The internet breaks too easily. Can that be fixed?

As words like “Slackopalypse” and “Zoomageddon” have crept into our workplace patois, observers are asking if critical online services have too many single points of failure.

Joe Brown thought he had it all figured out: By installing lights compatible with his Google Home, the former Popular Science editor could control the lights in his toddler’s room with his voice each morning while his hands were occupied taking care of her.

Then came the Google outage. Suddenly, Mr. Brown, who now works for Hearst Magazines, found himself unable to turn on...