“Already lost” — Culture doesn’t move towards an end state that is homeostatic, it keeps on evolving. The web will keep on evolving, digital tech and communications will keep on evolving. And as documented in the essay, there has in the past been a role for both identification and proof of personhood, and at present it continues to play a role, and in the future it will continue to play a role; this role shifts and changes, and good designs do emerge.

(I share your cynicism/pessimism regarding the state of the web right now, but as a realist I insist on recognizing continuous change and try to personally overcome the common “end state” fallacy/delusion.)