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This is a Website

Back to basics.

Zeldman re-nails the truth to the door:

We were struggling, whether we knew it or not, to found a more fluid society. A place where everyone, not just appointed apologists for the status quo, could be heard. That dream need not die. It matters more now than ever.

Also relevant in the last few days…

Kevin Marks consolidates and makes clear the call for publishing on your own site under the monikers of IndieWeb and POSSE:

The IndieWeb is a group of people who recognise that the silos are important for connecting – but you should have your own site. Don’t replace those tools, but use them to connect the rest of the web.

Its principles:

  • You should own your own data. Have your own page, not a Facebook or Google one.
  • You should have visible data. People can read it, programs can index it. You can’t crawl Facebook or Twitter any more.
  • POSSE – Publish on your Own Site and Share Elsewhere. Spread links to your own stuff.
  • Make tools for you, not for other people. If you wouldn’t use it, other people won’t. Odeo was a classic example: a podcast platform built by people who didn’t podcast.
  • Document what you do. Say what works – help other people by doing so. And Open Source what you make, because you get help and it ensures that what you do will last.
  • Design and UX are really important. Don’t just add them on top of what you’ve built.
  • Be modular. Don’t try to build everything – build pieces that plug together. It makes it easier to swap things out, or replace dead services.
  • The Long Web – expect it to last, don’t destroy history and spread copies elsewhere.
  • Bet on the web – open outlasts closed. Make infrastructure that others can build on.

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