It seems a little disingenuous to say that you can't see how the GDPR has improved the privacy situation online, unless you didn't care about it before it was a thing and still don't care about it now.

Well then tell me: did it stop anyone from tracking me?

Did it stop facebook from manipulating the communication of their users? Did it stop google from harvesting data out of most websites?

It mostly just created work and more annoying banners for people to click away, but no real improvement I see. But you see more? Maybe you mean the recent discussion in germany that landlords might have to remove the names on the door? Or new opportunities for bored and greedy lawers to sue websites who did not care or knew enough and don't have lawers on their own?

I have succesfully used it to get my data removed from services where that would be impossible in the past (most notably, everyone who sends me emails that they feel I desire). There are more examples (like companies that finally have to think about what they're collecting and how), but on a personal level I think that's the most tangible and best one.

If people actually implemented a cookie banner that was compliant, I would like that they are there. Because that means I could filter them away and I could be safe in the knowledge there were no tracking cookies. As it stands, you can see a lot of angry people making things that sound acceptable in the US (by continuing to browse, you agree to [...]) but is actually just not compliant. That's a sad state of affairs, but it's not the fault of the GDPR in my view.

Yesterday I sent two GDPR requests to two companies that would not stop spamming our address with physical junk mail, addressed to us by name.

In the request I requested all the data they had on us, their reason for keeping it and how they obtained it. Secondly, I demanded they remove us from all of their databases, including those of their vendors.

This is now my good right under the GDPR and I am very happy that these tools exist to allow simple citizens like me to reign in untouchable companies' use of my personal data. It measurably improves my life.

I don't see how the GDPR not preventing Google from harvesting website data is in any way relevant or a measure of GDPR usefulness.

It definitely has not. Let's say company X allows company Y to access data that is personally identifiable. X is located in the EU, whereas company Y is not. Y promises to allow persons to delete their data upon request. However, there is no way that a person know their data has been shared from X to Y until they want to delete their data. At that point, who knows how far the data has spread or if it is even possible to track down. Y could have shared the data with any number of third parties, or may even be incapable of finding every reference to an individual and since it is not EU governed it will be difficult to ever bring Y to court.

Beyond the giants the only thing the GDPR practically did was double the amount of cookie popups you see on the web, and the suppoused harsh consequences don't work if so many organizations are doing it that the bureaucracy can't keep up