I think a lot of the improvement is also old-guard media companies realizing they don't have to leave comments turned on for their livestreams and video uploads

I think a lot of the improvement is also old-guard media companies realizing they don't have to leave comments turned on for their livestreams and video uploads. Those comment sections were invariably absolute sewers of the worst of the worst commentary. The livestreams were particularly bad because there'd be a comment box live-updating at breakneck pace right next to the video. I recall a description of the livestream of that SpaceX launch of the Tesla Roadster into space that was particularly striking- Here's this placid video feed of Starman calmly floating through space after escaping planet Earth juxtaposed with the incoherent screeching of the millions of angry apes stuck on it.