The open web isn't dying. We're killing it
April 3, 2026
Stephen's Web ~ OLDaily
AI Analysis: Appeal to Fear
Julien Genestoux, Ouvre Boite, Apr 03, 2026 Julien Genestoux responds to Anil Dash's article, Endgame for the Open Web, and makes a point well worth making. I think it is too easy to tell the story as if the open web was simply attacked from the outside. It also obscures the fact that we actually traded the web away. I think the history of RSS is a good example of this.
We're told 'Google killed RSS' when they shut down Google Reader. But RSS never went anywhere; people just started using convenient alternatives like Twitter and Facebook. Why did so many organizations (or even politicians) that loudly celebrated the open web still direct their communities toward closed channels as soon as growth, analytics, or convenience were on the table? Why did we keep outsourcing identity, distribution, and monetization to companies whose incentives were obviously misaligned with ours? Image: screenshot of my LocalRSS app. Via Grant Potter. Web: [Direct Link] [This Post]
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Technique: Appeal to Fear
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