I agree that your version is more satisfying and I can imagine that to be the future, although I find more plausible that the first generations will be distinct and geo-spacially localized.

Once the mind hive's perception of self (if that is even necessary for intelligence) is blurred sufficiently that pretty much any system can be plugged in, than the whole possibility I mentioned crumbles.

> Perhaps that is already happening.

Do you mean intentionally by many researcher groups who don't share it, or as a shadow society peggy-baging on the internet without anyone's attention?