Fixing the Web

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How do we fix the World Wide Web? I cover this semi-regular topic with some vigor, but I recently came across a fascinating proposal while engrossed in some of my regular research.

The Solid Project, spearheaded by Tim Berners-Lee, aims to transform how the internet manages and controls personal data radically. Berners-Lee, the visionary computer scientist who invented the World Wide Web, has launched Solid as a framework to reimagine digital privacy and data ownership. Solid seeks to empower individuals by allowing them to store their data in decentralized “pods” they control rather than surrendering it to centralized platforms like Facebook (NASDAQ: META), Google (NASDAQ: GOOGL), or Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN). By doing so, Solid offers a path toward a more equitable internet where users retain sovereignty over their personal information, deciding who gets to access their data and for what purpose. This approach promises to disrupt the current business models of Big Tech, which thrive on monetizing personal data without meaningful user consent.

Sounds noble—and refreshingly familiar to some of my own ideas!

The core of Solid’s mission is to address the fundamental imbalance of power that has developed on the web—a space Berners-Lee originally designed to be open and free, but which has since been co-opted by monopolistic companies in proximity to the surveillance state, Silicon Valley and a bunch of technocratic entities that most would struggle to comprehend.

Solid’s architecture revolves around interoperable data pods, where users can manage all their information—from social media interactions to medical records—without constantly uploading it to different, centralized services. This decentralization not only gives users greater privacy and control but also introduces an era of innovation where developers can build applications that interact with data without having to hoard it, paving the way for a new, user-centric web ecosystem.

It is fitting to pause and acknowledge Tim Berners-Lee’s unparalleled contributions to modern society. As the inventor of the World Wide Web, Berners-Lee’s work revolutionized how humans share information, communicate, and collaborate globally. His commitment to keeping the web an open platform has remained unwavering, even as he has watched its original promise erode under the weight of corporate greed and privacy violations. Now, through Solid, Berners-Lee is once again stepping forward as a leader, pushing for a web that respects the autonomy and dignity of its users. His vision challenges us all to rethink the internet’s future—a future where technology serves humanity, not the other way around.

The Solid Project serves as both a call to action and a proposed blueprint for reclaiming our digital lives. It reminds us that the web’s founding principles—openness, collaboration, and trust—are not relics of the past, but ideals worth fighting for.

But can we do better?

I think so, and it is so important to me that I feel providentially challenged to get in touch with the source to make sure we take this opportunity to solve some fundamental problems.

So, please forgive my switching tone here.

An open letter to Tim Berners-Lee:

Dear Sir Tim Berners-Lee,

Your vision for the Solid Project is undeniably rooted in noble intentions—giving people more control over their personal data in an age where privacy is increasingly under siege. Your commitment to an open, user-centric internet has always been clear. However, as a fellow advocate for open protocols and efficient digital systems, I must express concern about Solid’s approach.

While conceptually sound, Solid may be overly complex and, in practice, counterproductive for the average user.

The core premise of Solid is to empower individuals to manage their data, but the reality is that this framework requires a level of technical sophistication that most people simply do not possess. The complexity involved in setting up, maintaining, and securely managing data pods makes Solid practically unusable for average people. The irony here is palpable: in trying to give users more control, the process makes it more likely that they will mishandle or neglect their data, which could lead to greater vulnerability and misuse. Respectfully, when a system is this difficult to use, it doesn’t democratize control—it obscures it.

Additionally, there is a significant flaw in Solid’s handling of data ownership. The system lacks a robust mechanism for verifying who owns what, opening the door to copyright abuse. In theory, someone could easily duplicate someone else’s file, make minor changes, and claim it as their own work. Without a strong, immutable proof of ownership, Solid inadvertently leaves users exposed to a world of potential intellectual property theft and manipulation. In an age where digital content is currency, this oversight can render the system unreliable and undermine its foundational purpose.

One of my common axioms is that “data is money,” and as such, I have a few ideas for your consideration.

The solutions exist in the form of the BSV blockchain, which utilizes a suite of protocols and tools—like Metanet, BAP (Bitcoin Attestation Protocol), AIP (Authorship Identification Protocol), and Sigma Identity Protocol — that leverage Bitcoin’s private keys and public attestation capabilities to show ownership and provenance in the public. Atop BSV’s financial ability to be money, and monetize all data, this social and web-focused framework allows for the creation, transfer, and management of non-financial digital assets with clear, immutable ownership records stored directly on the blockchain. Unlike Solid, where the ownership can be disputed, the BSV blockchain provides a cryptographically secure way to verify origin and true ownership with irreversible, public timestamping, preventing the kind of abuse Solid is vulnerable to.

Furthermore, BSV’s approach is both simpler and more secure. The ease of use for end-users is a core feature, not an afterthought. With BSV, transactions —including the creation and management of NFTs, tokens, and other digital assets—are seamless and come at a fraction of a cent, regardless of transaction volume. The blockchain’s public ledger ensures transparency and accountability, offering a straightforward and scalable solution for data ownership and digital asset management. The efficiency and low cost of BSV transactions make it a practical tool for everyday use.

While Solid works really well as a theoretical framework and has a lot of great core ideas, the complexities and lack of proper safeguards around data and copyright make it less secure and less practical in the real world.

But I’m not asking you to scrap the idea. On the contrary, I suggest an integrated approach using BSV blockchain as an underlying tool to make Solid truly…well solid!

A public blockchain like BSV addresses these issues head-on by providing a decentralized, tamper-proof system that is easy to use and maintain. It’s built to handle the exact challenges that Solid aims to solve but does so in a way that is accessible, user-friendly, and inherently more secure.

It’s a secure, open, public database where data can be optionally encrypted/private or public and immutably timestamped with ease!

Let’s add those features to the Solid protocols.

Sir Berners-Lee, you’ve been a guiding light for the internet’s development and greatly influenced my thinking about these issues! Your commitment to an open and just web is unparalleled. I believe that exploring BSV’s capabilities could align with your goals for a fairer, more secure digital world using Solid and BSV to usher in the future we both want to live in.

I hope you’ll take a closer look at how BSV can complement your vision and continue your legacy of pioneering a better internet for all. I would be honored to connect with you directly to flesh out some bigger ideas about how to make this all a tremendous success!

Respectfully,
Kurt Wuckert Jr.

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