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This shows you the differences between two versions of the page.

--- web_revival [2023/06/29 01:30] – [The Web Revival] melon
+++ web_revival [2026/10/12 21:51] (current) – Rubbereon
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 ====== The Web Revival ======
-The Web Revival is about reliving the spirit of the early web in the modern age and is one name of an internet based movement, the name comes from the Folk Revival of the 1930s-70s.
+The Web Revival is one name for a wider internet-based movement! The name itself is derived from the Folk Revival of the mid-20th century. The Folk Revival promoted a feeling of humanity, creativity and equality at a time of rapid mechanisation; whereas the Web Revival promotes these values in the face of the rapid digitisation that surrounds us today.
+The Web Revival is about reclaiming the technology in our lives and asking what we really want from the tools we use, and the digital experiences we share. The Web Revival often references the early Internet, but it's not about recreating a bygone web; the Web Revival is about reviving the spirit of openness and fresh excitement that surrounded the Web in its earliest days.
+The Web Revival is not one single movement, but a loose collection of ideas and groups that fall under many names, such as:
 Some other names related to the Web Revival:
-  * Old Web - This name also evokes the spirit of the early web, it's favoured by sites that focus on older technology and styles, for example The Old Net.
+  * **Wild Web** - Punky freeform, zine crafting, art homepages and chaotic sites - Such as MelonLand
-  * Web 1.0 Movement - This name refers the simple static sites of the 90s and is similar to Old Net.
+  * **Net Positive** - Sites focusing on whimsy, learning and encouragement such as [[32bit_cafe|32bit Cafe]]
-  * Smol/Small Web - This name is often favoured by minimalist sites such as [[m15o|m15o]]’s Status.Cafe
+  * **Smol / Small Web** - This name is often favoured by minimalist sites such as [[m15o|m15o]]’s Status.Cafe
-  * [[Neocities|Neocities]] - A brand name for the web hosting company and community that houses many web revival sites!
+  * **Indie / Open Web** - Professional independently-run sites with a focus on free and open source code - [[https://indieweb.org|Indie Web]]
-  * Indieweb - A separate web collective, mainly with professional web developers, it is less related to the web revival.
+  * **Old / Retro / Web 1.0** - Retro enthusiast sites focused on supporting and using old hardware - [[http://theoldnet.com/|The Old Net]]
-  * [[Yesterweb|Yesterweb]] - A brand name for the former yesterweb forum and community with a focus on social activism.
+  * **Garden / Poetic Web** - Sites focused on reflection, gathering thoughts and obscurity - [[https://www.naiveweekly.com/|Naive Weekly]]
-  * Digital gardening - A separate web movement, focused on personal knowledge management, public learning and open knowledge.
+  * **Neocities** - A brand name for the web hosting company and community that houses many Web Revival sites - [[neocities|Neocities]]
+  * … and many others!
 ===== What ties it all together? =====
 Web Revival enthusiasts come from all walks of life, however most share a few things in common:
-  * Creativity comes first - They value creative expression and the ability to customise and decorate their digital spaces.
+  * Creativity is First- Most see the ability to design, decorate and graffiti digital spaces as essential and powerful
-  * The Web is Friendly - Most are inclusive and value warm genuine interactions, egos should take a back seat here.
+  * The Internet is Fun - Most want the Web to be a playground that's free to explore and enjoy
-  * Non Social-Media - Most are sick of social media, they dislike its drama and often toxic cultural impact.
+  * Corporations are Boring - Most are sick of the monetisation, data abuse and endless breaches of trust in corporate culture
-  * Right to Repair - They value the freedom to control their own data and understand the tools they use.
+  * The Web is Friendly - All feel that the Web should be friendly and supportive; caring is a radical act
-  * Money is not the goal - They dislike the corporate webs obsession with monetisation, professionalism and branding.
+  * Right to Repair - They value the freedom to make, break and repair their stuff - tinkering is a form of debate and protest
-  * One World-Wide-Web - They value the ideals of free shared information and global connectivity expressed on the early internet.
+  * One World Wide Web - They want free open knowledge and global connectivity, without paywalls, bubbles or borders
-  * Messy things are OK - Things don't need to be perfect, we want our web lives to be fun ones not flawless ones.
+  * Chaotic Effort - They believe that value comes from time and effort put into projects they love for no reason other than love
-  * No to Crypto - To most, crypto currencies, the “[[Web3|Web3]]" and NFTs are not welcome.
