A RE-RUN: Dot Com → Web 2.0 → AI
This is not a revolution. It is a repetition. The evolution of technology after the dawn of Ai. It is a familiar cycle with new actors. This is not new, but a sequel. Many inventions have changed the way humanity operates. The old chains of life are loosened by innovation. Some of us will sink and others will swim, but not matter what we will never ever be the same. The old way has died.
Let’s discuss…
1. Dot Com Bubble — The First Wave of Democratization
In the late 90s and early 2000s, the internet cracked open the gates of “instant” global communication without borders or gatekeepers.
- Yahoo & AOL chat, Prodigy and email were instrumental in this wave.
- Everyone rushed to build websites.
- Professionals insisted only “real developers” could build anything meaningful.
- The public didn’t care — they wanted access, not purity.
- The bubble burst, but the pattern remained: Technology expands access → professionals panic → the public adopts anyway.
I saw this firsthand. I watched the gatekeepers cling to identity while the world moved on. Calling non-devs “script kitties” and other names meant to shame you.
2. Web 2.0 — The Second Wave
Then came Web 2.0.
- Blogging replaced “real writing.”
- Text messages replaced full sentences and abbreviations were the important vocabulary.
- MySpace and Facebook replaced “real web design.”
- WYSIWG platforms like Wix and Squarespace replaced “real developers.”
- YouTube replaced “real video production.”
Professionals mocked it all as “slop.”
The public embraced it as freedom.
And once again: Access won. Exclusivity lost.
3. AI — The Third Wave (Today)
Now AI is doing the same thing to software development.
- People with ideas can build apps without waiting for developers.
- Developers feel threatened because the difficulty based value system is dissolving.
- The public doesn’t care about difficulty — they care about possibility.
This isn’t a revolution. It’s a re run.
Same fear. Same denial. Same gatekeeping. Same outcome.
“Sorry COBOL and Perl programmers — who’ve lived this cycle before. BUT we’re back!”
The Deeper Angle: Don’t give in to fear. It is the mind killer.
My message is unique — not tech commentary, but human guidance.
“Do what you love, love what you do!” is my philosophy of non attachment:
- Don’t cling to old forms
- Don’t cling to old identities
- Don’t cling to old methods
- Love the essence of creation, not the rituals around it
This is exactly what the AI transition demands.
The people suffering most right now aren’t being harmed by AI — they’re being harmed by attachment. I see mostly a lack of imagination.
Attachment to:
- how things used to be
- how work used to look
- how identity used to be defined
- how value used to be measured
My message is simple and powerful:
“The path was never the code. The path was the creation.”
How You Should Navigate the New World of AI
Here’s my 3 point framework:
1. Use AI where it helps
Not everywhere. Not blindly. Use it to remove friction, not meaning. Use it to amplify your humanity, not replace it.
2. Find your true north
AI gives infinite options — but only you can choose direction. Your compass must be internal, not algorithmic.
3. Find help from people who want you to flourish
People like myself, Tre’ Grisby (treGrisby.com) who love tech, love humans, and want both to grow together can help guide you.
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