Remember when the internet was fun?

Picking a profile song. Ranking your Top 8 and dealing with the drama. Signing guestbooks. Writing an away message at 2 a.m. with song lyrics in it. Getting nudged on MSN.

Somewhere along the way, social media stopped being about your friends and started being about algorithms, ads and endless scrolling. I want to bring the fun part back.

LateNite Social is a new social network built like the ones we grew up on:

• Fully customizable profile pages: colors, fonts, backgrounds and a profile song

• Top Friends you can drag to rank (yes, they'll notice)

• Guestbooks, blogs, bulletins, polls and communities

• A real messenger with buddy lists, away messages and the nudge

• A feed that's just your friends, newest first. No algorithm. No streaks.

Doors open Monday, January 4, 2027 at latenite.social.

I'm Darren Rutherford, a self-taught developer from Ohio. I built LateNite myself, and the site is already built and tested. What it needs now is the money to run it properly and safely as people show up.

Where your money goes (first year):

• Servers, database and photo storage, so the site stays fast as it grows

• Email for sign-ups and password resets

• Safety and moderation tools, so LateNite stays a good place to hang out (adults 18+ only)

• Legal basics: proper terms of service and privacy review

• Getting the word out for launch day

Every dollar goes into LateNite. Backers who are OK with it get their name on the Founding Backers wall on the site, so you'll be part of this from day one.

Can't chip in? Sharing this helps just as much. Sign the guestbook at latenite.social to get a launch-day email and grab your username first.

Thank you for helping bring the fun internet back. ♡

— Darren