Ask HN: What's broken about the internet?

#1

Post by resume384 » Wed, Jun 17, 2020, 7:59 PM UTC

I've been interacting with a group of interesting people through the Mozilla Builders / Fix-The-Internet project. A lot of great project ideas going on there. There's talk of making Web 3.0. Interesting stuff.. but, I'm curious, what's broken about the internet, the web and tech? If we're going to fix something it seems good to have a list of what we're trying to fix. So what do you see as being broken? Let's build a list I can take back to the group looking to fix things!

https://builders.mozilla.community/ https://mozillabuilders.slack.com/

Re: Ask HN: What's broken about the internet?

#2

Post by Shared404 » Wed, Jun 17, 2020, 8:49 PM UTC

IANAE, but it seems like the "The web is for transfer of information" and "The web is for applications" ideas should be split into two separate domains. I shouldn't need an OS in order to read HN or browse a text based site.

Re: Ask HN: What's broken about the internet?

#3

Post by rawgabbit » Wed, Jun 17, 2020, 8:50 PM UTC

Phishing emails that take users to fake sites where they are asked to login resulting in stolen passwords. This insecurity makes users less likely to try new sites for fear of malicious JavaScript etc.

Re: Ask HN: What's broken about the internet?

#4

Post by RandomBacon » Wed, Jun 17, 2020, 9:01 PM UTC

The lack of privacy and security. Throwing an ad-blocker on a browser is just a band-aid; the festering wound is still there getting worse.

Re: Ask HN: What's broken about the internet?

#5

Post by resume384 » Wed, Jun 17, 2020, 9:01 PM UTC

Shared404 wrote: post #2

IANAE, but it seems like the "The web is for transfer of information" and "The web is for applications" ideas should be split into two separate domains. I shouldn't need an OS in order to read HN or browse a text based site.

Yeah, I'm thinking more and more the same, I'm beginning to think we need a dual function web.

Static web, and run as an app web.

I kinda have this by running with javascript off (this solves all sorts of other issues, though much of the web doesn't work that could work.) When I need to 'run as app' I allow js for that one visit.

Re: Ask HN: What's broken about the internet?

#6

Post by kaffeeringe » Wed, Jun 17, 2020, 9:18 PM UTC

These days you need an internet-device and an anti-internet-device like a Pi-Hole plus half a dozen browser plugins. Every driver of every part of your computer is trying to sneak out some of you data. Every website is full of trackers. You are not only fighting off criminals but also some of the most powerful corporations and every government. A hand full of companies run large parts of the infrastructre - you couldn't live without Google, Facebook, Microsoft, Apple and Amazon if you wanted. The central social networks are hate and manipulation machines. Everything wants to sell you something. And when you pay to buy it, it tries to steal your data anyways.

Re: Ask HN: What's broken about the internet?

#7

Post by Shared404 » Wed, Jun 17, 2020, 9:20 PM UTC

resume384 wrote: post #5

Shared404 wrote: post #2

IANAE, but it seems like the "The web is for transfer of information" and "The web is for applications" ideas should be split into two separate domains. I shouldn't need an OS in order to read HN or browse a text based site.

Yeah, I'm thinking more and more the same, I'm beginning to think we need a dual function web. Static web, and run as an app web. I kinda have this by running with javascript off (this solves all sorts of other issues, though much of the web doesn't work that could work.) When I need to 'run as app' I allow js for that one visit.

That's what I do on most machines I use, but it just feels kinda wrong to not only have to use a bloated app, but also install add-ons to said app, when I just want to read some text

This is probably just me being picky though.

Re: Ask HN: What's broken about the internet?

#8

Post by Shared404 » Wed, Jun 17, 2020, 9:22 PM UTC

kaffeeringe wrote: post #6

These days you need an internet-device and an anti-internet-device like a Pi-Hole plus half a dozen browser plugins. Every driver of every part of your computer is trying to sneak out some of you data. Every website is full of trackers. You are not only fighting off criminals but also some of the most powerful corporations and every government. A hand full of companies run large parts of the infrastructre - you could…

This is what makes me the saddest. The internet has so much potential for good, but it doesn't appear to be heading that direction.

Every couple months I get an urge to give up on tech and start subsistence farming in the middle of nowhere.

Re: Ask HN: What's broken about the internet?

#9

Post by sixhobbits » Wed, Jun 17, 2020, 9:28 PM UTC

Content mills -

Someone wise said that tools that make writing easier turn bad writers into worse writers.

Goodhart's law means that nearly all content is broken. It is judged by its view count and Google rank, so all it is good for is getting clicks and ranking well.

So much effort, so much money, ploughed into creating really really awful content which hides away the 10% that isn't crap (Sturgeon?).

Re: Ask HN: What's broken about the internet?

#10

Post by sixhobbits » Wed, Jun 17, 2020, 9:29 PM UTC

sixhobbits wrote: post #9

Content mills - Someone wise said that tools that make writing easier turn bad writers into worse writers. Goodhart's law means that nearly all content is broken. It is judged by its view count and Google rank, so all it is good for is getting clicks and ranking well. So much effort, so much money, ploughed into creating really really awful content which hides away the 10% that isn't crap (Sturgeon?).

Also targeted advertising