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yapathon (the philisophical rant part):
I don't make this to seem high and mighty. or in a "im right, you're wrong" kind of way. I just almost always see a blog or two surface every week on top blogs about other users. but mainly theyre always complaining about whats on top blogs.and yes, I have been guilty of complaining about it too i understand the hypocrisy shhh dw
I think the main thing people fail to realize when they browse the top blog page is that it isn't made for them. you have to actually try to look for topics and blogs that interests you. you're not being fed things that interests you, or what an algorithm thinks you would be interested in. you have to do that hunting yourself. don't expect to find community or a place you feel comfortable in when you haven't even made the effort to seek it out. don't expect a list of how much of a saint you are to do all the work for you.
and I find that the notion scares people off. especially to younger people. growing up in a world where convenience and efficiency is pushed onto you so all of your time is dedicated to working yourself to death discourages people from doing anything tedious like curating your internet experience. crazy, right?
but no yeah, lets get too political here. there is a problem and it is the reason why people can't bother to stay on spacehey for more than week. its hard for people to realize that nobody is going to cater to them and that they have to serve themselves what they want. this site isn't filled with "drama" or negativity. (theres definitely not as much as it was before i'll tell you that) people have just been conditioned to think that because nobody actually searches for the experience they want.
the "what about me?" effect, or in other words "the bean soup theory", best explains SpaceHey's user base as a whole. it's especially apparent in new users. when people come on to SpaceHey expecting to be fed content that interests them and they aren't immediately hit with the rush that they were expecting, they complain about it. which makes it very telling they don't understand how the site works. Probably expecting another tiktok or instagram repeat with some pretty customizable profiles instead.
when people first log into SpaceHey and make their account, they are immediately hit with the fact that they don't know what to do. sure, that can be overwhelming and I feel sympathy. but then it's likely they'll spend about 10 minutes here each day after figuring out how to use layouts (it's probably the only reason they're even on the site) and then come to the conclusion SpaceHey is boring. then have the audacity to bitch about it on their blog while having no other posts or interactions besides that. yes this is very aimed.
the point of this website is to find your own community, your niche. there's no real popularity here. nobody cares how much friends you have. and I want people to realize that because it's such a great way to run social media. we crave small tight knitted communities, not the millions of followers people aim for. I want everyone to have a good experience here, and I want people to appreciate older web formats more because it is indefinitely more fun in my opinion.
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how to actually use this site and make your experience way more enjoyable!
!!REMEMBER!!
This is SUBJECTIVE. You do not have to do this in order for spacehey to be enjoyable!.
Use the website(more of a joke entry):
so I'm biased as heck but I know for a fact SpaceHey is better on the website than it is on the app. it gives the old internet scene way better than an app will ever give. If I want to use SpaceHey on my phone, I go onto a browser and look it up and use it there. I also think having an app pretty much defeats the whole purpose of SpaceHey. it sends those pattern recognition signals that "yes I'm going to get a quick dopamine rush.” and then when it doesn't happen it makes people think spacehey is boring.
Profiles also look infinitely more better on laptop/the website than they do on the app so it’s just a non negotiable.
Keep it low-key:
SpaceHey should be either a low-key thing that you are on about one a day for an hour and then log off or a sort of personal website to personalize and make into your own little community. in both scenarios you work for the content that you consume and even create content that you may be passionate about or are interested in. You do not have to be on spacehey every day, posting a blog every second, making a bulletin every 20 minutes. there should be a disconnect. Spacehey is a testimony to what myspace was and myspace was the era where the internet and reality were two separate worlds.I’m not asking for you to role-play as if this was the 2000s, that’s stupid. But treating a version of the old internet like it's modern social media and then getting upset when it doesn’t turn out to be enjoyable is kind of silly.
Learn css/html:
No, you don’t have to start making your own websites from scratch. i don't even expect you to start making your own layouts from scratch. BUT knowing things like how the syntax works, what each spacehey container is, and how to manipulate it will make customizing your layout so much easier and freeing. its better than copy and pasting an entire layout when you can build off of multiples and even tweak it yourself.
