what do you think about when remembering the old internet?

I remember frutiger aero, smosh.com, 480p youtube videos, and addictinggames. I was born just after the PATRIOT Act but I feel like I got a few good years in online before everything became... the way it is now. monetized, optimized, curated.

was the golden age of the internet really as good as I imagined it? or have I polished it in my mind?