This sales pitch doesn't impress me. The internet isn't fun or weird any longer because corporations have taken over, and most normies aren't going to bother to learn how to build and operate their own websites. Just like most normies aren't going to bother to become their own sysadmins so they can run GNU/Linux on their PCs.
Most people are fine with the Web being what it is today: QVC with a comments section.
But the internet was already taken over by corporations during the time this article reminisces about, wasn't it?
MySpace was owned by a corporation, but allowed massive customization including custom CSS anyway. Youtube also allowed way more customization in the past (remember the old profile pages?), all those small local social networks that often allowed straight custom HTML died when Facebook expanded worldwide, they were mostly for-profit.
QVC is almost quality content compared to parts of the web. Corporations do like it sanitized and fun is the lowest common denominator of content that is still able to hold your attention while reaching the largest audience as possible.
But there is also truth that creativity of people gets stifled by locked down environments. In the past myspace blogs got a lot of mockery but I guess most people will miss it in contrast social media we have today. There is good stuff too and Tiktok is not the end of society, but the interesting stuff that can hold your attention beyond 10 minutes is rare. Perhaps it was never different and just seems this way because there is unlimited content.
Most people are fine with the Web being what it is today: QVC with a comments section.