The guy who invented the World Wide Web wants to save the internet – here’s how

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Sir Tim Berners-Lee is the inventor of the World Wide Web. So, it may come as no surprise that he looks at the landscape of what the web is like nowadays and wants to take a stand to change it. Last weekend, Berners-Lee introduced a plan to fix it called the Contract for the Web.

When he introduced his plan, the inventor spoke with The Guardian about the inspiration behind it.

If we leave the web as it is, there’s a very large number of things that will go wrong. We could end up with a digital dystopia if we don’t turn things around. It’s not that we need a 10-year plan for the web, we need to turn the web around now.

The goal of the initiative is to give the power back to the users and create a “free and open” Internet that isn’t tied to governments and major corporations.

As of this writing, this Contract for the Web is supported by more than 100 websites and companies. Some of them are Microsoft, Google, Twitter, and GitHub.

Image: Screenshot / Contract for the Web

Sir Tim Berners-Lee invented the world wide web. Now he wants to make it better. Here’s what the Contract for the Web is about:

On the Contract’s official website, it details three separate principles and how this initiative will affect them.

Governments

• Governments let anyone access the Internet and find ways to help them connect to it.
• Governments will respect their citizens’ privacy and private data.
• Governments should not censor the Internet and keep it away from its citizens.

Companies

• ISPs should provide affordable and accessible Internet connections.
• Companies, much like governments, should respect people’s online privacy to create a “trust system” between customers and companies.
• Have companies work on creating technology to not only keep the Internet running but also help combat hate.

Citizens

• Citizens should be promoting the use of systems to keep the Internet running
• Have people come together to create enduring communities free of hate.
• Be active and support causes and individuals who are “fighting for the Web.”

If anyone is interested in supporting this movement, they can donate it to it as an individual. Alternatively, companies can donate to it as well. Supporters can sign up here, while businesses and organizations can sign up here.

Regardless of what your overall opinion is, the Contract for the Web, and to an extent, Berners-Lee’s mindset, is incredibly optimistic.

Have any thoughts on this? Do you plan on supporting? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

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Colin Barry

I like honey roasted peanuts because they are delicious. I also like the Metal Slug games and X-Men comics because they are awesome.