Cozy

As the year draws to a close, I’ve been reflecting on the lasting impact of my career. Heady stuff – you know – real “leave a dent in the universe” sort of thing.

So, the big idea my whole career was really about promoting the Open Web. Idealistic? You bet. Naïve? Certainly. Successful? Well, it’s not looking good.

Here’s how I define it:

The Open Web is a network of websites, accessible from any browser over http. The word “Open” is redundant; it serves only to distinguish The Web from other closed systems, such as private networks or proprietary app stores.

So here we are, at the end of 2024, and it appears as though the Open Web is in decline. Taking its place are private social networks (TikTok, Instagram), and private messaging (WhatsApp, Messages, Telegram). Some websites have switched focus away from the browser and into a mobile app interface, like YouTube and Facebook.

The Open Web, as we knew it in the “good old days” of Web 2.0, is quickly disappearing. There are a few holdouts, like ecommerce and wikipedia, but people just don’t seem need websites the way they used to.

Nowhere has the impact been more obvious than in blogging. Gone are the days of “the blogosphere” and “blogrolls”. The internet’s long-form content writers have up and moved to Instagram and YouTube to become “creators” and “influencers”. Short-form “reels” content is the norm, and let’s face it, it’s mostly brain rot.

What about business websites? Modern businesses shrug off the idea of a custom website. Who needs the trouble when you’ve got Facebook and a Google Maps listing? It’s easier, cheaper, and gets information to customers faster.

And just in case you still harboured any hope at all that the Open Web might yet make a comeback, AI enshittification is coming for us all.

BUT

There is a trend which I find kind of exciting.

At some point, you realise that you’re addicted to dopamine. You find yourself opening Instagram without meaning to. So, you remove all social media apps and infinity wells, and you LOVE it. You discover an incredible mental clarity and wellness. You’re calm. You’re relaxed.

But there’s some detachment there. A disconnect. Other people seem to be “in” on a conversation which you’re not invited to. Naturally, you start to crave that connection.

That’s when you might discover the Cozy Web¹. The Cozy Web is a bit more of an idea than it is an actual place you can go. It can be found in a small private Discord. Or maybe you get together with friends in a group message. You could connect with a few podcast communities, follow an email newsletter, start a Substack, and rediscover RSS.

In his essay “The Extended Internet Universe”, Venkatesh Rao describes the Cozy Web like this:

Unlike the main public internet, which runs on the (human) protocol of “users” clicking on links on public pages/apps maintained by “publishers,” the cozyweb works on the (human) protocol of everybody cutting-and-past-ing bits of text, images, URLs, and screenshots across livestreams. Much of this content is poorly addressable, poorly searchable, and very vulnerable to bitrot. It lives in a high-gatekeeping slum-like space comprising slacks, messaging apps, private groups, storage services like Dropbox, and of course, email.

Rao makes an interesting observation, which I want to build on. He suggests that the internet boils down to a pick-2-of-3 constraint triangle. You can choose from Quality, Free, or Public. It’s a great starting place, but I don’t think it’s quite right.

Here’s a taxonomy that better represents the internet in 2024, which will help me to better define the Cozy Web.

1. Free vs. Ad-Tech vs. Paid

Many things online are still genuinely free. Altruistically so. Think of open source projects like WordPress and Node, or public benefit resources like Wikipedia and OpenStreetMap.

Ad supported sites aren’t necessarily evil – especially when the ads are hand-picked and delivered without any Ad-Tech middlemen. Many blogs and podcasts fall under this category. For the purpose of defining the Cozy Web, I’m counting these as Free.

Ad-Tech is a different beast entirely. YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Google Search. These types of ads use sophisticated technology to become hyper targeted, delivering exactly the right ad at exactly the right time to exactly the right person. It’s insidious and dehumanising.

In contrast to ad supported models, many sites and content producers are turning to a simpler alternative: paid content, like Substacks, The New York Times, or Stratechery.

2. Known vs. Attributed Unknown vs. Anonymous

Private chats, small Slack spaces, Minecraft Realms – these are places where the participants are known to each other by name, often IRL. This is different from spaces like X or Facebook, where a user’s identity is verified, but the network operates in such a way that it becomes rare to encounter people you actually know (and, importantly, who know you in turn). Anonymity is becoming rarer for social media, but still exists in Reddit, 4Chan, gaming, and many other places online.

3. Not Optimised vs. Optimised for Engagement vs. Optimised for Insight

Private shitposting among friends is not “optimised content” in the way YouTube videos are optimised for views, or Reddit posts for karma. Unoptimised content is often private, free, and unapologetically low-quality. Of course, all communication aims to carry some sort of meaning, but the purpose isn’t to deliver insight.

That’s where news, blogs, and podcasts come in – the highest quality of which are paid. This content is optimised for audience insight, trading in opinion, synthesis, and aggregation.

Of course, then you get “Engagement Optimised” content. This is inevitably Ad-Tech supported (more views = more ads = more money), and often veers toward short-form content.

4. Private Distribution vs. Closed Distribution vs. Broad Distribution

Private messaging forms a large part of many social groups. These spaces are usually invite-only, and limited to a small number of people. Closed Distribution spaces, such as subscribed Substacks, Patreons, or email newsletters, can have larger audiences, but the content isn’t publicly accessible or searchable, and is often vulnerable to bitrot.

Broad distribution aims to capture as large an audience as possible, often including algorithmic feeds to deliver content to the perfect cohort of interested parties.

Using these classifications, I can extend my own definitions of Cozy Web concepts.

Clear Net

At least 3 of:

• Ad-Supported
• Attributed Unknown
• Optimised for Engagement
• Broad Distribution

Cozy Web

At least 3 of:

• Free
• Known
• Not-Optimised
• Private

It turns out that Open Web idealism might have been no more than a fast-track to an ad-based internet. Information wants to be free, but people want to be paid. The Cozy Web is an answer to that. It creates safe, intimate spaces to interact online, making the web feel smaller and more personal—reminiscent of the early days of bulletin boards and local online communities, where connection was valued over scale.

The internet has changed, but the good news is that it’s still changing. Not everyone is going adjust their daily dopamine diet, but there’s a growing group of troublemakers conscientious objectors who are building a better, cosier, web.