Ronalds Vilciņš

Why I Still Save Websites Myself

We live in a world where computers try to guess what we like. They suggest videos, articles, and products. But even with all that smart tech, I still like to save websites myself, by hand. It might seem old-fashioned, but there’s a good reason why I do it. In fact, I’ve even started collecting them on my own website at ronaldsvilcins.com/bookmarks/.

Finding Cool Stuff My Way #

Most of the time, I don’t start my internet journey with a computer telling me what to look at. Instead, I go exploring. I might click a link on a small blog, find something interesting in a chat group, or even click on a search result that wasn’t exactly what I wanted, but led me to something even better. It’s like finding a hidden gem in a used bookstore, not just buying the most popular book at the front.

Computers are great for finding popular things. But I like to find the unusual stuff, the things that aren’t famous yet. These are the websites that really speak to my own unique interests, not just what everyone else is looking at.

When I save a website, it’s more than just putting a link in a list. I think about why this site is special. What helpful information or ideas does it have? I often add a quick note to my saved links. This helps me remember why I saved it, or a cool quote I saw there. It’s like building my own special library, and each entry has meaning to me.

Computer-made lists are just links. They don’t have the story of how I found them, or why they mattered to me. My own saved sites tell a story about what I’m interested in, the deep dives I’ve taken, and the surprising things I’ve learned. You can see some of these on my bookmarks page.

Sharing What I Really Like #

When I share a website with someone, it’s almost never from a list a computer made for me. It’s from my own collection. This means I can talk about why I personally liked the site. I can share it because I truly think it’s good, not just because a computer said it might be.

In today’s online world, where everything can start to look the same because of what computers suggest, saving things myself helps me share unique ideas and voices. It builds real connections with others based on what we’ve truly found and enjoyed. My bookmarks page is a small step in sharing these discoveries with you.

Why Humans Are Still Best (For Now) #

Computers are amazing at looking at lots of information and finding patterns. But here’s what they can’t do yet:

  • Understand Little Details: Computers miss the small hints and feelings that make a website truly great.
  • Get Lucky: Computers work by rules; they don’t just “stumble upon” cool things like curious people do.
  • Feel Excited: The feeling of excitement when you find something truly new and special – that’s something only a person can feel.
  • Tell My Story: My saved websites show who I am. Computer-made lists just show what’s popular.

So, even though the internet keeps getting smarter, I’ll keep saving my favorite websites myself. It’s a small way to say that human curiosity and finding things on your own still matter. My own eyes, I believe, still see things that computers often miss. And if you’re curious about what I’ve found, you can always check out my bookmarks page!