I'd say it's more like Discord as a forum instead of a VOIP client, rather than being comparable to the old internet. A single, isolated instance would be like the old internet forums, where you make an account and it only exists on that once forum. But, the interconnected nature of the federated servers adds a layer of complexity that most people aren't ready for, and then you add in an onboarding process that's more than just downloading the app and making an account, and you've already lost a number of people - especially those who grew up before the age of the internet or after in the age of the smart phone and app based tech world.