames online abuse as a long-running problem, not a new decline unique to modern platforms.

The discussion suggests today’s moderation is stricter in many ways, even if harmful content still persists.