The Web's Crisis: A Call for Action
The Web is in danger, because of enshittification, big tech, bloat and low-quality AI-generated content. We need to act now to save it. In the following, this website explains the problems of the Web and what you can do to make it a better place.
The Problem ¶
A short history of the Web ¶
The Web was created by Tim Berners-Lee in 1989. It was a simple system that allowed researchers to share documents. It was a decentralized system, where anyone could create a website and link to any other website. You can still see the original website that Tim Berners-Lee created.
At this time, the Web was a place for sharing information and quite simple. But as the Web grew, it became more complex. Websites started to include images, videos, and other media. They also started to include interactive features, like forms and buttons. This was the birth of Web 2.0. The Web became a place for socializing, shopping, and entertainment. Because these websites were more complex and required interactivity, things like Flash and Java Applets were used. These technologies were insecure and slow and were replaced by HTML5, CSS3, and JavaScript.
The web became also more centralized: A few big companies like Google, Facebook, and Amazon started to dominate the Web. They collected data on users and used it to show targeted ads. They also controlled what content users saw.
Another problem rose on the technical side. Websites became more complex and required increasingly more JavaScript to work. This made websites hard to maintain. To solve this problem, Facebook created React in 2011 and published it as an open-source library in 2013. The original website can be seen in the Internet Archive. But React wasn't a solution to the problem. It made it worse, because more and more JavaScript was shipped to the browser. In 2011, the median website used 88 KB of JavaScript and in 2024, it's 622 KB, as reported by the HTTP Archive. This might not seem like a big deal, but it is 6 times more JavaScript and it sums up! Another effect of React is that developers started to use it for everything, even for simple websites that don't need it.
The current state of the Web ¶
When you visit a news website today, you get greeted with a giant consent banner, after a few Megabytes of JavaScript are downloaded. After you was forced to disable your AD-blocker and clicked the barely visible "Settings" and "Deny" buttons, you are finally allowed to read the article ADs. Although you denied, the site and their 1000 partners still track you. To maximize profits, the news site doesn't even link their sources. The reader could click them and stop looking at the ADs...
Another problem is AI-generated low-quality content. It's produced in huge quantities and often contains sponsored content. The goal is not to inform the reader, but to maximize profits. Because Google dominates the search engine market and the AD market, they push these websites to the top of the search results. This makes it hard to find high-quality content.
The consequences ¶
The Web was created to share information and knowledge. But today, it's a place for making money and became hostile to users. Privacy, security, and accessibility are often neglected. The Web is also a place for spreading misinformation and hate.
The Web is also a place for surveillance. Companies like Google and Facebook track users across the Web. They collect data on users and use it to show targeted ads. This is a violation of privacy. The Web is also a place for censorship. Companies like Google and Facebook control what content users see. They can limit the reach of content they don't like or even remove it completely.
The Web is in a dangerous state. If we don't act now, it will be too late. It already affects our society and democracy.
What can you do as a user? ¶
While the problems of the Web are complex and hard to fight against, there are things we can do to make the Web a better place.
Say no to big tech ¶
The first thing we can do is to say no to big tech. They are the main drivers of the enshittification of the Web. We can use alternative services that respect our privacy and security. We can also use open-source software that respects our freedom.
Search engines ¶
There are many search engines, but most are either dependent on Google or Bing or have bad results. Here are some:
- Mojeek - Independent - Okay results
- Brave Search - Semi-depentent - Okay results
- Qwant - Independent - Okay results
- DuckDuckGo - Dependent on Bing - Good results
- Startpage - Dependent on Google - Good results
Browsers ¶
Browsers are the most important software we use to access the Web. Unfortunately, most browsers are based on Chromium, which is developed by Google. This means that Google has a lot of control over the Web. The only alternative is Firefox which is developed by Mozilla. It's open-source and respects your privacy. Unfortunately, it's sponsored by Google, which is a problem. But it's still way better than a chromium-based browser.
Social networks ¶
Mastodon is a great alternative to corporate social networks like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. It's federated, which means that anyone can run their own server and connect it to the network. This means that there is no central authority that controls the network. You can choose a server that respects your privacy and security. It's recommended not to use the main instance, because it has to many users, which hurts the decentralization. There are also PixelFed, that focuses on photos, Peertube, that focuses on videos, and Lemmy, that focuses on links (like Reddit). All of them work together.
