All the recent furore about Twitter's monetisation and Reddit's API changes reminded me of this article from 1993. Clearly, only one guy's opinion but I think we've strayed pretty far from this vision of the internet, as a protocol and connective tissue for people.
I can't help but feel like the fact the internet began as (or grew into) something free, underground, experimental led us inexorably to this path: where we expect or demand that online products are free at the point of use, which means we become the product.
I don't know that a small, more decentralised, cottage-y internet would be Better. But it's interesting to think about.
I can't help but feel like the fact the internet began as (or grew into) something free, underground, experimental led us inexorably to this path: where we expect or demand that online products are free at the point of use, which means we become the product.
I don't know that a small, more decentralised, cottage-y internet would be Better. But it's interesting to think about.