Can We Really Fix the Internet?

Katie Notopoulos, writing for MIT Technology Review, argues we have a chance to build a new Internet by moving beyond big platforms:

Here’s the good news. We’re in a rare moment when a shift just may be possible; the previously intractable and permanent-­seeming systems and platforms are showing that they can be changed and moved, and something new could actually grow.

Are we really in a moment where change is possible? Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Reddit are still around, and we’ve got Threads now. All these platforms are for engagement and advertising dollars.

A lot of the discussions around re-building a better internet remind me of time about 20 years ago, when tech-savvy early adopters thought the Web is a space of endless opportunity to communicate and build communities. Until conservative techno-optimist bros with deep pockets rolled in to screw up everything. Early adopters moving to alternative platforms now, but why do we think it’s going to be different this time. Why do we think we can hold on to our idealistic spaces?

I’m hopeful but not confident. We’re seeing a resurgence of the personal website, of RSS, and even comments on blogs. But it’s a small group that builds this corner of the internet, many of which have been at the forefront of the blogging revolution. But what about the rest?

Personal websites are hard to maintain, writing thoughtful blog posts is time consuming. What made the likes of Twitter, Instagram and Facebook so successful, besides their addictive content curation, is that it’s easy to set up and account and it’s easy to post. Humans are lazy. The quick thought in the shower must go online now; expanding that thought into nuanced argument is too much effort. So is finding websites, maintaining a list of feeds and reading long-form writing? Why go through the effort when the dishes need to be done, and Threads serves new stuff in easily digestible junks.

Maybe the old silos are emptying at the moment. The internet of the next couple of years might be a more pleasant, more social space. But I’m sure some rich Silicon-Valley bro will step up and create the next VC-funded argument machine.