Do you think Web 1.0 will make a comeback? 👀

I've been noticing a growing movement of people who are getting fed up and sick of big tech platforms like Facebook, Twitter, etc.

When Elon acquired Twitter, I remember there was a big exodus of people leaving the platform for Mastodon. I've also been trying to break away from big tech for years. It's my desire to leave that lead me to finding this site, the indieweb, and the Fediverse! I think the only thing that really keeps me tied to big tech platforms, is that Facebook is most useful for its Marketplace and Messenger to keep in touch with friends, and Twitter is still most useful for acquiring news/information quickly because so many people are on it and news tends to spread fast. But I definitely notice a shift in people the last few years and people starting to diversify to other platforms.

What do you guys think? Do you think Big Tech giants like Facebook and Twitter will eventually crumble? Will people ever be able to break free of these platforms? What are your thoughts on this?

Well, that rather depends on what you mean by that. By some definitions, there's already been a comeback :) At least, I've seen a lot more people on the smallweb in recent years.

What I don't think will happen is for the Fediverse or some other technological solution to lead social media into a new utopian age. Even if it doesn't become corporate all on its own, there's always someone who wants to Embrace-Extend-Extinguish it. But there just might be a shift in the entire way people interact with social media and the web in general, with an explosion of smaller networks replacing the whole 'next big thing' system.

One thing, though — for this to happen, there would need to be something to make 'the small web' more accessible for random people — maybe a push for general computer literacy, too. Building a personal website, say, just can't be both near-universal and supposed to be somewhat hard and complicated to do — like a kind of rite of passage, of the sort that any niche hobbyist community has.

Another problem is that right now, a lot of people depend on corporate social media for income — because however much of a hellscape it is, a lot of people are on there, in a very reachable way! I'm not sure how they'll deal with that exact thing, to be honest. The nexus might shift to Mastodon or something like it, though, but I don't think that'd really mean much in retrospect.

For one example, though — I think — there'll be much more non-web protocols! There's already Gemini, with a goal of being more usability-focused — and maybe easier to work with — than Gopher, but still way simpler than HTTP. So, there might be more interesting things in that department :)

A select few will find their way back to the reboots of the old web or their variations. Gopher, Gemini, Nex, SDF, Scuttlebutt, Twtxt, Blips Club, SpaceHey, Retrobook, DaMeDaNeSpace etc

The rest will remain stuck on the large corporate platforms because they're either unaware of the small web, or they're unwilling to make the sacrifices that come with leaving the mainstream platforms.

The small web isn't for everyone. As in, there is no quick way to accumulate followers, or gain hearts and likes and popularity.

Even celebrities would find the Fediverse, Gopher world and Geminiverse to be quite intimidating. Because there is no special treatment. Everyone starts from scratch and builds their rep through time and dedication.

Due to the decentralized nature of these platforms, it's also harder to find people. You need to know exactly where to look if you want to find someone. Or leave it up to chance to stumble upon them.

Last edited on 2023-08-07 14:46:20

don't forget Bitview!

Oh my god thank you guys for sharing these sites! I had no idea SpaceHey existed, or Bitview, or Retrobook, and it just all threw me back into the early 2000s all at once. If you guys know of any more please feel free to share them here!