The mid 2000s are not "the early days". I've been online since 1992 and there were no comment sections then. Closest thing would have been usenet. The 90s to about the early 2000s were the best time to be on the internet. There was a higher barrier to entry in those days so it prevented a lot of idiots from getting on. Now any moron with a $20 smartphone can get online instantly with zero effort and share their "informed" opinions. Hell, I would argue that we're in this mess BECAUSE of social media and its ability to be weaponized to manipulate people.
The mid 2000s are not "the early days". I've been online since 1992 and there were no comment sections then. Closest thing would have been usenet. The 90s to about the early 2000s were the best time to be on the internet. There was a higher barrier to entry in those days so it prevented a lot of idiots from getting on. Now any moron with a $20 smartphone can get online instantly with zero effort and share their "informed" opinions. Hell, I would argue that we're in this mess BECAUSE of social media and its ability to be weaponized to manipulate people.