I think the customization of your profiles is one of the most memorable things that was on myspace and obviously spacehey. though it may have sounded like it, i am not against making your layout look cute. I think knowing how to use css is actually the best thing you can gain from from using spacehey. Learning a computer language for customization is a form of arts and craft. It’s creative, its fun. there is nothing to complain about when people are being creative and artsy.
Join spacehey groups:
I bet you didn't even know there was groups on spacehey hehe. i think this is the first step in creating community. whether you make your own group or join an older, bigger group. i'm in a few groups, and though i find that i don't post mush stuff there, I will poke around and see who's active, who has the same interests, how they interact with community, ect ect. it's one way that i find friends on here. by clicking on the number of group members you can go through the list and sift through and see who's interesting enough to friend.
i actually suggest making your own group (i'm about to take my own advice.) it'll be a way to build your own community rather than joining one yourself. building your own group can make socializing on spacehey feel less scary or limiting especially in groups that are catered to one thing. For example, talking in a group about fashion will be harder than talking in a group for teenagers. because in one group there is only one topic that is "acceptable" to talk about and in a group for teenagers you can talk about a range of topics instead of just one!
Be picky on who you friend:
this may sound silly or stingy or pretentious but it's not. i'm usually the one receiving friend requests rather than the other way around and i go through many, and i mean so many friend requests. and for each and every single one, i do a deep dive of their profile. most friend requests i get are declined because i don't accept requests from people who don't have a blog. it's one of the first things i look for actually. if there isn't a blog i decline immediately even if they seem like a cool person. to me, no blogs is a sign they are new on the platform and i don't friend new people because they tend to disappear off of the face of the earth after a week. (i wonder why) or it could mean that they aren't active and are just searching for friends to collect. i'm not interested in either of these scenarios!
and yes, that has worked pretty well for me because my friends on here are some of the most interesting people on this platform. shout out to my friends, ya'll are awesome sauce!! i actually interact with most of my friends on the daily because i have curated my community in a way which makes it fun to go through bulletins and see what these goobers are up to. if i had accepted willy nilly i would have way more inactive people in my friends who have never interacted with me and has no care in the world that they're my friend.
it doesnt take as much time, you just actually have to read people's profiles, even if it's just a skim. i have a byf list on my profile so if someone who has qualities on that list have friended me, i find it reasonable to decline because it's obvious that they didn't take the time to get to read my profile. so how would i know they actually want to interact with me if they can't even take time out of their day to know who they're friending? Ya know?
Subscribe to blogs:
blogs are the forefront of spacehey besides profile customization. you either customize your profile or make/read blogs and forums.
i've said it before and i'll say it again: the top blogs is not made for you. but the subscription page is made for you, by you. it is your own curated experience. it is blogs made by people who you find interesting and want to hear more from. and even though there might not be something new every second like in the recent blogs tab, that's the joy in having a low-key social media like this one. you log in hoping to find something new made by people you enjoy listening to. whether that be daily diary entries or commentary about the state of the world.
- to subscribe to someones blog all you have to do is go to someones blog page and press the big blue letters that say subscribe to blog. there is a page for all of your blog subscriptions when you click on the blog tab. every new blog that is posted by your subscribers will be posted there.
i personally am obsessed with blog subscriptions because i curate my own experience in every website I'm on. I make sure i take the time to make the content I see what i want it to see. i have found that when i let an algorithm do that for me—they sprinkle in some crap that makes me angry. then i get sucked up in a loop of anger and successfully get rage baited. i am a naturally sensitive person so rage bait is easier to work for me and i will interact with a post that gets me angry. I'm also very passionate about my beliefs so it just does't work well for a calm well rounded experience.
comment on blogs and bulletins:
did you think just reading a blog and leaving kudos was enough? that defeats the whole social part of social media. duhh you gotta talk to people to be social. that's how you make friends, that how you get interactions, thats how you get traction towards yourself.
if you don't know what to comment on a blog, you can say "+2" or "+1" indicating the amount kudos you left on the blog so they know that you were the one who left the kudos and that you enjoyed reading it! it encourages op to keep blogging and posting and it can be a great sentence starter if you do it right.
but in general just try. say what you would want people to comment on a blog that you created. maybe even share your own experiences an stories. just please, be social. you can't make friends if you can't talk to people.
