Under the Sea 🌊

Labor Conditions of Content Moderators (2021)

Inside AOL's "Cyber-Sweatshop" (1999)

Digital Labor and Imperialism (2016)

Amazon Mechanical Turk: The Digital Sweatshop (2012)

Gig Economy, Algorithmic Control, and Migrant Labor (2022)

The Rise of Cyber-Coolies (2003)

Ecological Impact of Computation and the Cloud (2022)

The Environmental Sustainability of Digital Content Consumption (2024)

Carbon Footprint of the Internet (2010)

He felt old when they would watch something on TV and Dennis would casually mention that the show was older than him.

He felt old when Dennis would show him a tiktok that made him laugh but Jack didnt understand it.

He felt old when he read the text from Santos on Dennis's phone and he had no idea what it meant.

He felt old when Dennis got hard again after cumming but Jack felt like he needed a nap.

He felt old when they went out and people treated him like he was Dennis's dad or a creepy guy taking advantage of the younger man.

He felt old.

Dennis was young, he even looked younger than he was which didnt help, he had a lot of options. Dennis should be out at gay clubs instead of movie nights with Jack. Dennis should be getting high and drunk with friends not helping Jack cook their dinner. Dennis should be having random hookups, not cuddling in bed because Jack was too tired for sex.

Jack was holding him back.

It was during handover when Jack was going to greet his partner before he left when he heard the conversation between him and Santos.

"Come out tomorrow after the shift, its a cool club, you need to experience more gay clubs. Come on."

"No, its Jack's night off, im gonna be at his"

"Bring him too."

"No, he wont want to do that"

Because he was old and Dennis was young.

Standing next to the duo, wearing the confidence he didnt have, he slipped a hand around Dennis's waist.

"You can go if you want." It wasnt that Dennis needed Jack's permission but he wanted to ensure that Dennis knew he didnt mind.

"I want to spend the night with you."

"I can come too, wont be my first gay club"

Santos boasted in victory, the plans solidified in her mind as she walked around, a new pep in her step. Dennis still looked uneasy as he repeatedly checked that Jack actually wanted to go and they parted with a PG kiss.

The next night, Jack was on edge, they were at one of the few tables, Dennis sitting so close that their legs were almost fused together. It was the men he saw look at his partner all night, he even heard someone approach Dennis when they were at the bar, calling him a cute twink. The guy only looked to be a few years older than Dennis, which didnt help.

Jack felt old. The music was too loud, the alcohol tasted disgusting, the lights were too much, the music was also just terrible. Dennis refused to get up and dance, Jack had once again mentioned that he didnt mind sitting and watching but Dennis still refused, sitting next to Jack, drinking, getting drunk. A lot of people looked at Dennis, Jack couldnt help but wonder what they thought when they saw him, an old man, sitting next to him, touching him. They probably thought he was a pervert.

"I need the bathroom"

"OK."

Dennis may need the bathroom, but Jack needed medication for the migraine he was getting. To his surprise, Dennis pulled Jack with him, maneuvering them to an empty wall near the bathroom ans pushed Jack against it.

"Dont like them looking at you"

"What?" Jack was confused now. It didn't stop Dennis as he slurred his words.

"You are my old man. How old were you when I was born?"

Jack answered, his confusion overlapping his insecurity.

"What year did you become a doctor?"

"How old was I when you started med school?"

"Is my mom two or three years older than you?"

Jack answered every question, Dennis becoming more excited, trailing kisses up Jack's neck, thrusting his erection at him. Before Jack realised what was going on, Dennis wet the front if his own trousers, he had cum from dry humping his older partner in the grimy hall of a gay club.

How Jack got them both home, he doesnt know, he does know that Dennis was very handsy and needy when drunk as he kept reaching for Jack, he also kept trying to sneak his hand into Jack's pants.

He had finally got them both naked, laying in bed together as Dennis turned and stroked Jack's face.

"Your stubble is grey, its so sexy."

" what?"

