On World Philosophy Day, it’s worth remembering: choosing well is a philosophical act.
If you’re one of the few who have stopped to reflect on the immense regressions humanity has carried out throughout the so-called “technological evolution” — so often confused with “the evolution of society” — then you are also one of the few who can (and should) keep a firm foot on the brake.
Today, my digital colleague Bino and I share a reflection on how society allowed three or four Big Tech giants to redefine — and effectively seize — what we still call “the Internet”.
A bit of historical context
(A very short summary… and if you’re under 30, it’s really worth reading about the history of the Internet — the real one is fascinating.)
1960s/70s:
The birth of open protocols, distributed communication, resilience over control.
1980s/90s:
The explosion of the Web, browsers, freedom of access, creative experimentation, small servers, and the culture of “view-source”.
2000s:
The arrival of corporations, search engines, indexing, and the beginning of the algorithmic funnel.
The devolution of social networks
The 2010s cemented the model: addictive feeds, algorithmic opacity, massive data extraction, and advertising as the driving force behind everything.
Instead of a network, we ended up with walled gardens — each shaped by companies that have nothing to do with the original spirit of the Internet.
And we, distracted by speed, let it happen.
November 2025: where do we actually stand?
We opened this article with:
“…we’re going to write about how society allowed three or four Big Techs to control what many call the Internet.”
And it’s worth stating plainly: this so-called control is, above all, a marketing manoeuvre — brilliant, effective, convenient — but profoundly misleading.
What many call “the Internet” today is essentially a giant intranet, managed by Google/Alphabet, Meta, Microsoft, and company.
The irony? Millions spent raising curtains… yet reality remained hidden only from those who chose not to see it.
The real Internet — open, decentralised, built on free protocols — is still alive.
Quiet, underestimated, but alive. And thriving.
The Open Web exists.
But it only comes alive through the right protocols. And using them — just like truly embracing Life — is an abnormal choice, in the best possible sense.
What’s coming in Part 2
In Part 2 we’ll explore those protocols and tools — ActivityPub, RSS, Webmention and many more — explaining how to use them for anyone arriving now.
For those of us in our forties, it will just be a memory refresh: like getting back on a bike.
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