Maps ¶
OpenStreetMap is a great alternative to Google Maps. It's a community-driven map (like Wikipedia) that respects your privacy and security. You can also use OsmAnd on your smartphone. The pro version is available on F-Droid for free.
Email ¶
Email is an important tool for communication and a core part of the internet. It's the most decentralized service we have and incredibly important. Unfortunately, most people use Gmail, which is a Google service. There are many simple to use alternatives like ProtonMail, Tutanota, and Posteo. They are all privacy-focused and respect your freedom.
You can also use a hosted email service from a small, local provider. This is even better, because it's more decentralized and you have almost full control over your data.
Operating systems ¶
Desktop/Laptop ¶
Most people use Windows on their computers. It's a proprietary operating system developed by Microsoft and known for its privacy issues, malicious behavior, ADs in the OS, anti-competitive behavior, and many other problems.
Linux is a great alternative. It's open-source and respects your freedom. There are many distributions to choose from, like Fedora, Ubuntu, Debian, and Arch (not recommended for beginners). They are all free and respect your freedom. They also have a great community that can help you if you have problems. The only downside is that some software (especially games, that want to spy at you, and overpriced adobe software) doesn't work on Linux and you have to install the OS yourself.
Smartphone ¶
There are two main operating systems for smartphones: Android and iOS. Android and iOS are both proprietary operating systems developed by Google and Apple. They both have massive privacy issues and don't respect your freedom, but there are also alternative versions of Android that are open-source and respect your freedom. The most popular ones are LineageOS, e/os and GrapheneOS (only for Google pixel, but most secure). They are forks of Android that removes all the Google stuff and respects your privacy and security.
Support independent creators ¶
Consider supporting independent creators to make them less dependent on ads. You can also a open source project, you like (e.g. your linux distro, mozilla, or a software you use often).
Use an ad-blocker ¶
Ads are annoying and often track you. You can use an ad-blocker, like uBlock Origin, to block ads and trackers. This will make the Web faster and more secure.
F-Droid ¶
F-Droid is an open-source app store for Android. It only contains open-source apps that respect your freedom and privacy. The best client for F-Droid is Droid-ify, which is more modern than the official client.
Use a feed reader ¶
Many websites provide an RSS feed. It lets you subscribe to a website and get updates in your feed reader. This way, you can follow websites without visiting them. It's also possible to share your feed collection using OPML. A great feed reader for Android is Feeder and for the desktop you can just search for "feed reader" in the software center of your linux distro.
What can you do as a developer? ¶
As a developer, you have a lot of power to make the Web a better place. Here are some things you can do:
Use less JavaScript ¶
JavaScript isn't needed for static content. A form doesn't need JavaScript to work. Try to avoid using JavaScript when possible. If you need JavaScript, offer a fallback, if possible. For example, if you have an interactive map, add an image of the map with a link to OpenStreetMap in a <noscript>
tag.
Semantic HTML ¶
Use semantic HTML. It not only makes your website more accessible, but also structures your content better. Use the right tags for the right content. For example, use a <nav>
tag for navigation, a <main>
tag for the main content, and a <footer>
tag for the footer. Don't use a <div>
tag for everything.
Accessibility ¶
Make your website accessible to everyone. Use semantic HTML and ARIA roles, where needed (A navigation doesn't need it. A <nav>
tag is enough.). Test your website with a screen reader and keyboard. To get started, you can use the WAVE tool. Remember to add a skip link, so users can skip the navigation and go directly to the main content. Also, add alt text to images and closed captions to videos.
Analytics ¶
Respect your users' privacy. Don't track them when they have set a DNT. If you use a privacy-friendly analytics tool, like Plausible or Matomo, you can still track them without violating their privacy and the need to show a consent banner. In matomo, need to disable cookies and anonymize the IP in the settings. In Plausible, you don't need to do anything. Both tools are open-source and respect your freedom.
