@Daojoan Indeed. I've been saying something like that for years. When I was young, or at least pre-30s, I marveled at the internet and the possibilities of connecting people for learning or just discussing fun and/or weird shit. Every small-town kid into some weird indie band would be able to connect with other kids into the same stuff and feel less alone.

Unfortunately... it's also worked out the other way too.

When I was in college, before the internet really caught on, I worked at a television station news department in a small Missouri town. We had a local crank that would occasionally send letters that were really, really unhinged. He was mostly harmless (TM) and solitary. I'm sure that his neighbors and other people he encountered were put off by him if he talked to them for any time at all -- so the "blast radius" of his crankery was limited to local media that got the occasional unhinged letter.

The internet has helped form support groups for all the local unhinged cranks. They get validation and encouragement from other cranks. They conspire on how to torment the people I hoped the internet could bring together for support.