Some great pointers and insights here, Mike. It would be lovely to go back to the 'good old days', circa 1999-2000 for me, when it was all just a random playground to explore.

Time is the constant constraint, I find - and mechanised, monetised SEO and search agents know only too well how to exploit that need for a quick and simple gateway to content.

A more unmapped safari approach is something that kids could perhaps be encouraged to do as part of their curriculum. They have the time, and need the realisation that not everything has to be spoon-fed to them by an algorithm.

'Ways to access, appraise and appreciate knowledge and information' should be the key priority of secondary schooling, in my book, and that should certainly include self-guided exploration and discovery, reporting back and sharing results.