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hehe silly banner. okay but yeah!!, if you have more suggestions to put here, i will add them, i just haven't because well like........... i don't know any more. so yeah, if my small peanut brain does think of more things to add, i will!! soon. ehehe. i just wanted to get this out sooner than later because if not now then it will never get done.
oki baii xoxo
Edit; made the blog more readable because omg this got onto top blogs!!! Eeekk!! So happy, I genuinely want this to be acknowledged forever and not just for the few days it will be up because people need to know how to use spacehey!
Comments
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enumer8
I wanted to add my two cents here (as someone who never leaves my own personal spacehey bubble) because this is such a valuable post that tackles a lot of issues in quite a neat, condensed way.
Coming from someone who was around in the Before Times of the web (been online since 2001), I think you did a really good job at emphasizing how the act of 'finding/curating' your own personal community is an active process, because it seems to be a lost art these days. The whole draw of spacehey as a website truly comes from what it hands over to you: agency and autonomy, something that big tech social media platforms have been trying to take away from you for over a decade now and to that end they've largely succeeded (and I take your blog post here as an example of the results). Had people not been so conditioned to accept whatever's in front of them thanks to the barrage of algorithmic slop they wouldn't have needed a walkthrough like this that teaches them how to curate their own experiences on a social website.
The consequences of being entirely algorithm-driven means that most peoples' impulses have been tuned to be entirely reactive and I think this is really tragic. Like you said, people use spacehey expecting to be 'fed' things that interest them and that's not the case. Once that happens their natural reaction is confusion and frustration, and I think it's really valuable that you've posted this to remind them that it doesn't have to be this way!
It truly isn't the fault of young people nowadays that their entire online experience is essentially a walled garden and it really makes sense that this informs their behavior towards the internet at large. Spacehey is a good opportunity to pop that bubble and be clear that not everything is an 'app'; not everything has an algorithm, you truly do have the autonomy to explore, make things, break things, find things you think are interesting, and make connections with people who share those interests - these connections will be the most meaningful. Your recommendation that using spacehey on a computer is also really spot-on. It will guide you to be more intentional towards using the site, which again is another skill people have lost thanks to the nature of the modern internet. Now that there's no way to escape, what's the point? It's always with you in your pocket, and the way it has bled over into the real world makes you take it for granted, I think. We've lost something now that the internet follows us everywhere.
I still remember being in school around 2004; my neighborhood was on dialup and hadn't moved over to broadband yet. I'd get home every day and log in to MSN Messenger to talk to my friends, then wander the internet because the sense of possibility was intoxicating - and I'd only get about 30 minutes to an hour before my mom told me I was running up the phone bill too high. I want to tell anyone younger here who feels like they lost out that while the web nowadays is nothing like it used to be, there are still amazing, incredible things out there for you to discover. You have to put in the work to find them! Don't let the social media platforms of today convince you that your role is fixed as a passive consumer of 'content'. Make art, mess around with spacehey layouts, learn a skill you don't think you're capable of yet because you'd be surprised at your own abilities.
Personally, I blog sparingly on spacehey since I treat it like most of the sites I used 20-something years ago; log in, write up a blog post, reply to a comment, leave. This is actually the first time I've checked the public blog section in over a year (there was usually nothing interesting) and I have to say you've really done a good job with this post. So, have +2 kudos (whatever the heck that means). Sorry for the wall of text, and stay cool :)
Wow I feel like I'm getting a gold star from my sensei or something. Thank you oh my goodness lolll!! I agree wholeheartedly and I'm glad my point was clear enough because I feel like I didn't say all the things I wanted in the right way. But you just worded it perfectly, thank you!!
by kiko!; ; Report
Ina
In my honest opinion, there's no right way to use spacehey.