"Its so sexy, I love the grey hair, the wrinkles, you're so fucking hot."

Every physical display of age seemed to be something Dennis was attracted to, it was what he wanted.

" you like me being older than you kid?"

"I fucking love it, i get this sexy older man all to myself, I fucking love knowing that you are so much older than me, its so hot. Tell me again how old you were when I was born?"

To prove his point, Dennis thrust his erect dick at Jack's thigh making the older man chuckle.

Idk when I was younger, you could just go and go and find exciting new websites full of whatever cool things you wanted to explore. An overabundance of ways to occupy your time online.

Now, it's just... Social media. That's it. Social media and news sites. And I'm tired of social media and I'm tired of the news.

You're right that the internet is smaller than it used to be, but there's still some cool stuff left in the corners. I'd recommend checking checking out Neocities if you haven't--it's an independent web hosting platform like Geocities of the old web, and there are hundreds of interesting and active pages discoverable both through their search function and through web buttons (links attached to small pictures with the title of a website) within the websites themselves. Here are three examples of web buttons you may find in link pages:

Most Neocities websites have link pages or button collections with anywhere from tens to hundreds of these. Don't be afraid to explore!

If you're looking for something more like a search engine, I can point you towards Marginalia. It's not a particularly smart engine, but it's perfectly usable if you've ever been taught to use search engines back when they were mostly run through keywords instead of full sentence comprehension. There's also an "about" and "tips" section on the front page with more information. The algorithm of Marginalia can be filtered by the user to allow, disallow, or require JavaScript depending on your needs, plus there are filters designed specifically to prioritize web 1.0 sites or mostly text-based ones. It is possible to search for modern websites with it, but it can return websites from just about any decade (since the invention of the web, obviously) so long as they contain the information you're looking for. For example, here are some random interesting sites I've found using Marginalia:

Native Languages of the Americas: Native American Cultures

BASIC HTML COMPETENCY IS THE NEW PUNK FOLK EXPLOSION!

Earthbound Text Labs by Bill Eager

The possibilities for discovery are truly endless.

Now you might want to know about directories. These make browsing for websites easier, but require you to read through and judge which ones to visit, as there aren't algorithms ranking the sites besides the whim of whoever coded the directory. Some of them have themes, others don't. Here are two that I've used:

Yesterlinks Directory

Ichigo Directory

Directories can be harder to come by just by surfing the net, but they aren't impossible to find. Many personal websites have their own directories of interesting sites hidden within them.

Webrings are similar to directories, but are actually more community-based. You have to register your website to be a part of a webring, usually by sending an email to whoever runs it and meeting some kind of entry criteria. For example, my personal website used to be a part of a webring called Sweet Dreams, which was for websites that heavily utilize color palettes and images of cute things, particularly sweets. Webrings will give you access to a widget upon entry that allow visitors and other members to browse between the registered websites in a massive ring, ergo, where the term gets its name. Webrings can have any theme or criteria for entry. If you can make a website about it, you can find a webring for it.

Now, you might be wondering about social media alternatives. I can't offer much, but I can nudge you towards the idea of forums. Here's one I found that could really use some traffic. I also browse a bit on MelonLand forum, which is actually closed right now--it's currently closed on Mondays--but on any other day of the week, you can find a fun community there dedicated to web revival. You can find it through MelonLand's main page. I'd also recommend checking out SpaceHey, which is a MySpace clone that's customizable and easy to use.

Are you a word nerd like me, and my father before me?

Then may I introduce you to...

Levi's said yes, actually. Assless chaps and a biker vest. Happy Pride.

Kandy G. Lopez R ² - Roscoe and Reggie 2024 Yarn and acrylic paint on hook mesh

Diarmuid is aware of anatomy, of sinew and muscle, of the way God crafted man, but now he is aware in a completely different way. He thinks, So, this is how a man should look, and cannot stop looking at the Mute, whose naked chest and arms are thick and defined and covered in scars and with hair that is dark and curly and just as damp from sweat as the rest of him.

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