+  * No to Web3 - To most, cryptocurrencies, NFTs, unfairly trained AIs and buzzword tech are unwelcome and uncool
-These ideals are expressed by creating websites, homepages, zines, forums, podcasts and more! The goal is simply to find what was best about the early web, find whats best about new technology, mix the two; kick all the Mark Zuckerberg's and Elon Musk's to the curb and get on with living our best lives.
+These ideals are expressed by creating websites, zines, online spaces, video games, artworks, journals and much more!
-----
+Web Revivalists will often choose to use alternative technology and software in their lives, or to modify and remix the technology they find around them. Reusing obsolete things (like older digital cameras, mp3 players, site builders etc.), can be a form of environmental, anti-corperate and aesthetic rebellion.
-==== Sources ====
+The goal is to find what was best about the early web and what is best about new technologies and merge the two into a model for tomorrow; while kicking all the Zuckerberg's and Musk's to the curb so we can get on with our lives. The citizens of the web deserve more respect than to be boxed into cubicles, limited to 280 characters, studied and rebranded.
-Melon's [[https://thoughts.melonking.net/guides/introduction-to-the-web-revival-1-what-is-the-web-revival|What is the Web Revival]]
+The Web Revival is about building a sense of mystery, humour, humility and optimism in technology. The Web Revival above all else values action; we avoid perfectionism because it limits action - the Web Revival encourages creating and sharing things, even if they are small, broken, incomplete and Warning Under Construction.
-Maggie Appleton's [[https://maggieappleton.com/garden-history|A Brief History & Ethos of the Digital Garden]]
+  * See [[Manifestos|Manifestos]] of the Web Revival - A list of personal essays by Web Revivalists!
+===== Is it Web Revival? =====
+This is a quiz and manifesto to help you tell if a website is a web revival site! Each question has a score at the end, add up your score and see how it works out!
+==== Discover new things ====
+  * Could this page have existed 15 years ago? **(No +1)**
+  * Was there at least one idea on this page you've never seen on another site? **(Yes +1)**
+The web revival is about reviving a spirit of exploration and discovery, that means trying ideas and creating things that are unlike anything that existed in the past.
+==== Deconstruct old things ====
+  * Does this page look weird, playful or unusual? **(Yes +1)**
+  * Are there assets or features related to something from before 2010? **(Yes +1)**
+The web revival is about twisting history, and finding the ideas and materials the web abandoned, then remixing them into the modern age. History is a tool, not a destination.
+==== Create things that follow your skills ====
+  * Is there something broken on this page? **(Yes +1)**
+  * Is this site clunky or lacking polish? **(Yes +1)**
+Everyone has limited knowledge, how you use that knowledge is what makes a site unique. Its good for things to be broken, that's an opportunity to learn. There is no end or finished project; and if you finish your site, you may have missed the point.
+==== Share stuff ====
+  * Is there a resource of things you can download for your own site? **(Yes +1)**
+  * Are there links to guides, or tips, on how to host your own site?  **(Yes +1)**
+The web revival is depends on generosity, it's a web without walled gardens or unnecessary restrictions. Go out of your way to share knowledge and materials, and support archives and community efforts to share knowledge.
+==== Respect your media ====
+  * Does this page have credits or links to media it uses? **(Yes +1)**
+  * Is this page bloated, slow, or trying too hard to be a novelty interface? **(No +1)**
+The web has a history, an aesthetic, and technical boundaries. Always respect the materials you use, the people who created them, and the context they came from. There is a difference between bending media into a new form, and forcing it to be something its not.
+==== Make things that inspire first ====
+  * Is this page trying to sell me something? **(No +1)**
+  * Do I feel refreshed after browsing this page? **(Yes +1)**
+The goal of any new media should be to inspire and delight people. Money or usefulness are fine outcomes for a project, but they must be secondary to the goal of inspiring.
+==== Be genuine ====
+  * Do I feel like I got to know the person who made this page? **(Yes +1)**
+  * Did I learn something about the world I never knew before? **(Yes +1)**
+We all build personas for the world to see, but the web revival is about cutting those personas down to size, and creating web spaces that are honest and genuine to who you are. That does not mean sharing your real identity, but it does mean that the identity you do share should feel like its made for you, rather than fitting into someone eles's mold.
+==== Treat links as loved ones ====
+  * Does this page have links to other web revival sites? **(Yes +1)**
+  * Can you find this page via a link on a web revival site? **(Yes +1)**
+Link to others, and ensure links to you don't die. Links are the lifeblood of the web, they are the web's most authentic feature. Its an honor to be linked to, and its an honor to link.
