We tend to view the increased consolidation of information as an incredibly democratic and useful thing. Capabilities once reserved for a wealthy technical elite are now in the hands of everyone. Broadcast media and mass production gave us an interesting 150 year reprieve from the intense scrutiny of small town life. To buy a well tailored suit of clothes, the tailor must know much more about you than a salesperson selling clothes off the rack. The idea that this trend is inherently ominous is misguided.
History shapes our perceptions in powerful and subtle ways.
In the beginning, hypertext was developed as a potential solution for information overload. It was designed as a sort of super cross-referencing tool. Early descriptions compared hypertext to multi-dimensional library card catalogs. Partly because of this history and partly because the process of making a hyperlink is so technical, we think that links are terribly misunderstood. It's a shame that there isn't a better word than paradigm to describe the trouble caused by continuing to look at something based on its history.