Great observations, John, and as far as that goes (trading retention for perception and perspective) I totally agree with you, and its the dignity (good news) and promise of the internet and the Age of Information.

The disaster (bad news) that is playing out is also being fomented by tech such as Facebook, however… and the disaster with attention span, narcissism, imagecrafting, etc. that I referenced in the article. Children who are too young to be able to objectify their subjective online experience and the effects it is having on their developing minds are suffering the greatest brunt of the bad news side of the web.

And it is my contention that a redesign of online tech can diminish the disaster side, and emphasise and build the dignity of the internet as it evolves forward; as the net itself evolves us forward.