+==== Work with others ====
+  * Does this page link to any external forums or communities? **(Yes +1)**
+  * Is this page hosting a webring or any other community project? **(Yes +1)**
+The web revival is about collaboration. Ask questions and answer them too. Help build other peoples projects, not just your own, and when you do create projects, build them to last so that people can depend them.
+==== Remember its not forever ====
+  * Does this page block me from accessing content or making archives? **(No +1)**
+  * Does this page offer archives of its own past media? **(Yes +1)**
+The web revival is about remixing the ruins of older eras of the web. Everything you create will one day be a ruin too, and it will be remixed again. Design your site to be a graceful archive, don't delete it, don't break links; and let people know when you have moved on. Your site is a resource for the future, so make sure the future can reach it.
+==== Be the good kind of evil ====
+  * Did this page require me to work in order to explore it? **(Yes +1)**
+  * Am I unsure if this page is safe? **(Yes +1)**
+Mess with people, push them, force people to look at things differently, but do it with their best interests at heart. People deserve a web that's more than a polite novelty. People deserve a web that speaks to their chaos and shouts back, but does not bully them, put them at risk, bore them, steal from them, or treat them as metrics.
+==== Results! ====
+The total possible score is **22**!
+  * If you got a score of **17 or more**, then it's a web revival site!
+  * If you got a score of **12-16**, then it's prob an IndieWeb site!
+  * If you got a score of **6-11**, then it's a normie site!
+  * If you got a score **under 6**, run away!
+===== History and Terms =====
+The phrase "web revival" has evolved over many years. A variant of the term appears in Gizmodo's 2014 article about [[neocities|Neocities]] "The Great Web 1.0 Revival". However, the modern meaning described here evolved as part of a group discussion that took place on the [[yesterweb|Yesterweb]] Discord server in 2021.
+Prior to that terms such as "Bespoke Web", "Indie Web" and simply "Neocities" were often used.
+In 2021 due to the popularity of the Discord group, the term "Yesterweb" was frequently used to describe the wider web crafting community, however, some felt that it was inappropriate to overuse the Discord server name, particularly when talking about sites made by people who were not part of the discord server.
+Web Revival was one suggestion that came about during that discussion; it was initially a play on the "Folk Revival" as described above, and it also included the suggestion that webmasters could be referred to as "Codeniks" after the 1960s "Beatnik" culture.
+Initially, it was not a widely popular term; however, it was fully adopted by MelonLand in late 2021 and was further promoted in articles such as "What Is The Web Revival" in 2022. The Codeniks phrase was never adopted, but the Web Revival phrase eventually gained widespread use and has largely been the primary phrase as of 2023.
+----
+==== Sources ====
-Mike Caulfield's [[https://hapgood.us/2015/10/17/the-garden-and-the-stream-a-technopastoral/|The Garden and the Stream: A Technopastoral]]
+  * Melon's [[https://thoughts.melonking.net/guides/introduction-to-the-web-revival-1-what-is-the-web-revival|What is the Web Revival]]
+  * Is it Web Revival [[https://thoughts.melonking.net/thoughts/is-it-web-revival]]
+  * Maggie Appleton's [[https://maggieappleton.com/garden-history|A Brief History & Ethos of the Digital Garden]]
+  * Mike Caulfield's [[https://hapgood.us/2015/10/17/the-garden-and-the-stream-a-technopastoral/|The Garden and the Stream: A Technopastoral]]
+  * [[https://www.e-flux.com/journal/10/61362/in-defense-of-the-poor-image/|In Defense of the Poor Image]] and [[https://www.e-flux.com/journal/49/60004/too-much-world-is-the-internet-dead/|Is the Internet Dead?]] essays by Hito Steyerl
+  * [[https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/hackers|Hackers (1995)]] - “Hackers isn't a very good movie, but it's a darn sight more fun than The Net.” - Steven Rea
+  * [[https://interfacecritique.net/book/olia-lialina-from-my-to-me/|From My to Me]] essay by Olia Lialina
+  * [[https://www.softwaresessions.com/episodes/bringing-geocities-back-with-kyle-drake/|Bringing GeoCities Back with Kyle Drake]] (Podcast about Neocities)
+  *[[https://web.archive.org/web/20230921061816/https://gizmodo.com/the-great-web-1-0-revival-1651487835|Gizmodo's The Great Web 1.0 Revival]]
+  * [[https://vimeo.com/719578661|The Web Revival and the Folk Life of Virtual Worlds]] - talk by Daniel Murray