As a crotchety old timer, I agree completely.

You'd take Usenet over everything else we got from the growth of the network, from Amazon to MP3s?

There's a lot of different distinctions to be made (or argued against) regarding the "who" of the network, rather than the "what".

I think HN comments would be a prime example that simpler-functionality-with-higher-quality-participants is a valued combination.

I'd take fewer people online in general. The number of people that are glued to their smartphones because of all this supposed progress frightens me.