The “small web” is bigger than you might think

kept by eddie mar 27

A Hacker News discussion argues the small web is defined by a non-commercial mindset, not size, and remains sizable yet buried by algorithm-driven search engines.

Publish on your own site, syndicate elsewhere
Hacker News commenters recommend the POSSE model (publish on your own site, syndicate elsewhere) for content ownership, but acknowledge challenges with automation, platform policies, and community engagement.
also on IndieWeb, #web-history, #internet-culture, #open-source
Why I email complete strangers
Cold-emailing strangers with genuine intent often leads to meaningful connections, and the anxiety of sending is outweighed by the potential for unexpected positive outcomes.
also on IndieWeb, #internet-culture, #user-experience
MSN
MSN is a Microsoft-owned web portal that provides news, email, and search services.
also on #web-history, #search-engine, #internet-culture
How Markdown took over the world - Anil Dash
Markdown, created by John Gruber in 2004 as a simple plain-text formatting tool for blogging, has become the ubiquitous standard for annotating everything from AI prompts to code repositories.
also on #web-history, #internet-culture, #open-source
Google tests sending Chrome users straight into AI Mode
Google tests a Chrome flag that redirects omnibox searches to AI Mode but insists it is just an exploration with no plans to change the default behavior.
also on #search-engine, Gemini, #user-experience