{"id":37,"date":"2026-05-22T17:57:03","date_gmt":"2026-05-22T21:57:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/katabasis.blog\/?p=37"},"modified":"2026-05-22T18:56:21","modified_gmt":"2026-05-22T22:56:21","slug":"the-web-we-want","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/katabasis.blog\/index.php\/2026\/05\/22\/the-web-we-want\/","title":{"rendered":"The Web We Want"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\nThere\u2019s a problem with the web. Unfortunately, the fix isn\u2019t easy. But nothing in life that\u2019s worth it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s 2026. The world is more connected than ever. I can open my podcast app and listen to a man in Italy talk to two others in New York and North Carolina about video game handhelds<\/a>. I can watch endless videos about a British man adventuring with his friends through every nook and cranny of Japan<\/a>. I can scroll through a news feed to find out about politics on the other side of the world. And most importantly, you and I can connect with people we care about regardless of the distance. Yet, as you and I both know, there\u2019s something deeply wrong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Peoples\u2019 attentions are divided among just a handful of social platforms or news sites with endless feeds and incomprehensible algorithms. These algorithms are kept fed by the most volatile \u2014 and therefore click-generating \u2014 titles and content. We prize witty, off-the-cuff quips that demonstrate our certified Correct Opinions\u2122 over well-articulated thoughts. We post everything that comes to our minds, then get mad at others when they respond in a way we don\u2019t like. And, worst of all, these algorithms that we feed don\u2019t even serve us in turn. Instead, it sticks us in isolated wards, only letting in just-enough dissent that allows outrage and discord to foment. It gathers information on our habits so that we can be sold more shit that we don\u2019t need to line the pockets of people with unimaginable amounts of wealth. We\u2019re connected alright, but at what cost?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, What Is to Be Done?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s a few reactions that we could take:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  1. We could reject the web entirely; return ourselves to a time where analogue devices were the other methods of communications.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. We could turn a blind-eye to these problems. Things will surely get better with time, right?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. We could embrace an older form of the Internet. One with more friction, sure, but one that leverages the web for deeper connection and creativity.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Considering you\u2019re on this blog, I\u2019m sure you know which path I\u2019ve chosen to walk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    There was a time when most people using the Internet had a homepage or blog where they could talk about their interests, hobbies, or whatever the hell they wanted to talk about. We can<\/em> have that again. It\u2019ll just take a bit of work\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Friction<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    It\u2019s important to not romanticize the past. Every historian knows that. So, it\u2019s key that I acknowledge the problems with the indie web.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Obviously, there is difficulty in convincing everyone to maintain their own website. I mean, who has the time nowadays? Plus, not everyone will want to learn the skill of coding in HTML, CSS, and Javascript, let alone maintain a server. I myself have experimented with it, but learning hasn\u2019t been the easiest thing in the world. Sure, I\u2019ve made this blog, but it took time to actually get it up-and-running. What can those of us who don\u2019t want to worry about that do?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    There are many blogging platforms out there, but the one I\u2019d recommend for its simplicity and indie spirit would be Pika<\/a>. I\u2019ve personally used Pika for my first experiment with blogging before, and I can say that it\u2019s extremely easy to get going with without any background experience. Its interface is simple to understand and there\u2019s very little one needs to do to make a nice-looking blog. If there\u2019s more customization that you want to do, you can add custom CSS code to spice up your look. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    If you\u2019re like me and want to try your hand at designing a website, though, then the most frictionless course of action would be to set up a Neocities<\/a> site. That requires you to write your own HTML and CSS like ye olden days, but takes away the headache of server hosting. Plus, Neocities is a great repository for seeing others\u2019 extremely creative websites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    If this sounds like too much for you, I want to emphasize something: the friction is the point<\/strong>. What social media corporations rely on is the promise of an extremely frictionless experience at no cost to you. However, as the old saying goes: \u201cIf it\u2019s free, then you<\/em> are the product.\u201d These companies will sell your data to advertisers so they can better take advantage of your psychology to sell you their products. The lack of friction also leads to doomscrolling with little-to-no meaningful gain, just wasted time\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    As I\u2019ve grown older, I\u2019ve thought about my lack of time more and more. In what felt like just a blink, I\u2019ve gone from an 18 year-old freshman in college to a history-degree-holding 25 year-old. So much of that time has been lost to meaningless scrolling or shopping or arguing or being barraged by relentless negativity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    I won\u2019t be young forever. While my energy and optimism are still intact, I\u2019d like to learn new skills and try to create things that matter \u2014 things that change peoples\u2019 points of view or at least helps them look from another perspective. I think that human drive is something we\u2019re often missing from the algorithm-driven Internet, and I want that humanity back. If you do too, I hope that you can go out and create and flourish and impact your community and those you love, more empowered by the Internet. The Internet is a tool, and as such should serve us<\/em>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Post-Script<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    This essay was a much worse summary of these two essays:<\/p>\n\n\n\n