====== What Is the IndieWeb? ======

===== Terminology =====

Several overlapping terms describe the same space. "IndieWeb" is the most widely used and functions as an umbrella:

^ Term ^ Notes ^
| **IndieWeb** | Most popular; [[https://indieweb.org/|indieweb.org]] is the canonical reference |
| Small Web / Smol Web | [[https://smolweb.org/|smolweb.org]]; emphasis on minimalism and small scale |
| Human Web | Term used by [[https://shellsharks.com/human-web|Shellsharks]]; emphasizes human-made vs. corporate |
| Good Internet | [[https://goodinternetmagazine.com/|goodinternetmagazine.com]] |
| Cozyweb | [[https://maggieappleton.com/cozy-web|Maggie Appleton's concept]]; specifically the private, invite-only web — distinct from the above |

The "indie" in IndieWeb can mean both **independent** (from corporate platforms) and **individual** (personal expression).

===== The IndieWeb Is a Spectrum =====

Participation is not binary. Every setup involves trade-offs:

  * Even bare-metal self-hosting means your domain is leased from a registrar, subject to ICANN policies
  * HTTPS depends on certificate authorities (Let's Encrypt, etc.) trusted by browsers
  * CDNs, VPS providers, ISPs — all involve trusting someone else's infrastructure
  * Even electricity comes from a utility

The goal isn't purity — it's using **good faith tools made by people trying their best**, not tools built to maximize shareholder value at users' expense. That's the honour system. That's trust.

===== Three Principles (Redefined) =====

The [[https://indieweb.org/|IndieWeb.org]] canonical principles are good, but here's a more human framing:

**1. Good faith code. Good faith writing.**\\
The biggest separation from corporate social media. On the IndieWeb, you don't publish with invasive trackers, bloated pages, or accessibility-hostile design. You don't write from bad faith or misanthropy. You believe the Internet can still be good.

This isn't purity testing — it's mindfulness about the tools you use (hosting, frameworks, platforms) and whether they're built to serve people or extract from them.

**2. A pro-social attitude.**\\
The web is meant to be social — to cultivate friendships and community with people who share your interests. But you don't need a full comment system or webmentions to qualify. The minimum: some form of contact. Plain text email, a Mastodon link, an IRC server. Some dialogue, rather than pure one-way broadcast.

RSS is nice. Likes on posts are optional. But isolation isn't the goal either.

**3. Be Fun. Be Accessible. Be Small.**\\
See [[indieweb:fun_accessible_small|Fun, Accessible, and Small]] for the full breakdown. The short version: expressive individual design, WCAG compliance, and pages that actually load.

===== See Also =====
  * [[indieweb:start|IndieWeb Index]]

  * [[indieweb:fun_accessible_small|Fun, Accessible, and Small]]
  * [[indieweb:principles|IndieWeb Principles (POSSE, own your data)]]
  * [[indieweb:getting_started|Getting Started on the IndieWeb]]
  * [[indieweb:community|Community — Mastodon, Webmentions, RSS]]
  * [[protocols:smallweb:solarpunk|Solarpunk and the Small Web]]
  * [[start|Return to wiki home]]