In the early days of the Internet, there was hope that the unprecedented tool for global communication would lead to thoughtful sharing and discussion on its most popular sites. A decade and a half later, the very idea is laughable, says Gawker Media founder Nick Denton. "It didn't happen," said Denton, whose properties include the blogs Gawker, Jezebel, Gizmodo, io9 and Lifehacker. "It's a promise that has so not happened that people don't even have that ambition anymore. "The idea of capturing the intelligence of the readership -- that's a joke." Denton was speaking at South by Southwest Interactive, the annual festival here devoted to Web and digital culture/Doug Gross, CNN. More here. H/T: Liz

Question: Any of you wonder why I keep such a tight rein on things here?