It might seem a new term to many people but the independent web is not something we haven’t before. Web designers began talking about it a decade ago.

So what exactly is the independent web? Before getting to it, let us know what a dependent web is.

It is a term coined by John Battelle in 2010. It relates to people losing their data control and privacy as well as decision-making power for search engines and social media. Battelle addressed that when we are using Google or Facebook or any social media platform, the algorithm locks us in, diverting our actions in a formalized manner. The content that serves us provides us choices that are modeled on the understanding of our identity.

This type of phenomenon is the Dependent web.

When you use the internet and you are easily able to control things, make mistakes, open up some unusual sites, not be dependent on the pace of the algorithm and discover new territories, it is the process of using the Independent web. Simply put, it is web surfing where your activity or data is not tracked.

Now this phenomenon is very important if you are working as a Web Designer in Wellington or on a Web Design in Wellington.

Nowadays, the dependent web is dominating the web and taking up our data and history to provide us suggestions that we don’t want to see. It is driving us to shop, click, read and even create leads.

Various social media platforms get fueled by advertisers, clicks, profiles and time spent on the platforms. They are not just selling user data, but are making us far away from the independent web. They are, in a way, selling their users. They are also using the digital manipulation technique to change the behavior of the user and forcing them to behave how they want to. Yes, it might be difficult to urge a hacker or an IT professional into action, but the majority of people who just know the basic social media functions will surely fall for it.

The next major point is the use and even misuse of personal data. Though the websites remind us that they are not going to misuse our data, it is online and any hacker can use it. There have been cases where people are becoming prey to cybercrime activities where maniacs took most of their data from social media or online shopping websites.

Branding is also an issue that has made the independent web a must these days. By forcing users to click on their websites, the companies benefit from traffic and engagement. This also gives them the liberty to change their content or modify it without thinking of the decrease in the traffic. Furthermore, social media have also become the place for branding and marketing. Various genuine businesses are losing their ethical branding strategies due to such online oversaturated platforms.