TIP: Important terms are bolded within this article. To understand each term’s definition, hover your mouse over it and the definition will appear.
What is the Small Web?
The Small Web movement is a growing community of individuals opting to step away from the dominant, corporate-driven web, commonly referred to as Web 2.0, the Big Web, Big Tech, or the ‘core’ web. Instead, many are exploring a more decentralized and personal part of the internet, known as the Small Web, Indie Web, the Personal Web, the Old Web, Web Revival and the Peripheral Web (these terms are often all used interchangeably, though, some have similar but different definitions. Hover over each of the terms to learn their definitions). The concept of the Small Web stands apart from terms like the dark web or deep web, and focuses more on the ownership and nature of the online spaces people use.
The Core Web/Web 2.0/Big Tech/Big Web (more terms you will come to find are often used interchangeably) represent the mainstream internet most people use daily, centered around platforms like Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, and Reddit. These platforms are part of an ecosystem controlled by large companies such as Google, Amazon, and Microsoft, which shape users’ online experiences by leveraging algorithms, targeted ads, and data collection to maximize profits. Big Tech keeps users within the boundaries of its platforms, often exploiting personal data for commercial gain while shaping what users see and interact with on their platforms.
In contrast, the Small Web is the digital equivalent of a countryside—a less commercialized and more community-driven part of the internet. Platforms like Mastodon, Neocities, SpaceHey, IRC, and Matrix chat rooms serve as alternatives to the corporate-dominated web. These spaces typically reject the invasive practices of targeted advertising and heavy data collection, offering users a more authentic, privacy-respecting experience. The Small Web tends to be discovered organically through personal exploration and recommendations rather than being indexed and readily visible through mainstream search engines. While it requires more effort to find and engage with, the Small Web offers more personal freedom and creative expression.
Origins
The movement largely stems from frustration with the worsening conditions on Big Tech social networking platforms. This shift away from Big Tech is often driven by a desire for a better experience; more creativity, less censorship, more privacy, more control over one’s personal data, and more freedom of self expression online.
The Small Web’s growth primarily focuses on word-of-mouth rather than strategic or paid advertising. Periodic spikes in activity fuel the Small Web movement, typically following incidents that trigger dissatisfaction with corporate-controlled platforms. These moments, often sparked by policy changes, controversial decisions, social unrest, or promoting controversial political biases, lead to waves of discontentment among Big Tech users. In response, Small Web users attempt to persuade others to migrate, though, the transition can sometimes be difficult for users who have become accustomed to the more simplistic, intuitive nature Big Tech platforms tend to offer. The Small Web is a very different way of socializing on the web and is structured quite different. Like all new things, change is often uncomfortable for people. It takes courage to step out of the box and explore lesser known alternatives.
Nostalgia has also been a major force behind the shift toward the Small Web. Interestingly, nostalgia for the “old web” isn’t limited to those who experienced it firsthand. Younger users, including kids and teens, developed anemoia. This feeling within the younger generations stemmed from dissatisfaction with the modern internet, which many young people had grown up with.
Anonymity and Pseudonymity
Within the Small Web movement, it is common that individuals typically either use pseudonyms or may share their real-life identities, sometimes mixing both.
People choose pseudonyms for many reasons, including wanting to protect their privacy, separate their professional and personal lives, or simply for personal preference. For some, pseudonyms provide a shield of anonymity, particularly for those who are vocal online. This layer of protection helps to safeguard their personal lives from those who might try to bully, harass or even reveal sensitive information (doxxing). In contentious or public-facing spaces, pseudonyms become a vital tool for individuals seeking to engage freely without risking exposure or retaliation.
Things to Bear in Mind
As with most movements, there will inevitably be individuals or groups attempting to shape and control the direction of the movement to align with their own ideologies and virtues. This, however, presents a deep irony, as it contradicts the very reasons many choose to leave Big Tech spaces in the first place. People do not abandon the dominance of Big Tech in pursuit of digital freedom and autonomy over their content and data, only to be told by others within the movement what they can or cannot do or say within their own personal spaces. It’s important to be vigilant of those within the movement who seek to dictate or moderate your actions or speech as a condition of belonging. The essence of this movement is inclusivity—anyone, regardless of their virtues, ideologies, political beliefs, or walk of life can be part of it. Those who attempt to exert control over others, even under the guise of good intentions, ultimately act in bad faith and undermine many of the movement’s core values. This is simply something to bear in mind if you choose to join the movement: always remain authentic to who you are, and don’t allow others to bully you into submission of their ideologies. In expressing yourself authentically, you will naturally find your community here.
