In Our Defense, You Left Us Unsupervised

For those new to small web content, manifestos are pages dedicated to an author's history on the internet, their opinions on how the web has evolved, and sometimes links to other manifestos or related content. I wanted to create our own, and this blog post will serve as just that.

Due to the memory issues caused by our disorder, pinpointing exactly when we got our first computer as a child is difficult. We never had true dinosaur-era machines, but I remember Windows XP being the standard in elementary school and likely one of the first operating systems we used at home. We grew up alongside technology, but society wasn't as dependent on it as it is now.

Most of our earliest internet memories revolve around early YouTube. We primarily watched content made by other kids and teenagers, but some adult creators we followed included BlackBusterCritic, VSauce, Ray William Johnson, and Smosh -- though, surprisingly, we weren't that into Fred. Being a dinosaur-obsessed kid, we also consumed a ton of Jurassic Park: Operation Genesis AMVs and gameplay videos since we were too young to figure out how to get the game ourselves. Look at those polygons!

We also remember engaging with LPStube (if you remember LPS Popular), the animation side of YouTube, and a bit of gaming content. The mid-2000s internet was a strange place for a child -- especially since content blockers weren't nearly as advanced as they are today.

Like with most things, the slow shift in the internet's landscape wasn't obvious at first. You just adjust over time, especially if you've grown up alongside it like Gen Z has. Portable tech got sleeker. Classroom tools changed. The family computer turned into multiple personal devices per household -- if you could afford it. Ads and sponsorships crept into videos. Kids were either slowly pushed off platforms or exploited for profit. This transition was subtle, and now we have the internet as it exists today.

What Do You Think About the Internet?

It's 50/50.

The internet can be am incredible tool, especially for people who don't have acess to certain resources or communities in real life. But on the flip side, corporate greed, parents failing to keep up with their kids' online activities, and algorithim-driven content have fundamentally changed what the internet is.

As a teenager, we used to come home from school and check a bunch of different websites -- DeviantART, Tumblr, YouTube, Skype, and eventually Discord. Now? I can't even fathom checking social media often. The web isn't built for creatives anymore. In fact, I think they're being actively pushed out. If you're not marketable, platforms can't monetize you, and if they can't make money off of you, what good are you to them?

Growing up in the South with abusive parents, we didn't have much access to information due to their controlling behavior. But whenever we could, we sought out content that helped us understand our experiences. No matter how much they told us "this is normal, we knew it wasn't, and the internet confirmed that for us. We searched for resources to cope or explain what we were going through, but it was all so much for a kid to handle. Eventually, we just used the internet as an escape, a way to stay connected with the world beyond our isolation. Keeping up with the times became a subtle "fuck you" to our abusers.

For people with niche interests who struggle to make friends in person, the internet can be a lifeline. It can teach you a million different things. And yet... what do you use it for now?

So... What Brought You to Neocities?

So get this: I was working on a résumé in class and listed that I knew some HTML and CSS. My professor said that was impressive since most people don't have knowledge in that area. That surprised me, and I wanted to sharpen my skills.

Building a website sounded fun, and I needed to refresh my HTML/CSS knowledge since it had been a while. I thought, "Hey, why not make a site dedicated to spreading knowledge about DID?" And so, here we are.

Why Dissociative Identity Disorder Specifically?

Short answer? The disorder is heavily stigmatized -- not just in mainstream media, but across the internet.

Mocking mental illness is nothing new, but I don't want it to be that way for future generations. Education can break down stigma. When people with disorders openly discuss their experiences, it helps normalize these conditions.

In fact, the negativity around DID actually motivates us. Every time I see someone say "If they're disabled, how can they stand up?" or "This isn't real! You're just making it up for attention!", I see it as an opportunity. If I can educate even one person, then all of this will have been worth it.

Anything Else You Wanna Add?