I also have a quite ambivalent memory of the Internet from around 1998 on. Of course the standard content is more readily accessible. But more toxic stuff ranges from weird chat experiences on the IRC for instance to disturbing content. What changed probably is that a lot of stuff moved from various places of the Internet (Usenet, IRC, Torrents, Tor-like networks...) into the Web. Speaking of discussions, now they happen right at the entry doors of the Internet: at the online presences of big news outlets.

In any case, I'm quite happy with normal discussions and normal content though...