Also - text only automatically involves a standard that avoids bloat of all kinds.
Once a graphic webpage has traffic but isn't a front-runner, there's a temptation to keep adding more little graphic pieces of crap that slowly the site becomes completely unusable - see slashdot and yahoo.
you know it got to a point where, and I've read other people say it; whenever I run into an html4 days webpage, I feel all relaxed. I know there's gonna be zero shitty tricks to monetize anything. Even a crappy geocities page feels better.
Once a graphic webpage has traffic but isn't a front-runner, there's a temptation to keep adding more little graphic pieces of crap that slowly the site becomes completely unusable - see slashdot and yahoo.