PART 1 · CHAPTER 04 · Where We Actually Are

The Internet Rhyme

In 1994 the web was a toy for hobbyists and the smart money said it would never matter. It rhymes.

Preview map · Updated July 16, 2026

WHAT THIS PAGE CONTAINS

A title, the published opening thesis and the chapter's section headings. The argument, evidence, examples and full prose remain in the book.

The chapter's route

  1. 01The Toy Years
  2. 02The Serious People Were Not Entirely Wrong
  3. 03Building Through the Noise
  4. 04The Bust Was a Head-Fake
  5. 05The Winners Were Mostly Not Obvious
  6. 06Overhyped and Underhyped
  7. 07The AI Rhyme
  8. 08From Pages to Agents
  9. 09The First Five Years Are a Fog
  10. 10What the Rhyme Does Not Mean
  11. 11The Timeline Under the Timeline
  12. 12Acting Early Without Acting Foolishly
  13. 13The Best News