[cauenapier]

“The internet is dead” feels emotionally true if you only look at algorithmic feeds full of AI sludge and engagement bait. But I think that’s mistaking the loudest layer of the web for the whole thing.

The internet isn’t dead, the human parts just aren’t concentrated on a few megaplatforms anymore. They’re scattered across personal blogs, niche communities, indie sites, and small networks that don’t optimize for infinite scale. The web feels worse because the default surfaces are worse, not because humans left.

Calling it dead risks turning a discoverability problem into a nihilistic one. The interesting work is figuring out how to surface and grow the human corners, not declaring the whole system a loss.

I wrote a short piece expanding on this idea: https://cauenapier.com/blog/the-internet-is-not-quite-dead/

[elliotbnvl]

I love that point and it’s a really good reframe. But I feel like so many people are relying on AI to do everything for them already that this is a really really hard problem.

I love your piece though and the call to action: “Make the internet more human again.”

It’s really inspiring, I hope it works, but I also feel like we should try multiple things at the same time just to be safe.

And what if you do want a place where you can just go and have one feed for your friends and family?

Maybe my essay should be titled “social media is dead” instead.