The open internet was envisioned as a democratic space—free information, equal voices, zero intermediaries. That promise feels distant now.

What happened? Corporations built moats. Subscription barriers, data extraction tolls, algorithmic gatekeeping. The very infrastructure meant to liberate became a mechanism for control and concentration.

The fix isn't looking backward to the "good old internet." Nostalgia won't cut it. The real solution? Shifting power through ownership.

When users own their data and digital assets, when participation creates equity rather than just engagement metrics, the equation flips. Ownership transforms you from product into stakeholder.

That's the direction worth pursuing.