Discord has ruined itself for me. I actually liked Discord a lot, which feels like a minority opinion most days. I liked it because I have cultivated an awesome community on there with almost 2500 wonderful souls. The TLC Discord server is one of the highlights of my day. Even if I’m only lurking, I still interact with people damn near every single day of the week.

And then Discord decided they needed to verify ages. I get that it wasn’t really their choice (even if they’re implementing it in places where those laws don’t reach), but it drove a lot of people off of the platfrom. Other niches probably didn’t notice as much a drop off, but Linux and FOSS enthusiasts are probably the type to care about this sort of thing.

Since the announcement, I’ve noticed a lot less activity on my server. Some of them have moved to Matrix (which I’ve now bridged with Discord), but others are just staying away completely.

It makes me upset since it feels like Discord has taken the shine off of something I, and many others, really enjoyed.

It makes me worry about the rest of the Internet in general. Will the shine also be taken off of it as we go along this road? I know some are saying that it was lost long ago, but there are still many areas of the Internet that I really enjoy, and I think most people are still like that.

But what happens when in order to put something online you have to have an official rating (like you do on TV or at the movies)? Will people who want to write a blog where they can shout “FUCK FUCKITY FUCK FUCK MOTHERFUCKERS” still want to do so when they have to register their blogs so that they comply with some law somewhere in the world?

I know I’d have a big fucking problem with that if it were to happen. Because think about it. These idiots who think they’re protecting children (which they’re not), will one day realize that the Internet is larger than just Netflix and porn. They’ll want a way to control everything, which means everything will need to be rated for certain ages.

Maybe I’m just being paranoid. Maybe the age verification is where it stops. But you give an inch, they take a mile. And we all know it isn’t about kids. These assholes don’t give a shit about kids. It’s about information control. Keep them dumb and uninformed, and you rule the world.

So maybe it isn’t just Discord that has me depressed. The Internet is my happy place, and it seems the old ass politicians who don’t know to spell Internet let alone how it works are trying to ruin it for all of us.

So, if you need me, I’ll be packing my bags for my new cabin in the woods.