The network is vast, but only some nodes are valuable.
No TCP/IP means no normal internet routing. → You would need a totally new way for machines to find and send data to each other.
Bots are not tied to HTTP/HTML forever, people can write new bots for the new protocol, including by the use of GUI automation (digital or with plotters that mimic human actions (instagam farm bots))
Yes there's technical challenges, but the current iteration of the clearnet is on life support from a humanistic perspective.
And, projects of similar conceptual scope already been accomplished. There exists more than one application layer network built on top of the current Internet.
If you want to criticize the idea I encourage you to; but please don't just shoot down and insult on hn.
Basically, it’s a system that works at a scale where individuals can hold one another accountable. But not really beyond the Dunbar number, and certainly not at internet scale.
But there's lots of good stuff on the Internet that isn't the web or web-adjacent.
You cannot solve social problems using technical solutions.
Someone would simply build a bridge and siphon data out or in. Interoperability is one of those low-hanging fruits that, once solved, ruins its value.
100 different, easy to integrate internets federated across a number of different communication technologies and protocols is actually very hard to regulate and capture.
Sure, you won't have another Facebook, but we children of the 70s, 80s,and 90s would ser value in that.
Edit: found it, it was TARPN https://tarpn.net/t/packet_radio_networking.html
That being said, the fact that the obvious attack vector goes completely unaddressed gives me pause.
This isn’t the answer though. It’s not technically feasible and doesn’t actually address the problem.
Your falling into the classic software brain trap of thinking the solution to a social problem is a technical one, when that isn’t necessarily the case.
Perhaps a HTTP browser that only `Accept`s `text/markdown` might be interesting but replacing IP is right out for me to participate in, at least.
Seems to me like OP is trying to work around dns
More than making the new stack non-interoperable with existing tech, you would have to make it non-interoperable with existing money. And then you're talking an even bigger revolution than a new internet.
There's a kernel of interesting ideas here, but I don't think it pays due enough attention to the rotting of the internet being a socioeconomic problem (feature?) first.
Since you have nerd sniped me, I will take a riff at what the principles should be (feel free to disagree):
1. The internet should be centered on devices we own. It runs on our devices, data is stored on our devices. For god’s sake, you can get a 20TB drive now for $500.
2. The internet should be local-first too. The normal order of operations should mean that things are local such that they work offline too by default.
3. The internet should be private. What we view shouldn’t be trackable. I think some of this falls out of 1 and 2, but something something like Tor for the rest.
I think this aligns with the principles of local-first software: https://www.inkandswitch.com/essay/local-first/ largely, with a twist of content addressed storage for bulk static content exchange (so more Git than CRDTs).
To escape everything that makes the internet garbage now, I've come to the conclusion we need gated digital communities kept free of anything other than donation-based monetisation.
etoxin•32m ago
GalaxyNova•30m ago
zzo38computer•19m ago
hntiz•19m ago
jmclnx•19m ago
There is also gopher and USENET, but on cells it can be hard.
But the largest issue is the users attraction to "bright and shiny". I think no matter what comes I fear it will end up on the same path as now. Gemini has the ability to avoid enshitification, but it is still not attracting users like www.
Anyway alternatives exist but they need some TLC and a method to keep out commercial entities.
zzo38computer•9m ago
What is "TLC" meaning here? Furthermore, for the purpose of keeping out commercial entities, it would be necessary to have the details of what is intended to be avoided and in what contexts, as well as how to avoid certain things; I think simply "keeping out commercial entities" won't do (except perhaps for such things like e.g. indexing services, which can choose not to link to them).