IndieWeb

Summary

The IndieWeb is a grassroots movement that encourages people to own their online identities and content by publishing on their own websites — rather than relying solely on corporate platforms. It focuses on using open standards, interoperability, and user control.

Official site: https://indieweb.org

Core Principles

• Own Your Data: You should control the content you create.
• Use Your Domain: Your identity should live at yourdomain.com.
• Publish First, Syndicate Elsewhere (POSSE): Post on your own site, then cross-post to social media.
• Decentralization: Avoid platform lock-in and data silos.
• Selfdogfood: Build tools you actually use yourself.

Key Technologies

• Webmention: Like @mentions across the web — enables distributed comments, likes, and replies.
• Micropub: Standardized publishing API for content creation.
• Microformats2: HTML classes to structure content (e.g. h-entry for blog posts).
• IndieAuth: Federated login protocol for identity verification.
• h-card, h-entry, h-feed: Microformats for marking up personal sites.

IndieWeb Content Types

• /now: What I’m doing right now
• /uses: Tools and gear I use
• /start: Where to begin on this site
• /reading: Books or articles being read
• /likes, /replies, /bookmarks: Responses to content across the web
• /pets, /garden, /crafts: Personal expressions — anything goes!

Advantages

• Long-term control over your content and identity
• Resilience against platform shutdowns or policy changes
• Customizable expression of personality and interests
• Participatory development of web standards

Challenges

• Steeper technical learning curve
• Requires hosting/domain setup
• Less reach/visibility than major platforms
• Network effects are limited unless federated