Having been born in 2002, I did not first access the internet until at the very earliest 2009. 2012 would be a better estimate of my first real interactions with it. Due to this, I do not find the arguments of a less savory modern-day internet presented by Kate Wagner in her article, 404 Page Not Found, all that compelling. I never knew a pre-search engine internet, searched directories or webrings for websites, or had a myspace page. I do not long for the "possession of greater agency" described by Wagner in the article. I have been satisfied with my use of and experience with the internet and do not reminisce on a time before the "app-driven, hyper conglomerate social media net". The internet is just as diverse as it ever has been and I do not feel limited in what I see. More people are connected than ever before, almost six billion, and there is more discourse going on between internet users than ever before. I also do not agree with the feeling of being limited in what I see on the internet. At the click of a button, I can find almost any piece of content about any topic that I desire.
I do understand and empathize with the sentiment that the changes to the internet may be dissatisfying to people that experienced the internet in its early days. Social Media, Ads, an overabundance of content and access to almost seventy five percent of the population and their beliefs and opinions on any and everything can be frustrating and creates a radically different internet landscape than the one described by early adopters such as Kate Wagner. I can relate to this feeling of longing for what something once was with certain video games from when I was younger that have become dissatisfying in their evolution and disappoint me now. The loss of personal data and any nostalgic websites, content, or communities from the shutdown of certain digital spaces was likely upsetting and heartbreaking in the way that it would be to lose any other material objects that one is passionate about. This is an unfortunate reminder of the impermanence of the internet which stresses the importance of keeping physical copies or directories of people, places and information online.