TIP: If you need a starting point of connection into this movement, do feel free to connect with me anytime via my guestbook or contact page. 🙂 I am always happy to offer a helping hand as well as befriend newcomers. I also run the Free Speech Webring, which I encourage newcomers to join. It’s a great way to discover and meet others who value freedom of speech and expression within this movement!
Is the Small Web right for you? You decide.
The Small Web is more than a collection of niche platforms—it’s a grassroots revolution pushing back against the corporate-controlled, data-driven nature of today’s internet. As Big Tech continues to encroach on our online freedoms, the Small Web offers a beacon of hope for those yearning to reclaim their digital autonomy. It empowers users to take control of their online experiences, free from the algorithms that dictate what we see, think, and share.
By joining the Small Web, you become part of a community that values personal privacy, creative freedom, and authentic human connections over profit-driven motives. This movement is about rediscovering the internet’s roots—an open space for innovation, individuality, and real interaction – where real people can thrive above the noise of business and brands. You’re not just a passive consumer on the Small Web; you are an active participant in building a better, more sustainable digital world.
The Small Web is for those who want to escape the online matrix; an increasingly homogenized experience of mainstream platforms. It’s for creators, thinkers, and explorers who believe the internet should be more than just a commercialized tool—it should be a place where creativity thrives, privacy is respected, communities can flourish, and ultimately be a more personal (and personalized) experience.
Making this shift does not mean you need to completely break away from Big Tech overnight, or even completely. The beauty of this movement is that it doesn’t force you to choose between one or the other. Not everyone joins this movement for the same motives, and you can very much remain an active participant in the Big Web should you choose to. As you explore new online spaces and communities within this movement, you may come to find your dependence on corporate-controlled platforms reduced and feel more empowered to move toward a more independent, personalized internet experience. For many of us, it is a slower more gradual transition as we adjust to two very different systems of social networking and online spaces, exploring, building, and discovering new ways to replace the things we liked from the Big Web, while leaving behind the things we didn’t like. I encourage you to take your time in exploring and understanding this movement, allow yourself the patience in learning a new online experience, and discovering a new way of interacting online than what you’re currently used to. This is very much a journey, not a race to the finish line.
Join the Small Web movement and embark on a journey towards a more liberated online experience. By exploring this vibrant alternative, you’ll discover the freedom to express yourself authentically, connect with like-minded individuals across the globe, and reclaim your online autonomy. Every small step you take contributes to a larger shift toward a user-driven internet that prioritizes creativity, community, and personal control over your online identity and online space. No longer do you have to be a passive participant in the web Big Tech created— rather, you can start to become an active part of the change you’d like to see on the web.
This AI slop is illegible. Please reconsider using this soulless, unethical software to flatten your thoughts and desaturate your ideas – anyone willing to take a moment to commit their thoughts to paper can do better than this word slurry. I am sorry to be so direct, but it breaks my heart to see this here.
‘Without AI assisting me behind the scenes, I wouldn’t be able to maintain this pace or reach.’
This is one of the more persistent ideas that Big Tech seems to have inflicted on the world, and it is central to their dominance: you *need* this horrible stuff, how else could you possibly achieve your goals? We did not need it, we don’t today, we never will. It is the path of least resistance, but it leads to ruin. It’s your house and your rules, and if my comment is not welcome I apologise – but decrying Big Tech while using Big Tech’s flagship nightmare… it boggles the mind.
And that’s your opinion; you’re completely free to avoid AI and create in whatever way feels right in your own corner of the Small Web. But that freedom doesn’t extend to dictating how others should express themselves in their spaces.
EDIT:
This is an afterthought, I mentioned this in my previous comment, but I felt it was worth clarifying again since the point may not have come through as clearly. This subdomain is part of a marketing campaign, using tools that specifically boost my productivity is intentional. To help this movement gain visibility on social media, I am using strategies that work within that ecosystem. That includes being mindful of algorithms and having a workflow that performs well in those spaces. I realize this might feel at odds with the slower, more personal nature of the Small Web, and that contrast is important and needed to make waves on mainstream platforms. The goal is to raise awareness in mainstream platforms so people can discover the Small Web as a meaningful alternative to the corporate web. This subdomain is meant to serve as a bridge for those people on their way to something different. That is the point of this space.
It’s not your role, nor is it your responsibility, to try and police how anyone else engages with this movement. The only space you have full control over is your own. Fill it with what brings you joy, and connect with people who resonate with your values.
If my use of AI as a productivity tool affects you this deeply, you’re under no obligation to visit my site. By returning just to express that frustration, you’re actively choosing to be in a space that doesn’t align with you. You don’t have to understand why others find value in AI as a tool, but you do have to respect that not everyone shares your view. And if you can’t do that, the solution is simple: leave.
