And that's neglecting to address the amount of content and traffic available.
I'm not making a "more is better" argument, rather, I believe that "more is different", often in hard-to-appreciate ways.
The 1999 audience, and contributors, wanted to be on the Internet, for the most part. They didn't have to be there, and more importantly, most use was not directly remunerative, though some may have been self-interested (expression, proselytising, shingle-hanging, tech advocacy, targeted sales, and yes, a nascent advertising niche).
Creators could rarely hope for direct benefits, with rare exceptions ("Million Dollar Homepage", etc.)
Use now is vastly broader, it's all but essential, being widely recognised as a basic human right. Devices are easier to use, but far less generative. Even traditionally creative platforms (Linux, Mac, Windows) increasingly get in the way of, rather than facilitate, creation (the time I spend nursing rather than using systems is ... depressing).
And whilst many of the newcomers are welcomed, a large share really aren't. Their use is not aimed at general benefit, but at private and personal appropriation, often through deception and fraud.
The Internet audience as of 1999 was about 250 millions of users, with penetration of <50% even in many advanced nations.
As of nearly eight years ago, it was 2.5 billions, and is probably on the order of 5 billion now.
https://bus206.pressbooks.com/app/uploads/sites/10536/2013/0...
And that's neglecting to address the amount of content and traffic available.
I'm not making a "more is better" argument, rather, I believe that "more is different", often in hard-to-appreciate ways.
The 1999 audience, and contributors, wanted to be on the Internet, for the most part. They didn't have to be there, and more importantly, most use was not directly remunerative, though some may have been self-interested (expression, proselytising, shingle-hanging, tech advocacy, targeted sales, and yes, a nascent advertising niche).
Creators could rarely hope for direct benefits, with rare exceptions ("Million Dollar Homepage", etc.)
Use now is vastly broader, it's all but essential, being widely recognised as a basic human right. Devices are easier to use, but far less generative. Even traditionally creative platforms (Linux, Mac, Windows) increasingly get in the way of, rather than facilitate, creation (the time I spend nursing rather than using systems is ... depressing).
And whilst many of the newcomers are welcomed, a large share really aren't. Their use is not aimed at general benefit, but at private and personal appropriation, often through deception and fraud.
More is different.