A simple web we own

A simple web we own

By R. S. Doiel, 2026-02-21

Tenant and product or co-owner and participant?

Today the Web and Internet is owned and controlled by large for profit corporations and a few governments. Corporate ownership combined with government policies has left us as tenant and product. It has given us a surveillance economy and enshittification.

What if I do not wish to be tenant and product?

What can I do to change the equation?

Those two questions lead me to a bigger question.

What happens when ownership and control of hardware and software shifts from the domain of corporations to a world where a significant percentage are owned by individual people and cooperatives?

I think the answer is suggested by a corollary found in the history of labor movements. When a significant percentage of industries were unionized the unions exerted a strong influence across the political economy. I think ownership of the hardware and software can mirror that impact on the Web and Internet. I think when a significant number of individuals and cooperatives own the hardware and uses simpler software we can impact the Web and Internet in a positive way. That's my hypothesis.

An observation and common some assumptions:

... continue reading