"'People are being more nostalgic about the early web', [Andrew Smales] said, 'and part of me feels like maybe in five or 10 years that might be a thing. I think it's probably too early now, but if somebody revived LiveJournal, I could see old web making a comeback.'.

Maybe Smales will be right."

#MichelleSterling, 2014

https://www.vice.com/en/article/jp5vdg/the-antisocial-network-how-the-90s-internet-died-like-diaryland

10 years on, it's pretty hard to deny that Smales was bang on. Even then, the #IndieWeb and early fediverse had already been around for a few years.

"[Dairyland.com founder Andrew ]Smales requires new users to pay a one-time $2 activation fee to prove they're not a spammer."

#MichelleSterling, 2014

https://www.vice.com/en/article/jp5vdg/the-antisocial-network-how-the-90s-internet-died-like-diaryland

Clever.

Imagine if every responsible email host in the world did this. It could have a similar effect to those 'digital stamp' proposals - tiny charges for sending email aimed at reducing spam - but without the unavoidable friction of avoidable micropayments;

https://freakonomics.com/2009/02/blnk/

#SpamPrevention #AccountCreation