![IMG_0984.PNG](https://steemitimages.com/DQmQrKAbqxfgskSeCibxmeWHcyBCsuPcKsu3YWHiWYzoaV7/IMG_0984.PNG)
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**Remember when this place was cool?**
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**Yeah me neither.**
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When I first got here over a year ago, the level of un-cool in this nerd huddle was tremendous. 
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Lurking Larrys and Pale Petes turned a few shades darker, from the sheer hours spent basking in the warm glow of Steemit being emitted by their monitors. Scrolling Sammys scanned, for the next section of stimulating scribbles that they could squander their seconds on. While the Rebuttal Randys were carefully composing their magnum opuses (yes, that's the plural) in the comment quadrant of Conspiracy Carl's not-so-compact and clearly contrived, "flat-earth expose". 
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Fringe Freddy finally found the testicular fortitude to flex a resounding "FUCK YOU" to his "friends" and family on Facebook. Conviced Steemit was the future, he began cutting the cords to all conventional social media, because here on the bleeding edge he wasn't another Crazy Chris. In what seemed miraculous to him, most Meandering Michaels here viewed Fringe Freddy as more of a Moderate Manny than Maniac Miguel.  
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He wasn't alone.
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I, Kid Kryptik, for instance wanted to kiss karma on on the mouth for Steemit. I was astonished by the Anarcho Andys that seemed so effortlessly *au courant* with the inner workings of the world, by presenting their brilliant analysis and mind blowing avant-garde associations. 
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Nerd-leader @ned and Disruptive @dantheman demonstrated that by deconstructing and deviating from the current social media archetype, that decentralization could not only work in this space, but flourish.

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![IMG_0985.JPG](https://steemitimages.com/DQmcWzmsErreuQBXUirLuyxyDRdDMUNcK3R8AjGYmTjeTNU/IMG_0985.JPG)
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I (as with others I'm sure) honestly didn't care as much about that though. It's kind of like high school, I guess.
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Imagine a version of Kid Kryptik that was The "New Kid" Kryptik. One that kicked off his high school career unknowingly carrying a "KICK ME" sign on his back. A brand new boy, brandishing a bohemian band t-shirt. Which basically means, a brand new bulls-eye for the big boss barbarians on campus.
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Thankfully I faired far better than most.
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I naturally nestled in with the non-conformists. Many would label us as the uncool, the Maniacal Metal Militia, or the Pestiferous Punk Posse. Much like Steemit in the early days, it felt as though however "uncool" this bottom caste of untouchables may be, it was a microcosm for the freedom of individuals. A place where ideas were cultivated. A place to avoid facing the repercussions of not adhering to "normal" social constructs. Some of us went to great lengths to repel the nastiness of normalcy, by filling our body full of holes and adorning aforementioned holes with small metal rings. Maybe even an unnatural hair color here and there. I wore uncool like a badge.
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I'm not saying we were all a bunch of boisterous freaks in the beginning. Just most of us. Normal was the outlier. Of course there were Cooking With Carlys and Healthy Helens, but much like Healthy Helen's use of sugar, the "normies" were scattered, and sprinkled sparingly. This was to be expected. 
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What I didn't expect was that the mild snow-balling of Steemit's initial success wasn't a steady stream but was seconded by more of a screaming swarm of society. 
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*Ugh.*
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Buzzfeed Bobs blasted out a barrage of bullshit. 
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The occasional Traveling Tammy catapulted taking over the top feeds, trying to tantalize all with trendy click bait titles, and tits. (I promise I merely only looked to (search for nudes) tap into the psyche of such a despicable human being.)
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High at the pinnacle of all of this were the Pissy Pauls precipitating pretentious, wealth-coach-esque principles, upon us poor  peasants. Show a hair of dissent and a cacophony of prophesied subscribers they offered as tribute to the whale-gods, shall rain hell upon thee. May ye be warned. Luddites lulled into laying down their Steemit reputations by carrying out a flag crusade for a deceptive prophet. 
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Upon saying all of this I bet you can guess what makes my list for my "Top 3 Articles, I Hate The Most" list. Although I bet you won't guess number 2!!!!!
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As much as I pretended the regular (fake) world wasn't here, the ad-pocalypse was staring me in the face. Night of the Living Normies, had commenced and I wasn't ready.
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***To Be Continued...***
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A couple of questions before I go:

1). Do any of you old school cats still feel alienated by the amount of frivolous bullshit generated on the trending page, or are you numb to it?

2). Does the site really need to be geared towards more "normal" users? (Isn't that what we were all trying to escape?)

3). Do Crypto-Gurus really exist? (I mean think about it, it's literally almost impossible not to have some sort of gains at this point.)
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*Love you all.*

*Glad to be popping my head out of the bunker today. It feels good.*

*Sorry I've neglected you all. I've had life take me off course here.*

***Leave me a comment to let me know you all are alive right now.***