Making the Internet the Web Again

Before it was called the internet[1], it was called the web, the World Wide Web. That name wasn’t just a label; it was a bold proclamation of intent. Unlike the desktop platforms that came before it, this new platform wasn’t isolated software. It was connections. The web let users explore and discover content made by many producers. Discovery was the core experience. The interconnected nature of the platform was so central, it became its very name.

But over time, we stopped “browsing the web” and started “using the internet.” In that shift, we lost something fundamental.

The transitions that drove to this change made sense at first. Who can “crawl the web” better than a human? A computer. So we built search engines: Yahoo, AltaVista, Google. What can discover appealing content more efficiently than clicking links and opening tab after tab? A recommendation algorithm. So we built feeds: Facebook, Instagram, TikTok.

But these sites, once tools for exploration, grew dependent on ad revenue, twisting their incentives toward a single goal: maximizing the time you spend looking at ads. What started as a better way to explore the vast content of the web became a system for keeping your eyes locked on a small subset of its content—ads.

Where does that leave those of us who want to explore? Who crave ideas that challenge our assumptions? Personally, I find myself stuck on the same few sites, longing for the original promise of the web while recognizing that version of it is dead.

But I also find myself wondering: Can we bring it back? Not to destroy the ad-driven aggregators (a lot of people seem to like them), but to build something for the rest of us. Something that makes exploring the internet feel more like surfing than doomscrolling.

If this resonates with you, let’s talk. I’ve started to ideate and build prototypes toward this goal and would love to collaborate with fellow explorers. What tools would help you explore the web more? What tools would improve the quality of your time exploring? Drop a comment below. I’d love to hear your thoughts.

[1] Okay, yes, before it was the web, it was the internet. And yes, the internet and the web are not the same thing. All valid points, but not the point. I’m talking about how the average person thinks about going online. First, it was "the web." Then, over time, the webbiness of the web, was lost.

The YouTube channel Technology Connections recently made a video [1] about this and used the term "Algorithmic Complacency" to encompass how many people would rather be fed content determined by their algo of choice than seek it out.

But for those who do want a return to the "Web", I think there are plenty of existing tools for this. RSS feeds allow you to follow independent blogs and websites. BlueSky and Mastadon can be used to curate a list of like minded people who will suggest other cool people or content to check out. YouTube has a Subscriptions tab that is not influenced by the algorithm.

That being said, I applaud anyone who wants to make the independent web more accessible and popular. We need alternatives to the infinite scroll fed to us by massive tech companies.

[1] https://youtu.be/QEJpZjg8GuA

> Can we bring it back? Not to destroy the ad-driven aggregators (a lot of people seem to like them), but to build something for the rest of us.

I don't think that's really possible, if what you mean is an open web like it used to be. It's too far gone, too many people don't remember or never experienced what it was in its heyday, and I doubt that the attitude that everything must be monetized is going away anytime soon.

Now, a "good web" protected behind login walls may be possible, but that's no longer the open web.

I'm not really convinced its gone. Its small. It was small 20+ years ago too though. I think the problem now is its hard to find the web where before that was all that was.

Thinking about why I've tended to avoid RSS, there is a consumption vs exploration divide in my mind that I feel RSS readers lean the wrong way on. That is probs an assumption I should challenge in my own thinking.