@dooms god, I could discuss this for days.
Suffice to say I agree with you. As I finished this article, a small part of me was disappointed the author didn't brighten things up by offering a solution. Even a silly one. (Not that escaping into nature isn't a valid one, but it doesn't solve the underlying problem).
Maybe if there's enough pushback against horrendous web design practices. Maybe if enough people are willing to abandon the conveniences Google provides. Maybe if we see more ...