I usually don't accept friend request if the person has either: a very wacky profile that doesn't even allow me to use any buttons; just collects friends; or simply because I don't like their vibe.
I love to use blogs to just... well... blog. Even if it's for rambling on about something I'm really into.
The best part about layout customization is that allows me to not get rusty at HTML and CSS, and it's like my little corner where I can shape it to my liking. I understand why it's such a great appeal to newcomers since there's practically zero customization nowadays and I've talked about it before and there's many reasons why that happened.
But yeah... In here, you have to be the type of user to go search for what to do. Spacehey is perfect for me because I get overwhelmed quite easily and since things are slower here, it helps me process information in a healthier way.
Kudos are helpful, especially when someone wants to rise someone's blog entry and has nothing better to say. I don't like forcing people to comment and saying +1 or +2 isn't helpful at all, it only floods the notification area with just that... Kudos already do that. :/
And I say this as someone who writes a lot on other platforms. I really don't like these types of comments. A comment should be a little more constructed, especially when it's about a solid topic, unlike a joke entry or a meme.
Well... I'll stop here bc this is getting too long. Hope it was interesting at least. :P
Kudos don't contribute to the algorithm or get you in top blogs. If that were the case, many blogs in to blogs wouldn't even be at the top because there are people with more kudos at the bottom. It's the clicks that make a blog rise.
I appreciate knowing who enjoyed the blog and gave me kudos rather than... just checking my blog and seeing I got kudos. It makes it more personal and less like numbers on a screen because that's what get people addicted to modern social media.
Sure you can use spacehey differently but I mostly just explained the mechanics and basic social strategies to get friends on here lmao. It's a give or take situation. It's better than having people make an account and abandon them because they have no clue
by kiko!; ; Report
Still, to me, it's very annoying to have comments like that that don't contribute to a discussion nor add anything of value to the table.
But you do you.
I agree. I'm not sure if it's bc they're clueless, bc even clueless people, with some experimentation, can learn a lot of things on their own here, but I also feel like some make an account here for the trends.
I would even make an excuse for some that abandon their accs bc they might be... forgetful? Or may be on their personal little hiatus.
Whatever. spacehey is still awesome.
by Ina; ; Report
Alexandr08
+2
This blog entry is so usefull for someone who is new in spacehey (me), and i'll apply this advices to enhance my experience!!
I think that this is the first time in a long that i use a social media for it basic purpose lol
Thanks for the advices
Caspian
waow this is super interesting and I love the banners thank you!!
sadsatan
Everything new will always have its "old version was better" the innovation is great, the commercialization of it will be garbage, just as these golden old web social medias turned into the rot we call tik tok, the greed of these companies turn this gold into mush that we cant seem to get out of our life unless we actually actively try.
elqazui
Thank you so much for creating this post! This is my first day on here (created account for a friend), and i know i would be completely lost if not for this. I’ve only heard on myspace and i’ve thought of it as a cool thing despite knowing NOTHING about it. I scroll on a daily basis so i’ve deleted all new social media except youtube because i need it to study- and i will be using this. Anyways, stay safe! <33 (sorry for the long comment lolsies)
~nykku
I feel like an idiot for not being more active :/
I do not think you need to. Though if you feel like you are spending too much time on more new age social media compared to this one– I can see what you mean. I feel like this is golden compared to slop like tik tok.
by sadsatan; ; Report
Nykku, like I said, you don't have to be on spacehey every single day. It's okay to keep the site lowkey because it keeps it special and seperately. You SHOULD come back every so often to post and customize. Just don't leave use for too long, okay? :)
by kiko!; ; Report
ok :D
by ~nykku; ; Report
aesop
i agree with the comment below mine! the internet used to be so much more fun in the 2000s/2010s because of the randomness that makes you discover new things you'd never known or considered b4, like it's both curious and fun ?!?!
you'd think tech advancement and ai have made the internet so much more 'easier' for searching stuff, but the reverse relationship of what the internet GIVES us has turned to slop; algorithms trapping us in echo chambers, ads and sponsored content being recommended in all the social media apps instead of cool new posts and users...
i think i'm gonna take my time to really enjoy and discover spacehey <33 would love to make new friends here requests r welcome!
tegan
you're actually so right! as someone relatively new to SpaceHey i'm still trying to figure out how to go about using it and i feel like everything you said makes perfect sense. sure if you just read the headings people might be mislead but when you actually read it all it's all really reasonable and logical for this website. +2 kudos!
