In the early days, unlike today, there were many "places" on the Internet where you could have public conversations and become acquainted with people.

In the early days of the Internet, people conversed, and got to know each other, using "bulletin board systems", which were computers that other computers could "dial in" to over telephone connections, using modems and "bbs software". Users who dialed in could post a text message and read the messages posted by others. There were many such bulletin boards; it was a "grass roots" phenomenon. Anywo with a computer and the necessary software and hardware (modem, telephone connection) could set up a bbs and invite others to converse with him and with each other. There was no advertising, no money was involved, and no spam. People treated each other just as they would if meeting face to face.

As the Internet developed, people migrated their conversations from bbs's to "newsgroups". Newsgroups functioned exactly as bbs's functioned; each newsgroup functioned as a single "chat room" where people could post text messages and read the messages posted by others. But while a bbs was created "grass roots" by some independent person who operated a server computer, the creation of newsgroups was organized and administered by an Internet committee. While a bbs operated in whatever way its operator decided, an Internet newsgroup operated according to standards published by committee, using standardized software with standardized appearance and function. But these differences were merely technical; a newsgroup, just like an earlier bbs, created a "place" where people could post text messages and read the messages posted by others. Eventually, there were thousands of such places, and people could find a newsgroup that existed to accommodate conversations on just about any topic.

The next innovation, in 1984, was the concept of a "moderated" newsgroup. [See] Originally, anywo could access a particular newsgroup and post text messages on it. A newsgroup's list of messages might begin with a "do's and don't's" guide, but there was no way to enforce such rules. As newsgroups grew in popularity, bad behavior emerged. With a moderated newsgroup, the software delivered all new postings to wo or more designated moderators, who would accept or deny each posting.

Ten years later, oo lawyers posted an advertisement on over 5,000 Usenet newsgroups. [See] This marked the beginning of the end for people being able to find a place on the Internet to have a conversation.

Today, social media platforms are practically all based upon an advertising revenue business model, and people now tolerate visual ads popping up all over the screen while they are trying to read something. Worse, today's social media platforms manipulate content and visibility to maximize revenue by maximizing shock and addiction.