Hey! I like the way you write! Topic is a bit gloomy but I do get where you're coming from and I share some of that nostalgia. For me, growing up, the internet felt like a portal to a bigger world where anything was possible. As much as there's more stuff online now, somehow the internet feels smaller and more cramped than it ever has before, and I do think it's because of this convergence into slop and content.
At the same time, I am, like you, encouraged by some of the signs of life of a more personal and authentic internet. I really do wish that we hadn't adopted Discord as the de facto forum replacement, but alas. Also I like netizen as possibly an English alternative to internaute.
Honestly that Camry would look pretty good with wheels and coilovers lol