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VISUAL TIMELINE — The Internet: What Survived vs What Failed

1969–1989	#ARPANET

Protocols > Platforms Resilience > Profit Engineers > Marketers

STATUS: SURVIVED (as principles)

1990–1999	Early Web

Email • Usenet • IRC • Personal sites Chronological • Human-scale • Slow trust

STATUS: SURVIVED (email still runs the world)

2001	#Wikipedia

#Volunteers • Neutrality • Small donors No ads • No algorithms • No growth mandate

STATUS: SURVIVED (25 years, still default truth layer)

2000–2006 | #Forums / #Blogs / #RSS

-----------|----------------------------------------- User-owned content • Exit without erasure

STATUS: PARTIALLY SURVIVED (RSS, blogs)

2006–2012	Web #2.0 Platforms

Centralized identity • VC incentives “Free” funded by surveillance

STATUS: BEGINNING OF FAILURE

2013–2016 | #Algorithmic Feeds

-----------|-----------------------------------------

Engagement > Truth Outrage > Accuracy

STATUS: #DECAY PHASE

2017–2022	#Consolidation

#Censorship pressure • #API lock-in #Creators become #dependents

STATUS: ADVANCED FAILURE

2023	#Reddit #API #Revolt
Communities reminded they own nothing

STATUS: STRUCTURAL #COLLAPSE EXPOSED

2009–Now	#Bitcoin

Rules without rulers Value without permission

STATUS: SURVIVED & EXPANDING

2019–Now	#Nostr
Identity without platforms
Speech without feeds

STATUS: EARLY, BUT CORRECTLY DESIGNED