Web Revival
What is DIY Web Revival?
DIY Web Revival / Web 1.0 Revival is a collection of movements spawned in the last few years. At its core is a collection of creative principles that help center web design in ways that reject the modern sanitization and segregation of the internet imposed by corporations and the rise of web 2.0 and web 3.0.
These creative principals have technical aspects such as limited/no javascript, limited css, static design, ect, but supporting these is a list of ideas that drive this movement. Modified from melonking.net, here are a few that may resonate with you if you're interested in this movement:
- Creativity is First - The ability to design, decorate, and graffiti digital spaces is essential and powerful.
- The Internet is Fun - The Web is better as a playground that's free to explore and enjoy.
- Corporations are Boring - Monetization, data abuse, and endless breaches of trust in corporate culture make the web worse for everyone.
- Right to Repair - We value the freedom to make, break, and repair your stuff. Tinkering is a form of debate and protest.
- One World Wide Web - We want free open knowledge and global connectivity, without paywalls, bubbles, or borders.
There are many more things that help define the efforts of this movement - the ones listed here are simply ones that resonate most with my own desires for this movement. I really recommend checking out melonking.net for a more in depth dive, along with all the amazing resources curated there.
Some view this as a radical departure from modern digital life, a form of protest, or virtual homesteading. Some view it as a form of being a techno-hippy. Some wish to make a statement through this movement.
Personally, I don't think it necessarily has to be that serious, though I'll always enjoy a chance to make a stand against The Man. I enjoy it for the way it provides a very neat intersection of personal expression and vintage computing.
With that I think it's important to note that while nostalgia plays a part in this, the old internet was not perfect. I dont think anyone thinks that the modern internet should be dismantled in favor for this form of web development. More or less I like to think it's meant to represent how the old web was, a niche little space for nerds like us to play around.
So if any of this connects with you, or if you just want to have fun building a silly little website to express yourself, DIY Web Revival is for you!
Check out the TnTech DIY WebRing! A small web 1.0 webring put together by a few of my colleagues and I.
-JPM-