[nsns]

I think this is actually related to a larger (sea) change currently occuring in Internet culture: a transition to mass media; like TV, the music industry and Hollywood before it.

The internet was very different a few years ago - a source for information and creativity, but easy access and growing acceptance (no doubt related to the rise of mobile platforms), have changed all this.

Some startups today are just like pop acts or Hollywood productions: 1 out of 10 makes a killing, the others fail spectacularly. That's the mass media (gambling) busines, not a "bubble".

[rndmize]

I don't think it's like that at all. A startup that gets a lot of hype and carries that far enough to get acquired or IPO before crashing means that someone else is left holding the bag. TV, movies, games and music are invested in by the company that stands to make the money from them; they're seen through to the end.

[pnathan]

When I look at personal websites pre-Facebook, I see a different world. People seemed to be freer to be different. Maybe that's just nostalgia, and maybe that's just the effect of popularization.