i just want zoomers to know that computers were actually useful once. before the iphone/ipad/android/chromebook, computers ran software that was just like a program that did what it was supposed to do. also the internet used to have a lot of cool stuff on it that didn't give you an anxiety disorder
before spotify there was grooveshark and 8track and pandora that let you make public playlists and find new music. there was a time when pop-ups & intrusive ads were considered a problem of the old web that we had sensibly left behind us. it absolutely wasn't perfect but it did suck less
the biggest failure of my generation internet-wise was believing that its positive qualities were inherent, that "scarcity" was impossible to manufacture for digital goods ("information wants to be free" etc). alas, turned out an unregulated market can do whatever the fuck it wants even if it sucks
the last few years for me has been real eye-opening, in that i've realized just how thoroughly the early net optimism was a marketing ploy to expand the web's reach, make us dependent so they could charge rent. the positives EXISTED, but they were not inherent and they've largely been abandoned
Not to be That Guy but early net optimism was really a lot of naivety. People really did think that it was going to be a new world, a new, ungovernable, low barrier to entry global society. And then it got big enough to be governed, controlled, and commercialized. And all it happened easily.
