[Profile picture of Ruben Verborgh]

Ruben Verborgh

Re-decentralizing the Web, for good this time

by Ruben Verborgh

Originally designed as a decentralized network, the Web has undergone a significant centralization in recent years. In order to regain freedom and control over the digital aspects of our lives, we should understand how we arrived at this point and how we can get back on track. This chapter explains the history of decentralization in a Web context, and details Tim Berners-Lee’s role in the continued battle for a free and open Web. The challenges and solutions are not purely technical in nature, but rather fit into a larger socio-economic puzzle, to which all of us are invited to contribute. Let us take back the Web for good, and leverage its full potential as envisioned by its creator.

full text BibTeX other citation formats

To be published in 2020 in Linking the World’s Information: Tim Berners-Lee’s Invention of the World Wide Web.

Keywords:

Read this chapter online

Cite this chapter in your work

Cite this chapter easily using its BibTeX entry: 

@incollection{verborgh_timbl_chapter_2020,
  title = {Re-decentralizing the {Web,} for good this time},
  author = {Verborgh, Ruben},
  year = 2020,
  booktitle = {Linking the World's Information: Tim Berners-Lee's Invention of the World Wide Web},
  editor = {Seneviratne, Oshani and Hendler, James},
  publisher = {ACM},
  url = {https://ruben.verborgh.org/articles/redecentralizing-the-web/},
}

Alternatively, pick a reference of your choice below:

IEEE
R. Verborgh, “Re-decentralizing the Web, for good this time,” in Linking the World’s Information: Tim Berners-Lee’s Invention of the World Wide Web, O. Seneviratne and J. Hendler, Eds. ACM, 2020. Accepted for publication.
ACM
Ruben Verborgh. 2020. Re-decentralizing the Web, for good this time. In Linking the World’s Information: Tim Berners-Lee’s Invention of the World Wide Web, Oshani Seneviratne and James Hendler (eds.). ACM. Accepted for publication.
LNCS
Verborgh, R.: Re-decentralizing the Web, for good this time. In: Seneviratne, O. and Hendler, J. (eds.) Linking the World’s Information: Tim Berners-Lee’s Invention of the World Wide Web. ACM (2020). Accepted for publication.
APA
Verborgh, R. (2020). Re-decentralizing the Web, for good this time. In O. Seneviratne & J. Hendler (Eds.), Linking the World’s Information: Tim Berners-Lee’s Invention of the World Wide Web. ACM. Accepted for publication.
MLA
Verborgh, Ruben. “Re-Decentralizing the Web, for Good This Time.” Linking the World’s Information: Tim Berners-Lee’s Invention of the World Wide Web, edited by Oshani Seneviratne and James Hendler, ACM, 2020. Accepted for publication.

Discuss this chapter