07/01/2025

I don't post, but I exist

A more complex network

I can say I have known the internet since its early days, before social media. It was a more complex network because it had not yet been designed to be fully accessible. Usability and accessibility came later.

Back then, some services survived, some disappeared and others evolved so much that they nearly left their original spirit behind. That is not necessarily a bad thing. I have lived through and enjoyed those services, and I think things have gone reasonably well. Still, I miss a few things: chat rooms, the legendary IRC and other systems. They let you discover people on the other side of the screen, sometimes in your own city and sometimes on the other side of the world. I remember waiting for friends in different time zones who would show up when it was almost dawn for me—and that was before we even get into the days of dial-up modems.

A more social network

I was listening to the podcast Mi año favorito, which featured David Pastor Vico. I cannot quote it exactly, but we could say the internet back then was more social than today’s platforms, simply because the ways we related to each other were much closer to how we interact in the real world.

People met in one place, found others with similar interests—or not—and eventually built relationships where they could share anything, just as they would in person. If you did not log in one day or did not run into someone, nothing happened. It was like going down to the park and finding that one of your friends was not there. I miss that, especially because if someone was absent for longer, you would find another way to check if they were all right. The connection felt more tangible.

I’m listening

I have been on almost every platform out there, and I usually say that I am mostly listening. When it all began, I did keep up: posts, comments, tags and every new way of interacting people came up with. Then I gradually stopped, until I reached where I am now. I have even closed some accounts, only to open them again mainly to stay in touch with people I care about. I have always missed something more personal. Social media has largely become a place to post for others to see. Interaction is valued and encouraged, but it often goes no further than likes and a short comment—usually a bit of positive reinforcement, perhaps just to be noticed, rather than real criticism of what someone shared.

My teaching experience and the silence on social media

Among other things, I teach photography. I started on my own, and later, through a few contacts, I taught courses for a camera shop for five years. At the time, I made good use of social media. I posted the courses and filled them without much trouble, even in other cities. That was how I became known in photography circles across my city and the whole island.

Later, I became a father and, for many reasons, took a break from photography—or at least from doing it at the level I had before. I became a hobbyist again and disappeared from social media. I stopped posting courses, sharing my photos and talking about things. I could say that almost nobody asked if I was all right or tried to reach me another way.

Not long ago, the shop held several events to mark its fiftieth anniversary. I met former students and fellow photographers again, and they all asked what had happened, what I was working on and whether I would teach again. I still have most of them on one social platform or another. But because I was not posting, I had disappeared. I understand why, but I also see how sad the system is. There are no personal relationships—just noise you send out and echoes that sometimes come back. If you go quiet, you do not exist.

I will not go on. These posts are an exercise in getting thoughts out of my head. And if you have read this far, know that I never stop doing things; I just enjoy doing them more than sharing them.