Beatles....
The post was a poor attempt at describing slowly finding little difference between not-smolnet and smolnet apart from people in the latter going on and on about how much better smolnet is than not-smolnet.
To me, the better measure of online space quality is interaction, not size ("smol"). I've seen many "smolnet" spaces that aren't any better in the quality interaction department than in not-smol spaces.
So... it seems size doesn't matter in this game. One either lucks out by encountering others of similar topic interests and "response frequency/quality joy", or it's "whining into the void as usual" (I tried to be cute leveraging the Beatles song title "For No One" to refer to said "void"...).
Jeez, Inquiry - I know poetry is artistic, but that little lyric-turned-smolnet maxim IS art! :)
And yea, I can see where "interaction = interaction" despite the platform which it occurs. I just happen to find that smolnet places tend to manifest A) interactions, at all - as there's not much left for one to do when pre-censored by social media algo's, and B) higher chance of quality *per* interaction. A smol(ler), self-governed collection of bloggers, or journalers, or whatever are more likely to maintain a higher standard of basic etiquette, unlike those who passively (and passive-aggressively) spit out trite comments on, say, Reddit or Twitter, because of A) their own lack of personal recognition, and B) knowing that there is nearly no (significant) consequence in doing so (because everything just sort of blends in with the crowd, anyway).
Anyway, a lot of what I wrote above has already been opined on and dissected by people who paid more money than me for a degree in matters that render their "take" on this of greater importance than "random blogger TMO from St Louis", so I will leave digital social structures and the platforms that deal with such matters to the minds that are keen to underwrite the existence of them.
But in the meantime, I'm fine with seeking out, participating in, and being a proactive member of smaller (online (and offline!)) communities that just sort of come/go organically.
And for the record, I don't see what goes on within M.p or S.p or anywhere like that as whining, no matter what the individual's take on things are. I appreciate your views, tastes, opinions, and interpretations as much as anyone I see/talk to anywhere else online or IRL.
Cheers, Inquiry.
Happy days ahead! :)