What Are Alternatives to the Internet?

Question

I&rsquo;m referring to the internet that most people would be thinking about: websites that you access with a browser over http or https. Are there any alternative protocols or internet equivalents that are not well known and have an active community?

MrVandemar · Accepted Answer

Gemini was/is a big one from relatively recently. Don't see too many articles about it lately, possibly the traction it was getting is subsiding ...

mariusor · Answer

Active community, maybe not, but teletext[1] and minitel[2] come to mind. Maybe also WAP[3]
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teletext
[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minitel
[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wireless_Application_Protocol

DerekBickerton · Answer

There's a few abstractions of the web you can use today.https://freenetproject.org/https://geti2p.net/en/https://www.gnunet.org/en/https://www.ipfs.tech/

doctorshady · Answer

This only works in the loosest of senses for an analog to HTTP - certainly the way they're used, but some BBSes have modem connectivity.https://www.telnetbbsguide.com/bbs/connection/dial-up/

hacknewslogin · Answer

BBS systems still exist: https://www.telnetbbsguide.com/

pestatije · Answer

amateur radio [4] and Tor browser.[4] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_amateur_radio_modes

What Are Alternatives to the Internet?

I’m referring to the internet that most people would be thinking about: websites that you access with a browser over http or https. Are there any alternative protocols or internet equivalents that are not well known and have an active community?

Gemini was/is a big one from relatively recently. Don't see too many articles about it lately, possibly the traction it was getting is subsiding ...

Active community, maybe not, but teletext[1] and minitel[2] come to mind. Maybe also WAP[3]
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teletext
[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minitel
[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wireless_Application_Protocol

There's a few abstractions of the web you can use today.
https://freenetproject.org/
https://geti2p.net/en/
https://www.gnunet.org/en/
https://www.ipfs.tech/

This only works in the loosest of senses for an analog to HTTP - certainly the way they're used, but some BBSes have modem connectivity.
https://www.telnetbbsguide.com/bbs/connection/dial-up/

BBS systems still exist: https://www.telnetbbsguide.com/

amateur radio [4] and Tor browser.
[4] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_amateur_radio_modes

What Are Alternatives to the Internet?

I’m referring to the internet that most people would be thinking about: websites that you access with a browser over http or https. Are there any alternative protocols or internet equivalents that are not well known and have an active community?

Gemini was/is a big one from relatively recently. Don't see too many articles about it lately, possibly the traction it was getting is subsiding ...

Active community, maybe not, but teletext[1] and minitel[2] come to mind. Maybe also WAP[3][1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teletext[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minitel[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wireless_Application_Protocol

There's a few abstractions of the web you can use today.https://freenetproject.org/https://geti2p.net/en/https://www.gnunet.org/en/https://www.ipfs.tech/

This only works in the loosest of senses for an analog to HTTP - certainly the way they're used, but some BBSes have modem connectivity.https://www.telnetbbsguide.com/bbs/connection/dial-up/

BBS systems still exist: https://www.telnetbbsguide.com/

amateur radio [4] and Tor browser.[4] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_amateur_radio_modes

Active community, maybe not, but teletext[1] and minitel[2] come to mind. Maybe also WAP[3]
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teletext
[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minitel
[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wireless_Application_Protocol

There's a few abstractions of the web you can use today.
https://freenetproject.org/
https://geti2p.net/en/
https://www.gnunet.org/en/
https://www.ipfs.tech/

This only works in the loosest of senses for an analog to HTTP - certainly the way they're used, but some BBSes have modem connectivity.
https://www.telnetbbsguide.com/bbs/connection/dial-up/

amateur radio [4] and Tor browser.
[4] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_amateur_radio_modes