{
  "$type": "site.standard.document",
  "description": "This Is For Everyone feels perfectly timed. The web is at an inflection point and, as its originator, there's nobody more qualified than Berners-Lee to discuss its past, present and future. What this contains is an eloquently delivered history of Berners-Lee's childhood, early academic and professional growth, the invention of the web and the events to follow. It's a fascinating history, one in which the author was able to observe nascent technological developments, their applications, attempts to solve problems, iterations and then a creation of his solution all his own in the web. Flexible, open and now ubiquitous (or inescapable, depending on your perspective). Protocols over platforms, decentralization, goals of connection and an optimistic hope for what that might mean. Berners-Lee's goals for the technology he helped create are, were and remain optimistic and noble. He voices criticism where appropriate, some of Marc Andreesen and his selfish profiteering as both the creator of the Mosaic browser and now as a VC vociferous advocate of \"artificial intelligence\" (and a prominent edgelord to boot!). Other criticisms are reserved for consolidation, platform gatekeepers and the malign influence of modern social media paltforms. Throughout it all Berners-Lee remains relentlessly optimistic. He sees the problems with social media and retains hope for open alternatives with algorithms that serve users (he repeatedly mentions Mastodon as his preferred platform — the one I've found to be the most healthy and minimally toxic). Decentralized social media with invested volunteers, operators and a model that eschews blackbox algorithms and ads. He targets the attention economy and argues for an intention economy where commerce is driven by user wants rather than advertiser and platform manipulation. He helped devise and champion Solid which, while minimally adopted, aims to put users in direct control of their data. Its Berners-Lee's original goal of empowering users through connection and decentralized computing that he's still championing today that makes this such a compelling, inspiring and timely read. The web has been a force for good and, though it is not that now, it can be again. It can be a force for good by pivoting back to decentralization, empowering users to own their data and turning away from platform gatekeepers and malign commercial influence. We're seeing glimmers of this now in the indie web and a broader understanding of what these platforms represent as their owners align themselves with authoritarian, fascist movements. I can't say I share Berners-Lee's optimism, but I believe that we need it and what he's advocating for still.",
  "path": "/reading/books/9780374612474/this-is-for-everyone",
  "publishedAt": "2025-10-06T00:00:00Z",
  "site": "at://did:plc:sttgf52vkk46f6yuknvqxvgh/site.standard.publication/self",
  "tags": [
    "tech",
    "nonfiction",
    "biography & autobiography"
  ],
  "title": "This Is for Everyone"
}