The internet turned into a crowded mall. Now you need a corner shop.

The text argues that the internet has gone from a space where most sites could still be read to a crowded system where content is easy to publish but hard to notice. As platforms filled up, free distribution became scarcer, algorithmic feeds and search got less reliable for discovery, and direct, smaller audiences became more valuable.

Reading notes

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• In the early internet, there were few enough websites that people could keep up with most of what existed.
• As sites, blogs, and social platforms multiplied, keeping up became impossible for any one person.
• Search and social platforms once helped distribute attention, but now they are crowded and harder to build on.
• The text compares the internet to a mall, where location and proximity limit competition more than they do online.
• Online, competition is global, while in physical retail it is limited by local distance and practical constraints.
• Publishing online has become cheaper, but being noticed has become more expensive.
• Free traffic from major platforms was easier when those platforms were new and still needed creators.
• As platforms matured, they became more crowded and more focused on extracting value than distributing it.
• Cory Doctorow’s enshittification is used to describe that cycle.
• The text suggests that a smaller internet may work better than a single huge one.
• Kevin Kelly’s idea of 1,000 true fans is presented as a way to avoid depending on search and social.
• Single-topic groups, niche forums, and curated communities are described as useful for connection and discovery.
• Hacker News and magazines are examples of focused spaces that mix depth, variety, and shared interest.
• Email newsletters are described as a direct bridge between broader communities and true fans.
• The conclusion is that people, limits, and smaller spaces may matter more than scale.