Document: WM-100                                                 P. Webb
Category: Internet                                            2026-08-11

                  How do we make being online, better?

Abstract

   You’ve gotta tackle the spam/scam problem, the rest is easier.

Body

   The reason why spam and scams run rampant across the internet is
   because the cost of being despicable at scale is cheap af. All you
   need is a $5 server, random scripts on Github, and the attention span
   of a toddler; child’s play.

   Over the past few weeks I’ve been thinking about what I feel the
   internet is missing and how I could do my part in improving the
   miserable conditions in which we endure. The answer of course is new
   platforms, but this time it’s different! Honest!!

   We love new watering holes and gathering places, it’s human nature. A
   new hangout spot is yet another chance at (re)capturing the feeling
   of being online in the good ol’ days. We’re also in 2026 and should
   be tired of pouring into platforms without receiving anything (beyond
   connection) in return. Ownership and easy export tools from the start
   are just the beginning.

   The internet is built on endless RFCs, which are basically formal
   ideas that super technical people share for discussion. Some of these
   ideas have ecosystems around them that most people use daily (email).
   Others, not so much. We should be making use of OIDC more, which you
   typically see as "Sign-in with BIG_TECH" buttons. We could have the
   same thing for our own domains but no one’s built a service/tool that
   makes this trivial. You’d be surprised at the number of RFCs
   detailing ways the average person can have more agency on the ’Net.

   As a technical designer, what I can do is build easy-to-use
   experiences that empower people AND give them new (better?) places to
   be online. I think the way I jumpstart this is by making it easy to
   be secure while providing better controls preventing spam and scams
   from getting to you in the first place, and making it pointless for
   those losers to try.

   In typical me fasion, I have a good name and a great short domain in
   hand for it. I’ll share more when its ready! 🕸️