TBL's browser on the NeXT isn't a great reference point here.
Think more of hypercard and go back and visit the computer Chronicles episodes on YouTube for a refresh if you want
The difference between the two is TBL's WWW was good for browsing citation based research data that's spread across a network of global institutions while hypercard was more about information organization and presentation.
The distinction is subtle in theory but in practice it manifests as inherently different patterns.
For instance, the fidelity of a WWW link is coarse. It could be richer, but it's not. I'm familiar with the W3C semantics group btw and I've read their literature.
The modern web is neither of these systems but it's also something I believe most people would agree is lacking.
Perpetuating the suboptimal anarchy of the present by reinforcing it isn't going to help. More agency needs to be exercised.