Never use Google Analytics. It's a privacy nightmare and violates your users' privacy. It's also a monopoly and has a lot of control over the Web. It's not even legal in the EU, because it violates the GDPR.
Read more about privacy-friendly analytics tools
Simple design ¶
Keep your design simple. Don't use too many colors, fonts, and animations. A simple design is easier to maintain and faster to load. It's also more accessible and user-friendly. Try to keep as close to the default browser styles as possible.
Hosting ¶
Use a privacy-friendly hosting provider. Don't use AWS, Google Cloud, or Azure. They are all owned by big tech companies, don't respect your privacy, and are a insecure. Microsoft has huge problem with hackers in their systems and has really bad security practices.
Use a small, local provider that respects your privacy and security. They are often a bit more expensive, but it's worth it. You can also host your website yourself, if you have the knowledge and time.
Open-source ¶
Contribute to open-source projects and maybe even open-source your own projects. This way, you can help others and make the Web a better place.
Use a static site generator ¶
Use a static site generator, like 11ty, Astro, or Hugo. They generate static HTML files, which are fast and not bloated. They also don't require any huge server besides a simple static file server.
Don't use React ¶
React is a great library, but it's often overused. You don't need React for a simple website. Use vanilla JavaScript or a simple library like Alpine.js. If you need a framework, use Svelte. It's a faster that React and still gives you the power of a framework.
Links, links, links ¶
Link to other websites. It's important to show your sources, give credit to others, let your users explore the Web, and make the Web more decentralized. Don't be afraid to link to other websites. It's a good thing.
Join the IndieWeb ¶
The IndieWeb is a movement that aims to give users more control over their data and the content they create. It is based on a few simple principles:
- Own your data: Users should own their data and be able to move it between different services.
- Publish on your own site first: Users should publish content on their own website, not on third-party platforms.
- Syndicate to social media: Users can syndicate their content to social media platforms, but the canonical version should be on their own website.
This is mostly based on these technologies:
- Webmention: A webmention is a notification that one website sends to another website when it replies or likes it. You will find the webmentions of this website at the bottom of the page.
- Microformats: Microformats are a way to add semantic information to HTML elements. For example, you can use the
h-card
microformat to mark up your contact information or theh-entry
microformat to mark up a blog post. - IndieAuth: IndieAuth is a way to use your own website as an authentication provider.
rel="me"
: You can use therel="me"
attribute to link to your social media profiles from your website. In combination with a link back from your social media profile to your website, this can be used to verify your identity. This also enables you to use IndieAuth.
What can you do as a content creator? ¶
As a content creator, you have a lot of power to make the Web a better place, but also a lot of pressure from big tech companies. Here are some things you can do:
Use AI responsibly ¶
AI is great as a tool to write faster, but always check the content it produces. For translations, use DeepL instead of Google Translate. It's more accurate, more privacy-friendly, and build by a small company in Germany.
Links ¶
The same as for the developers: Link to other websites. It's important to show your sources, give credit to others, let your users explore the Web, and make the Web more decentralized. Don't be afraid to link to other websites. It's a good thing.
IndieWeb ¶
Again, the same as for the developers: The IndieWeb is a movement that aims to give users more control over their data and the content they create. It is based on a few simple principles:
- Own your data: Users should own their data and be able to move it between different services.
- Publish on your own site first: Users should publish content on their own website, not on third-party platforms.
- Syndicate to social media: Users can syndicate their content to social media platforms, but the canonical version should be on their own website.
This is mostly based on these technologies:
- Webmention: A webmention is a notification that one website sends to another website when it replies or likes it. You will find the webmentions of this website at the bottom of the page.
- Microformats: Microformats are a way to add semantic information to HTML elements. For example, you can use the
h-card
microformat to mark up your contact information or theh-entry
microformat to mark up a blog post. - IndieAuth: IndieAuth is a way to use your own website as an authentication provider.
rel="me"
: You can use therel="me"
attribute to link to your social media profiles from your website. In combination with a link back from your social media profile to your website, this can be used to verify your identity. This also enables you to use IndieAuth.
Contribute ¶
This website is open-source and you can contribute to it. It's not in its final form and many things must be improved. You can find a link to the code and contact information in the navigation and the footer.