@bignose @joshsutphin As someone who ran a small business in the 80's-90s, I can tell you at least one reason - advertising is awful. It's almost impossible to tell who is watching and how they're responding without adtech of some sort.

Google and the gang offered a way to help with that. Then they enshittified - but not quite as badly as the pre-Internet days.

Advertising is a dumpster fire fuelled by money. Always has been - probably always will be.