When I first wrote Back to the Old Internet, I thought I’d simply hit “peak nostalgia” - Linux, Mastodon, RSS, and a calmer web. But it turns out that was only the beginning. What started as a gentle reboot has quietly become an entire ecosystem: my own little slice of the fediverse.

In the months since, I’ve added Matrix, Pixelfed, and PeerTube to my self-hosted setup - and each one has reminded me that the “old internet feeling” wasn’t just about aesthetics. It was about connection, ownership, and the quiet satisfaction of things working on your terms.

💬 Matrix: Conversations, Reclaimed

Signal was great, but I wanted something I could truly own. Enter Matrix — a protocol, not a platform. I now run my own homeserver, complete with bridges, Maubot automations, and rooms that feel more like digital living rooms than rented chat spaces.

What makes Matrix special is its openness — you can chat with people no matter which server (or app) they use, just like being able to call someone even if they’re on a different phone network. Communication without walled gardens.

It’s a revelation: group chats that persist, privacy baked in, and no mysterious cloud middleman. Just people talking, like the web intended.

📸 Pixelfed: The Calm Corner for Images

After years of algorithmic feeds, it’s refreshing to post a photo knowing no one’s being manipulated into seeing it. My Pixelfed instance feels a bit like an old Flickr album - slow, gentle, uncurated. It’s where I share snippets of Lancashire life, riverside sunsets, my cats Jem and Scout, and the occasional experiment in AI art.

No filters for engagement, no ads - just light, composition, and memory.

🎬 PeerTube: A Window, Not a Stage

I’m not a video creator by nature, but PeerTube opened another door. It’s where I host tech demos, walkthroughs, and quiet looks around my setup - from Nextcloud dashboards to Matrix bridges in action. It’s not about chasing views; it’s about documenting and sharing knowledge freely, the way tutorials used to feel on early YouTube.

Each view feels genuine - someone who actually wanted to be there.

🕸️ The Web, Woven Back Together

What I love most about all this is how everything connects:

• Mastodon handles my thoughts and updates
• Pixelfed captures my visual moments
• PeerTube hosts deeper dives
• Matrix ties it all together in conversation

Each tool speaks a common language - ActivityPub, federation, openness - creating a digital home that isn’t ruled by algorithms or ads, but by intention.

🌿 The Philosophy of Small Tech

Self-hosting isn’t about perfection or control. It’s about participation. About knowing that your online life doesn’t have to sit behind someone else’s login wall.

It’s slower, yes. Quirkier, absolutely. But every time I log into my dashboard or see a bridge connection light up, I’m reminded: this is my web again.

🧭 Closing Thoughts

The fediverse isn’t a product - it’s a practice. A patchwork of small servers, shared values, and people quietly building alternatives.

Every new piece I add - from Matrix rooms to Pixelfed collections - makes my world feel a little more like the one I grew up loving: personal, creative, and human.

Because maybe the future of the internet isn’t corporate or centralised.
Maybe it’s federated - and maybe, just maybe, it’s already here. 💜