A Web Revival: the Internet didn't die, you're just not on it
TL;DR
The modern internet has been captured by a handful of algorithm-driven platforms designed to harvest attention and data. A grassroots movement called the web revival (or Indie Web) has been growing since ~2016, reclaiming the personal, creative, community-driven spirit of the early internet through individually owned websites that link to each other. ---
Key Concepts
Web Revival
tap to reveal ↩
A growing movement since ~2016 of people building and maintaining personal websites as an alternative to Big Tech platforms
Indie Web
tap to reveal ↩
The broader network of personal websites owned by individuals, all interconnected through links pages and web rings
Web Ring
tap to reveal ↩
A curated collection of thematically related websites that link to one another, enabling discovery through browsing
Static Site Hosting
tap to reveal ↩
Free services (e.g., NeoCities, NicoWeb) that host personal websites without requiring real-name identity
Intentional Internet
tap to reveal ↩
The idea that personal websites represent deliberate, passion-driven creation rather than algorithmically induced passive consumption
Notes
§The Problem with Modern Social Media
- Major platforms (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X) are designed to maximize time-on-app and ad exposure
- Algorithms create echo chambers and exploit attention spans
- Users are increasingly required to surrender personal identity just to participate
- No creative control — users can't even customize their own profile layouts
- Data harvesting is normalized and largely accepted
§What the Early Web Was Like
- Personal websites on GeoCities, Xpages; profiles on Neopets; messaging via AIM and MSN
- People owned their own corners of the internet and linked to each other
- Slower-paced, personal, creative, and social — without dedicated "social media" platforms
- Even MySpace gave users full control over profile appearance
§The Author's Personal Website
- Built January 1, 2023 on NeoCities; in progress for 3+ years
- Contains pixel art, JavaScript games, and a live chat room
- Chat room is the centerpiece — modeled after old chat sites and web cafes
- No friends or family know it exists; driven purely by passion and nostalgia
- Receives dozens of visitors daily — all from web surfing, no promotion on Big Tech platforms
§How the Author Discovered the Web Revival
- Entry point: lowtechmagazine.com — a solar-powered online magazine about low-tech solutions
- Goes offline sometimes due to solar dependency
- Found a fan-made low-tech web ring inspired by it; spent hours following links
- Each site linked to ~30 others, creating a deep rabbit hole of discovery
- Eventually found Melon King's website — an artist whose retro web forum and community captured the early-2000s internet feeling
- Melon's site was the catalyst for the author building their own website
§What the Indie Web Is Like Today
- Thousands of active personal websites in 2026
- People link to each other via links pages ("net neighbors")
- Visitors are often web surfers on a journey across the net
- Pace is slower and more intentional — compared to Discord/Instagram being "New York City," the Indie Web is "the countryside"
- Community and friendships are real and meaningful
§How to Join — Practical Notes
- No coding experience required; tutorials, templates, and pre-made layouts are widely available
- Free hosting options: NeoCities, NicoWeb
- Only needs a valid email to sign up — no real identity required
- Can run a site on cheap hardware (~$20 computer); home server hosting also an option
- Personal sites are never truly "finished" — they evolve continuously
- You don't even need your own site to participate — just visit, comment, sign guestbooks
§Leaving Discord (Bonus Tips)
- Discord Chat Exporter: archives chats locally before leaving
- Discrub: automates deletion of your messages (~3 seconds/message, runs in background in Brave browser)
- Author deleted 100,000+ messages this way
Actionable Takeaways
- Visit lowtechmagazine.com and follow its web ring to start discovering the Indie Web organically
- Sign up for a free account on NeoCities or NicoWeb and start a personal website — no coding experience needed
- Browse the resource list compiled by the 32-bit Cafe community (linked in video description) for everything needed to build and run a site
- Add a links page to your site and exchange links with other personal site owners
- Engage without building: visit personal sites, sign guestbooks, leave messages, participate in chat rooms
- If leaving Discord, use Discord Chat Exporter + Discrub to archive and delete your data first
Quotes Worth Keeping
“
When we scroll endlessly, are we really exploring the World Wide Web or are we being herded like cattle into digital cages?
“
Personal sites seem to evolve continuously over time. They grow as you grow.
“
If Discord or Instagram are like New York City, the Indie Web is like the countryside, dotted with small towns and villages.
“
Each link is like a portal.