Humans seek social interaction, whether that's in person or online, or by doing good or bad things to get attention. I would not call that a popularity contest because it happens with everything. A popularity contest would be one extreme end of a range of behavior.
If you are producing content for yourself and it makes you happy then you don't need to put it in public view. The whole point of the internet is to interact, share your work and see others' work.
That is the point I was refuting. In the current web, communication is still the overarching motivator. Content still matters, and the usability of your site is a factor in communicability. So, if someone's site is easier to navigate and more frequently updated due to the use of updated technology, that may be a factor when people decide where to spend their time.
If you are producing content for yourself and it makes you happy then you don't need to put it in public view. The whole point of the internet is to interact, share your work and see others' work.