How (badly) broken is the web?

> Internet became a garbage dump of humanity

I really like it, I am one of those filthy ones.

> anonymity, poor trace-ability (of source), inability to confirm attribution, etc.

I don't think this is a problem and it cheapens the arguments in #2 and #3. Still an important fact to be able to weight information. But even so I don't think the quality of information is that much worse than comparable "official" sources and that more people are informed to a degree never seen before.

> What will likely happen [...] is [...] "sub-Internets".

On this one I agree and think it is a problem. This will mainly happen due to the subjective content classification of several platforms that try to contain certain content and in doing so will create the basis for further content control by third parties such as companies and countries. A grave mistake.

> re-invented concept of on-line identity

I disagree profoundly, since this would increase ambitions identified as problems in #2 and #3. This will most likely supress voices that aren't a problem. If you think there are too many problematic voices, you should work on yourself, since that is entirely your problem. Real criminal activity on the net are foremost identity theft and phishing. Both issues are reinforced by the ideas around better identification of users. And let us be honest, that is the ambition proposed.

Compared to "conventional" crime, internet crime is actually pretty low since there is a high barrier for entry.

>It's time for a radical thesis - the Internet (in its current form) is irreversibly broken. Because of its scale & growth rate - it effectively eliminates all options of realistic governance (at least centralized / regulated - the ones we know at this point).

This isn't a radical thesis. It's become de rigueur to complain about how irreparably, irredeemably broken the internet is. Javascript is a cancer. Normies and corporations have ruined the web's quirky technocratic charm and rendered it a lifeless, homogeneous mass of standard templates and best practices. Nazis, psychopaths and charlatans have an unparalleled capacity to spread their lies and hate. And worst of all, pitchfork-wielding, pearl-clutching mobs of SJW moralists are trying to stop them! We seem to get a thread about it every week.

A truly radical thesis would ascribe any positive value to the modern web at all. That would cause SV to drop their monocles into their Monster energy drinks in shock. Youtube is more valuable to the world as a repository of information and culture than the Library of Alexandria, but people would burn it down in an instant simply to spite the ads. Social media has provided most profoundly democratizing paradigm shift in mass communication since the telephone or possibly even email, but people write it off as nothing but idiots sharing memes in a Skinner Box. The internet has brought people together in uncountable positive ways, we're just trapped in our own identity bubbles and it's no longer possible to see the forest for the trees.

The web isn't broken, it just isn't perfect. But it's still a lot better than people seem to give it credit for. I know the author only wrote this... barely even an article... just to push Tim Berners-Lee's Solid but to me the argument for completely abandoning the web and starting over just isn't that strong.