A Web That’s For Everyone

“If we dream a little and work a lot, we can get the web we want,” concludes Sir Tim Berners-Lee, my Inrupt co-founder, in his blog published today marking the 30th anniversary of the world wide web.

In his post, Tim explores the current state of the web and the sources of its dysfunction; it’s certainly not the original vision he had for his 1989 invention. He includes a call to action for governments, companies and citizens to work together to build a better web - one that “drives equality, opportunity and creativity.”  

Here at Inrupt, Tim is leading our efforts with his Solid platform to create the web we all want. Just six short months into this, we’re already beginning to experience a sense of change and growing anticipation for how this new web will take shape. As we help to evolve the Solid platform, nurture its fast-growing community of developers, and create an ecosystem of partners, businesses and services, we understand we’re powering the fabric of a new, decentralized web.

It’s an exciting challenge to imagine all the ways that Solid will change our world - our points of reference are conditioned by our experiences of the first 30 years. It’s become a centralized web and we’ve all become comfortably accustomed to the notion of handing over our data in return for a service. To imagine a web where this isn’t the norm needs us to think very differently about how things could be. To see the creativity of the community beginning to induce innovative ideas makes for real confidence that change is not only critical, but definitely underway.

Inrupt’s mission is to help reorient the web, for the better, for all of us. Or as Tim describes it, be a part of the web’s “journey from digital adolescence to a more mature, responsible and inclusive future.”

WE all owe a respectful ‘thank you’ to Tim and all those whose work has taken the web this far. Here’s to the next 30 years!