Clickbait at its finest ;)
by kiko!; ; Report
WetSock
I'm in my mid 20s and I was definitely online when more social media was set up like spacehey, but even I got thrown off when I first joined.
The way algorithms tend to work more recently has us conditioned to expect that same feel all over the internet. Usually when one thing gets popular, every other social media copies it to fit the mold. I think it's a pretty normal response to get here and not know what to do, so I'm kinda glad to find a post like this. It's hard to build your own online community when you get so used to just falling into them by coincidence.
Pee-chan//Someone cool
omg finally!!!
Ive been tired of people complaining about blogs and other stuff.
Like no, the top blog selection isn't just made for you, its just a blog
selection of top blogs and whats popping.
thank you for speaking up about this!! :D
Kris
UHHHHHHH what a cool blog post
It’s what has gotten me to actually use SpaceHey (what i mean is posting blogs and stuff) rather than staring at my profile and leaving
Same, this post has gotten me inspired to replace some bad youtube and tik tok addiction with this (to a point, I am actively getting rid of screen addiction all together, though its CRAZY difficult)
by sadsatan; ; Report
Awe guys stawp it... that's so great!!! I'm glad you guys are taking the initiative! Hope you have fun here ദ്ദി(˃ ᵕ ˂ ദ്ദി)!
by kiko!; ; Report
bunni
beautifully written! being someone who grew up on myspace, this website has truly brought me back to those times and so far I really am enjoying this space. Unlike tiktok and instagram where it feels like brain melting gush half the time. I love how you mentioned learning code and reaching out to others, its very important in making friends and educating ourselves through others experiences rather than scrolling mindlessly for hours. This post actually makes you use your brain and think<3
furtasticEnigma
Yoooo, this is actually so helpful, i think spacehey might actually help me recover from the loop of dopamine that every other app gives me, since here i gotta look for what i want. Hey thanks a lot really, imma now dive head first into all the art blogs in this website!!! ヾ(*’Ｏ’*)/✧\(>o<)ﾉ✧
Yayaa have fun!!
by kiko!; ; Report
furtasticEnigma
Yoooo, this is actually so helpful, i think spacehey might actually help me recover from the loop of dopamine that every other app gives me, since here i gotta look for what i want. Hey thanks a lot really, imma now dive head first into all the art blogs in this website!!! ヾ(*’Ｏ’*)/✧\(>o<)ﾉ✧
ｃａｍｅｒｏｎ
I think a lot of people forget what this site was based on, and that it was a more social site.
Obviously, I can't talk but at least I can re experience that through this platform.
There is no such thing as an Algorithm on this site, and I hope it stays that way. I also do think having an app defeats the purpose of this site aswell, since the height of the site was experienced on Desktop, not mobile, even though Mobile Applications were available.
In short, this should remain at the top for as long as possible. I give ma 2 kudos to you. Thanks.
I think so too, thanks for the kudos :P
by kiko!; ; Report
isqiazh
mb if it looks like I’m spamming my comments didn’t load until I scrolled lol
isqiazh
| agree, I just made a blog about this! I personally declined friend requests because of either age gaps or there inactivity status, I make this my main social media platform because there's no algorithm, I wanna be on a platform with intention without getting glued in
Collin
I've been on this website for 3 years, and never really knew what to do. What you said makes sense, thanks for the tips!
Mars
im 16,I don't know how to code but this is my favourite website because everything is so customizable to you and you get to choose who you interact or fed onn.I only started using this website properly though because before I was using spacehey on ipad and phone,it genuinely sucks to use especially when you're slow at learning things loll,love this blog.<333