You mean "failed" like neural networks had failed before they suddenly took over the world?
The popular success of technologies depends on countless factors that keep changing at a fast pace, and those factors include a great deal of luck and randomness.
There is no reason to believe that repurposing some basic technologies for something different in a different environment is more likely to fail than inventing entirely new technologies.
If we assume that the previous constructions weren't perfect, and it wasn't pure luck (or lack thereof) that shut them down, then our 20/20 hindsight should be capable of distilling (some of) those imperfections, environmental constraints and perhaps even a root cause for failure.
Assuming this, it would be smart then, to note those imperfections and constraints, and make a point of not mimicking them when embarking on a new attempt. Instead of, say, blindly flailing about, rehashing the idea indefinitely until it accidentally works.
There might have some chance to the procedure, but its difficult to argue that we can't affect those probabilities, by thinking real damn hard on it, and maybe even working hard too. But working hard without thinking... I'm not so sure about.
Of course it makes sense to think about the ways in which specific technological choices and designs may have negatively affected the chances of success. I'm sure Tim Berners-Lee has done a lot of thinking.
I just don't think it's justified to rubbish technologies purely based on a lack of massive traction in a particular environment.
sure but if he's going to rehash an old idea, it's reasonable to ask why he expects it to work this time, when it failed last time. If done the research, providing it isn't a large ask; and if he hasn't, then...
The popular success of technologies depends on countless factors that keep changing at a fast pace, and those factors include a great deal of luck and randomness.
There is no reason to believe that repurposing some basic technologies for something different in a different environment is more likely to fail than inventing entirely new technologies.