Didn't the inexorable march to cloud-based, metered service actually begin long ago with the development of activation codes and perhaps even of webmail?

Are we being silly to only notice it and the threat of metered service now? It would also seem that Google is positioning itself to move in this direction. And with the vast web of mine-able social opinions to research what the market wants and the limits of what it will bear? I am feeling thoroughly Big-Brothered as a person who is very dependent on software and on the web for a modest retirement livelihood to supplement a fixed income.