I am definitely not the only person who thinks that. There are many people who share similar sentiments, maybe even including you, dear reader.

Nostalgia is a very common feeling, just look at how many Russians want the USSR back! Having been born in 2005, I pretty much grew up with the internet going mainstream, with YouTube being created the same year I was born.

Back when it was new, it was mainly used by hobbyists that wanted to show off ~~pirated anime episodes~~ cool and/or funny things they made for fun. (Forgive me if this just sounds like a rose-tinted petty bourgeois fantasy.)

Then you know what happened next. Like so many fun stuff under capitalism, like JoeMarx has mentioned recently with video games, the internet was commodified and made into a dumbed-down addictive tool for instant gratification, all for profit.

EDIT: I am referring specifically to web culture, not the actual technology of the internet.