My website will always be a space that champions freedom within this movement. Whether or not I share someone’s values, I will continue to stand for their right to carve out a place here. Whether a person hand-codes every line or uses AI to build a personal website that helps them break free from the corporate web – both paths are valid, and both belong. That’s the kind of Small Web I want to be part of and will help build here.
It has sadly become difficult to avoid, I’ve had to stop using the services of companies I’ve been dealing with for years just to avoid coming into direct contact with this destructive, environmentally disastrous technology. I live to see it die.
I dictate nothing and police no one and I must honestly say I resent the accusation. I explicitly wrote that it’s your house and your rules; I am here by choice and am not telling you to run your website differently – I am saying that it pains me to see this AI stuff, inextricably interwoven with Big Tech and the corporate Web, make its way into the small Web that I love so much. I respect other views, but that does not mean that I am afraid to voice my opposition to those views. I like this website and what it stands for, and so I felt a need to leave my comment, to voice my concern and frustration – but if my disagreement is not welcome and characterised as coercion and oppression, I will do as you suggest and leave.
I understand that this topic brings up a lot of strong emotions, and I don’t dismiss the depth of your convictions. I hear that your intention wasn’t to police my space, and I respect that you chose to share your thoughts here because you care about the Small Web. I want to acknowledge that. That said, your original comment was worded in a way that came across not just as disagreement, but as condemnation. I don’t believe intention and impact always align, and I hope you can also understand why I responded the way I did.
This space exists to uplift freedom and creativity in all forms, not just the forms that are traditional or comfortable. I value respectful discourse, including disagreement, but it’s essential that we each recognize the line between sharing perspective and inadvertently shaming someone else for making different choices.
You’re welcome to disagree with the tools I choose to use, just as I will continue to advocate for the freedom for others to use or reject them. I won’t ask you to leave, I’ll only ask that if you stay, you do so with respect for the diverse ways people show up and create here. Not everyone in this movement thinks the same or shares the same values, and that is okay. What sets this movement apart from big tech is we all have the freedom to choose the content we see and interact with, rather than it be spoon fed to us. If sites like mine that use AI aren’t your jam, that’s cool! 🙂 Really, it is. There are tons of really great spaces across the small web that share your values. Create a space that brings you joy, and surround yourself with things that don’t involve AI, if that’s what you choose. I support you on your journey.
promoting “the small web” yet using AI to write your articles, how ironic. creep
I understand your concern, and I appreciate you taking the time to comment. I do use AI as a productivity tool to brainstorm, clarify thoughts, and structure my writing, but everything I publish ultimately reflects my own voice, feelings, intent, and values.
To me, the Small Web is about personal empowerment, creative freedom, and building your website on your own terms; not dictated by big platforms or rigid dogma. Not every aspect of what other people choose to do with their sites will sit well with everyone else, and that’s okay. AI, like any tool, can be used responsibly and ethically to support individuals. I am one person running this entire project in my free time, with no financial backing or expectations in return. I do it because this is a movement I believe in and see it as a solid alternative to the corporate web. Without AI assisting me behind the scenes, I wouldn’t be able to maintain this pace or reach. This subdomain of my website is not personal, it is a completely voluntary marketing campaign project to help this movement grow.
This subdomain exists as a transitional space. It’s a bridge to help people discover the Small Web and reclaim their online autonomy. While many in the Small Web are strongly anti-AI, I’m not. I believe there are both ethical and unethical ways to use AI, and I use it in the way that is ethical and helps people. In this circumstance, helping the Small Web movement grow. That doesn’t make me any less a part of this movement. There are no official rulebooks here. Just shared values of decentralization, independence, and self-expression. Some try to impose boundaries or ideological purity on the Small Web, but for me, that contradicts its very essence. I didn’t leave the corporate web just to enter another space of centralized control. You build your corner of the web however you want, and curate the voices and spaces that resonate with you. That freedom is the whole point.
I’m forging my own path in this movement; shaping my corner of the web in a way that brings me joy and feels authentic to me. In this space, I’ll continue encouraging others to do the same: to break away from the unspoken rules and contradictions that a small group of voices have tried to impose on everyone in order to gatekeep this movement. I respect that not everyone will agree with my approach, and that’s okay. I’m not here to meet everyone’s expectations. I’m here to inspire people to break free from centralized control in all its forms, including the kind that can sometimes creep into even the most well-meaning communities. If this space isn’t for you, that’s perfectly fine. The Small Web is wide enough for many voices and many approaches; including yours, and mine.
Thanks again for engaging, even if we see things differently. ✌️
Aevisia