Aral Balkan
Introducing Web Numbers
Domains? Where we’re going, we don’t need domains!
Get ready for an exciting new (old?) way to address (small) web sites in 2026.
https://ar.al/2025/06/25/web-numbers/
💕
(Thanks to @letsencrypt.)
#WebNumbers #SmallWeb #domainNames #IPAddresses #TLS #HTTPS #LetsEncrypt #web #decentralisation #SmallTech
Aral Balkan
@telmi @letsencrypt Would you believe I make that mistake Every. Single. Time? :)
(Thanks, now fixed!) :)
wandi
@aral @letsencrypt
ICAAN *ICANN
Aral Balkan
@geep Yeah but there will be forwarding in Small Web sites (at least) so as long as you keep both servers up for a transitionary period everyone’s address books should have time to update. (I don’t see the address books being static things; the forwarding will be part of the Small Web protocol.)
giuseppe
@aral@mastodon.ar.al Love the idea! If they allow us to take ip numbers with us, I would even drop my domain names. The trade off is that if I change host my Web Number changes right?
Aral Balkan
@955_36 @letsencrypt Excellent. So use a domain name. No one’s stopping you :)
This is something new that is important as it will be the *default* for the *Small Web* – the web of *people* not plumbing companies. Plumbing companies are more than welcome – and maybe one-person or tiny ones would find it useful and, if they do, they can point mycityplumber.com to their Small Web site. But I’m not building the Small Web for companies – the Big Web exists for that – I’m building it for everyday people.
955_36
@aral @letsencrypt So pretend you're looking for a plumber and you happen to drive by a plumber's truck in your neighborhood. They have their web site listed on the side of their truck.
Would you rather have remember mycityplumber.com or 135.181.044.050?
I can remember a 7 digit phone number.
Plus, no more shared hosting.
Along with the problems others have mentioned.
There's a reason domain names were invented in the first place.
Aral Balkan
@mwaters Because I want everyday people to be able to use it. Last thing I need is another hurdle :)
mwaters
Why not just switch to #Tor #OnionServices ?
* No Geolocation.
* Free VPN for server and clients.
* Free TLS.
* Unconfiscatable.
* Etc....
Aral Balkan
Phil
@aral @letsencrypt This is fucking brilliant and long overdue! Amazing work.
Aral Balkan
@mwaters Yep, and if the idea was to have people download a separate app, I could just make it an app :) The idea is that it’s the web that exists, although with instances of one; not a different web. And that it works with regular browsers. Lots of other tools/projects exist that are exploring alternative networks, browsers, etc. (And that’s good.)
mwaters
I'm sure that with your expertise 'everyday people' could easily install a second 'freedom' browser and learn how to use it.
Aral Balkan
@tykayn @letsencrypt Latter sounds like a job for IPv6. But I’m sure we’ll tackle that when we get to it. My focus is on getting the core ready for use at the moment ;)
Tykayn
@aral
good news
funny thing about some famous websites in china, they used many websites numbers as domains. i dunno if it is still the case.
also, public ip are shared with families, so when we run kitty on several computer sharing the same internet box, how does it work ?
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