"As broadband became more common, web sites got needlessly heavier." 100% this. About 8 years ago, I had LIGHTNING fast loading times on every page I visited.

"As broadband became more common, web sites got needlessly heavier." 100% this. About 8 years ago, I had LIGHTNING fast loading times on every page I visited. 800-1000ms was average, on a connection that is slower than mine is today... Now 4-8 seconds is average, and the new Gmail takes 10-12 seconds to load. I'm nostalgic for the days when the web was faster and more functional than it is today.