I heard a thought the other day that hit the nail on the head. The person was talking about the evolution of the news, but I think it applies to the training methodology space as well.
30 years ago, the person said, there were only a few sources one could get their news from. There was a local newspaper, and a few channels to get local and national news. Because the options were slim, there was less truth getting out into the world. However, there was more coherence in the truth that was reported.
Nowadays, there's a seemingly infinite number of sources to get your news. Twitter, YouTube, Google, and other websites have brought more instantaneous updates on the world in addition to the more traditional outlets previously mentioned. With more sources reporting "news", there actually is more truth out there. But there's far less coherence.
There are more signals.
But there's also way more noise.
Consider even a niche topic like how best to train a distance runner.
30 years ago, you probably looked to Lydiard, Iglói, Cerutty, Bowerman, and perhaps a few others. Sure, there was variation in their methods, but each employed consistent, extractable components that a coach could learn from.
Nowadays, anyone with internet access can profess to be an expert on training (which is one of the reasons why this blog does not discuss it). Is there a greater amount of useful information (truth) on training out there? Yes. Is there an even greater amount of misleading and unsubstantiated "information" on training out there as well? Absolutely.
The person speaking about the news was correct in our arena as well.
Before, we had less truth, and more coherence. Now, we have more truth and less coherence.