It goes beyond the console asthetic, it becomes about functionality for the user. I think it could very much replace the majority of the web over time, or something like it could. I'm not just being naive about something I have a pet fascination for here either.
Imagine the internet in the year 2121. Do you really think that people looking to read an article about such and such that happened today are going to tolerate your abysmal theme design, constant requests to sign up to your newsletter interrupting their absorption of knowledge (or propaganda), nested dropdowns, account requirements, just to read your take on current events? Will the excuse "how else are we supposed to get paid" be an industry standard in 100 years, when the internet is as integral to the human experience as spoken language?
A big reason we tolerate all the cruft is because the world has just recently left the phase where the internet is just a novelty. The internet was experienced inside of 1 application, the web browser, and that is very clunky. We are already leaving that behind with people demanding a separate app for every type of interaction they have online. The day will come where, when someone just wants to read something, they'll expect just that, and there will be millions, possibly billions, of people willing to deliver that for them. If your goal is to get your message out there (or your ideas into someone else's head), you're going to face a lot of competition, and your audience might not have the time and patience to deal with any more than they asked for.
Imagine the internet in the year 2121. Do you really think that people looking to read an article about such and such that happened today are going to tolerate your abysmal theme design, constant requests to sign up to your newsletter interrupting their absorption of knowledge (or propaganda), nested dropdowns, account requirements, just to read your take on current events? Will the excuse "how else are we supposed to get paid" be an industry standard in 100 years, when the internet is as integral to the human experience as spoken language?
A big reason we tolerate all the cruft is because the world has just recently left the phase where the internet is just a novelty. The internet was experienced inside of 1 application, the web browser, and that is very clunky. We are already leaving that behind with people demanding a separate app for every type of interaction they have online. The day will come where, when someone just wants to read something, they'll expect just that, and there will be millions, possibly billions, of people willing to deliver that for them. If your goal is to get your message out there (or your ideas into someone else's head), you're going to face a lot of competition, and your audience might not have the time and patience to deal with any more than they asked for.