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Comment by mentos | Hacker News Reader

The same way it’s no longer hip to be on Facebook and kids use Instagram I wonder if we’ll see a day where it’s no longer hip to use the public internet and a new generation prefers a dark or decentralized web

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In Neal Stephenson’s latest novel, “Fall; or Dodge in Hell”[0] the Internet degenerates to such an extent that even the least savvy user perceives online material via an “editor”, which is an entity (human or machine) tasked with presenting information to the client in a way that the client would find acceptable. Unsaid goes the implicit bias that would have to govern work products of such editors, which - I suppose - is part of the value prop. You choose the editor to whose methodology you subscribe.

[0]: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fall;_or,_Dodge_in_Hell

> an “editor”, which is an entity (human or machine) tasked with presenting information to the client in a way that the client would find acceptable.

We usually call this sort of thing a "user agent" FWIW. Your usual web browser is one kind of user agent, but there could be others.

No, in the book it’s more like a filtered content stream, only it’s not just the stream that is filtered but also all search results and any other means of discovering internet content.

"I wonder if we’ll see a day where it’s no longer hip to use the public internet"

Replace hip with sane and we can accelerate the transition back to offline content (one way communication) and come to the conclusion that a two-way stream (a direct connection) to crazy is not healthy.

That wouldn't be healthier - I would be unhealth manifest in the same way not being able to stand up under their own power.

Even if a one way digest or hierarchical approach works better in an instance for a scale approach (summarizing to congress or instead of a live feed of literally everyone) a lack of agency is /not/ a good thing.

Sanity is acknowledging reality not hiding away from it.

Somebody needs a hug. It was not off topic...

"Curated by Crazy" may have better explained the current power struggle online and how low they'll go for your attention (hijack your connection).

How is packaging data in offline formats not more convenient? We have to do something with the gobs of storage and blazing fast transfer speeds while reclaiming our privacy (maintaining control of our attention).

Also, being "always on" allows you to be compromised by netizens far and wide. On-demand has far reaching security benefits.

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