○
This is missive number 5 of Dealgorithmed, the newsletter for the people who still love and care about the web. Created by Manu, and dispatched from somewhere in Italy on March 1, 2026, 8:20 p.m.
There are many things I’m fascinated by, when it comes to the intersection of the internet—but also technology in general—and the human mind. One in particular is observing the path people take when they embark on projects to “save the internet” or “reinvent the web”.
It’s fascinating to observe these projects for a variety of reasons. To start, it’s intriguing to see which types of people are interested in embarking on such projects. Next, it’s fascinating to see the motivations behind their intentions. And lastly, it’s extremely interesting to see what type of projects they have in mind to achieve these very ambitious goals.
Personally, I am both cynical and also incredibly optimistic at the same time. Cynical because I see all these projects and I know they’re doomed to fail. Maybe not fail in general, they might end up sticking around and be useful to some, but fail to achieve the initial goal of saving/reinventing the web/internet.
And optimistic because I don’t think the internet needs to be saved. I think there are some similarities with the issue of climate change and the concept of “saving the earth”. The Earth, as an entity, will easily survive climate change. I mean, the surface of our neighbour Venus is some 450°C, and it’s chugging along around the sun just fine. We say we need to save the earth, but what we actually mean is that we need to save our ability to live on it.
And so when I see people ranting about “saving the internet”, I’m always left wondering what they are really aiming at. What specifically about the internet is worth saving? Maybe I should start asking this question directly to them.
Speaking of questions, I recently answered a few questions as part of the Over/Under series. And on that interview, I was tasked to write a question for the next guest on the series. The question I picked was «If you could obliterate from the face of the internet one website with the press of a button, which one would you pick and why?» and I’d love to know your answer to that question.
Write me an email, or even better, write a blog post with your answer, and then send me a link. I’m gonna include your answers in the next editions.
— M.
It’s March 1st, and that means a new IndieWeb Carnival just started. This month is hosted by James and the topic is “Museum memories”
There’s also a new book for the IndieWeb Book Club to read. Nick is hosting it, and he picked The Timeless Way of Building.
And if you’re into blog challenges, Carl has flipped the script and posted a random list of things he loves, after Andrea posted the list of silly things he hates. We all love a good list.
Hi I’m Joshua.
I've been married for almost half my life to my best friend. We're both 38 years old. We have a 12 year old son, and an 8 year old daughter. Before kids I had no idea how funny they can be.
I like to run. I run about three times per week, and typically take a 5k loop through the woods; rain or shine. I’m slow, but I love the fresh air. In the summer I’ll jump into the river for a quick swim. About once a year I spot a mother moose with her calf (or calves). I saw her twice this year, so that's a good sign.
I'm part Puerto Rican, and spent a year on the island as a kid.
In 2024 I gave up on social media, and have been turning to RSS and group chats. I like it so much better.
I'm not particularly fond of animals, but they seem to love me. I'm always polite to them, but try to explain that I need my space. However, whenever a friend has a baby, I ask if I can hold them; I'll never turn down a chance to hold a baby.
I have a hobby of trying to buy things that other things fit into. So that means I own a lot of bags. It's not a problem, I swear.
DontEvenReply is the funniest site I've ever found. A guy emails Craiglist listings, offering to buy or sell things. He keeps offering until they stop responding. I don't know if the emails are real, but it doesn't matter. I've spent hours reading them out loud to friends, on multiple occasions, and it's the hardest I've ever laughed.
Persistence hunting. Humans were made to run. We can do it for hours. We're slow and ungainly, but we have endurance. I take that to heart when my knees start to give out.
Dungeon Crawler Carl, the novel series. My brother got me into it, and though it's a weird premise (and crass), it has incredible heart. You'll fall in love with a man and his cat, and root for them against the universe. Our family met the author and narrator last year, and they were both so delightful. Think Hunger Games mixed with Ready Player One.
That one YouTube or Vimeo video I saw about 15 years ago. It was about 3-7 minutes and showcases people outdoors doing dangerous and exciting sports. I remember it having bicycling, running, and kayaking down a waterfall. It was also set to music. I’ve searched for it for years, including throwing prompts into ChatGPT. No luck. I want it back.
× — —
Want to join the fun? Grab the 5 questions down below and email me your answers at hello@manuelmoreale.com.
1. Your bio, but don’t mention your job
2. A website we should visit at least once
3. A random fact you find intriguing
4. A piece of media worth consuming
5. Something that no longer exists and you want back
I promise I’m not going to include links to current world news. Everything is already depressing enough.
Thank you for reading Dealgorithmed. The web is better place when we do things together and you being here means a lot to me.
I want this newsletter to be a collaborative project so if you have anything you want to share with me so that I can relay it to the rest of the people, email me at hello@manuelmoreale.com.
This was issue #5 of Dealgorithmed. You can subscribe or unsubscribe.
Powered by Buttondown, the easiest way to start and grow your newsletter.