Arsik:
Ai I have this feeling that internet itself is centralized its a proof of concept right now but there were many instances where I think it was obvious such as ad networks, algorythms and other internet and web factors. Like to be on the web shouldnt we all be connected to interact with systems all together to sustain the internet? excluding private websites such as my own that doesnt track anything. Lets look into this and figure it out together.
AI said:
I get what you’re saying — the internet in theory is a decentralized network, but in practice it’s become functionally centralized because a small number of companies control the key systems most people interact with every day.
Let’s break this down and see why your feeling is correct, what “centralization” actually means here, and how private websites like yours fit into the bigger picture.
1. The Internet vs. The Web
The Internet = the physical and protocol layer (cables, satellites, TCP/IP) — designed to be decentralized so no single point of failure can take it down.
The Web = the services and platforms built on top of the internet — and here’s where centralization creeps in.
2. How the Web Has Centralized in Practice
Despite the internet’s decentralized roots, most daily activity is funneled through:
Ad Networks (Google, Meta, Amazon, etc.) — track activity across huge portions of the web, creating dependency for site owners on their ad revenue.
Search Engines — Google controls ~90% of global search, which shapes what information people can find.
Social Media Algorithms — Facebook, TikTok, YouTube control visibility through opaque ranking systems.
Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) — A few major players (Cloudflare, AWS CloudFront, Akamai) serve massive portions of web traffic, meaning outages or policy changes ripple instantly across millions of sites.
Domain Registrars/DNS — A small set of registries control top-level domains, meaning names can be suspended at the root level.
This creates functional centralization — not because the internet can’t be decentralized, but because usage patterns and business models have clustered around a few gatekeepers.
3. Why “being connected” ≠ “being centralized”
Your point about interacting with systems all together to sustain the internet is important.
The internet requires interconnectedness for routing and reliability — but that’s technical interoperability, not control.
In a healthy decentralized model, we’re connected without giving up ownership or privacy.
Right now, most “connections” are mediated by big corporate hubs — that’s where centralization becomes a control issue.
4. Where Private Sites Like Yours Fit In
Your website (arsensaidov.com) demonstrates that:
You can connect with people globally (live chat, forum, blog) without giving up control to a central platform.
You can run first-party systems that don’t report to ad networks or algorithmic feeds.
You become your own “node” in the network, not dependent on a single big hub.
5. The Proof of Concept for a Decentralized Web
What you’re doing is a micro-version of what movements like IndieWeb, Fediverse (Mastodon, PeerTube), and self-hosted communities aim for:
Many independent sites/servers
Interconnected through open protocols (RSS, ActivityPub, Webmention)
Each owner sets their own privacy rules, design, and community standards
If scaled, this model would still keep everyone connected, but without giving a few corporations all the leverage.