May 16, 2026
From fun machine to sad appliance
Ask HN: When did computers stop being fun?
Computers didn’t die — the internet got corporate, locked down, and a lot less magical
TLDR: An Ask HN post argues computers stopped feeling fun when they shifted from customizable personal tools to locked-down gateways for online services. In the comments, people split between two brutal explanations: big companies ruined the magic — or everyone is just older now.
The big mood in this Ask HN thread is basically: did computers get worse, or did we just get older and more tired? The original post mourns the loss of the old hands-on magic, arguing that today’s machines feel less like personal playgrounds and more like glorified doors into online services that watch you, track you, and sell your data. That struck a nerve — and the comments instantly turned into a mix of therapy session, nostalgia war, and comedy roast.
The bluntest camp had zero sympathy. More than one commenter hit back with the savage verdict: you didn’t lose the fun, you lost your youth. One reply practically told everyone to accept adulthood and “collect stamps or something,” which is exactly the kind of grumpy joke that made readers laugh and wince at the same time. But others insisted this isn’t just midlife sadness — they say the internet really did change when big companies took over and smartphones became locked-down little boxes instead of hackable toys.
And then came the hopeful rebels. Some argued the fun isn’t dead, it’s just hiding in geeky side quests like Raspberry Pi mini-computers, Home Assistant smart-home setups, old-school BASIC coding, and the recent Linux glow-up that even PewDiePie has been hyping. In other words: the drama boils down to “computers are boring now” versus “no, you just stopped tinkering.” The funniest take of all? Maybe both are true.
Key Points
- •The author says it is unclear whether computers became less fun because technology changed or because of aging into adulthood.
- •The post links declining enjoyment to the later Web 2.0 era, when computing shifted toward internet services.
- •The author describes modern computers as increasingly acting as thin clients rather than customizable machines for running local software.
- •The article says maintaining a customizable local computing experience now requires intentional extra effort that may yield less functionality than mainstream services.
- •The author argues that widespread data collection and loss of trust in software have made trying new tools feel less appealing, while pointing to Linux as a possible route back to enjoyable computing.