Internet Ephemerality

Nothing lasts forever. A few do, however, last for a long time, the best being a few decades, especially in the digital world.

I’ve been on the Internet for 25+ years. I’ve witnessed firsthand how software, apps, and online services appear, thrive, and eventually vanish. It’s a reminder of digital life’s transient nature, where services we trust deeply today may become obsolete or shut down tomorrow.

Take Google Reader,¹ for instance. Launched in 2005, it quickly became the gold standard for RSS feeds, used by millions, including myself. When Google decided to pull the plug in 2013, it felt like losing a trusted companion. Users scrambled to export years of carefully curated feeds. Many shifted to alternatives like Feedly, Feedbin, NewsBlur, Inoreader, or NetNewsWire, but the abrupt end taught us a crucial lesson: never rely entirely on one service.

Another poignant example is GeoCities.² It was the first place where many of us built our initial web presence. At its peak, GeoCities hosted millions of personal websites, each a unique expression of digital creativity. But by 2009, Yahoo shut down GeoCities, erasing an enormous part of Internet history overnight. The tragedy wasn’t merely in its closure but in the loss of countless web pages that people hadn’t backed up or moved elsewhere.

Evernote was once an App to remember everything. More recently, consider Evernote’s dramatic shift. A beloved productivity app for note-taking, it began tightening limits and restructuring its pricing. Users who’d built elaborate systems around it faced tough decisions. While Evernote hasn’t shut down, it reminded users about the risks of heavily depending on proprietary systems that control your data.

What I’ve learned through these experiences is simple yet profound: always maintain control over your content and data. It isn’t about rejecting online services or apps altogether, but about ensuring you have the flexibility to pivot smoothly when necessary. Regularly backing up data, using interoperable formats, and preferring tools that allow easy migration are strategies that safeguard your digital life.

As ephemeral³ as these services may be, our digital presence doesn’t have to vanish with them. Understanding this helps us embrace change, ensuring we remain nimble and prepared for the inevitable shifts of the online world.