The Decline of the Internet Experience: Profit Over Usability

The Invasion of Ads and Privacy

The internet experience today is filled with ads that bombard users from every corner of the screen, adapting to their searches and invading their privacy. Search results are heavily monetized, with every interaction geared towards extracting money from users. Many websites require users to sign in or sign up, often using their Facebook or Google accounts, even when they just want to browse. This constant intrusion of ads and the invasion of privacy have significantly deteriorated the internet experience.

Frustration and Annoyance: Unresponsive Pages and Intrusive Popups

Pages often move when clicked on before fully loading, causing frustration and annoyance. Users are left waiting for the page to stabilize, disrupting their browsing experience. Additionally, popups have become more intrusive, built right into the page and offering unwanted newsletters, discounts, and notifications. These interruptions disrupt the flow of browsing and hinder users from accessing the content they desire.

The RAM Hog: Excessive Resource Consumption

Opening a single browser tab, even on Google, can consume a significant amount of RAM, leading to wasteful programming. This excessive resource consumption slows down the browsing experience and affects the overall performance of the device. Users are left with limited resources for other tasks, impacting their productivity and efficiency.

Irrelevant Search Results: Decline in Quality

The change in Google search results over the last couple of years is a major sign of the internet's decline, with queries returning fewer and less relevant pages. Algorithms used to target users with preferred or paid content have made internet searches less useful and require users to work harder to find relevant results. This decline in the quality of search results hampers the ability to access reliable information and hinders the overall internet experience.

Simplified Websites: Lack of Useful Information

Responsive design has led to the removal of content from websites, simplifying them to the point of lacking useful information. While responsive design aims to enhance the user experience across different devices, it often results in the loss of valuable content. Users are left with stripped-down versions of websites, limiting their access to comprehensive information and hindering their ability to make informed decisions.

The Internet's Dichotomy: Advancements and Decline

The prioritization of profits over usability has resulted in the deterioration of the internet experience. Corporations have played a significant role in ruining the internet, similar to other aspects of the world, leading to the loss of spaces for information sharing and learning. However, despite its flaws, the internet has allowed millions of people to work from home and has created and expanded industries. It has also facilitated online government services, bill payments, and communication with relatives through apps. The internet remains a powerful tool, but its usability has been compromised by profit-driven practices.

The usability of the internet has worsened due to the prioritization of profits, invasion of privacy, and the decline in relevant search results. Users are constantly bombarded with ads, their privacy is invaded, and their browsing experience is disrupted by unresponsive pages and intrusive popups. However, it is important to acknowledge the positive advancements the internet has brought to various aspects of life. Ad blockers can help mitigate some of the annoyances caused by ads, but finding the right combination of programs can be a challenge. Despite its flaws, the internet remains an invaluable resource, and efforts should be made to restore its usability and prioritize user experience.