Ep27. Enshittification. Why We Need Independent Websites.
From No Script Show by Nathan Wrigley, David Waumsley
January 9, 2026 · 1h 6m
About this episode
This episode discusses the concept of Enshittification and the importance of independent websites in the modern web landscape.
This episode looks into how platforms lure us in, lock us down, and extract value from everyone and how small, independent websites can push back. What this episode covers The 3 stages of Enshittification (Cory Doctorow’s framework applied to web platforms) Real‑world examples: Facebook, Amazon, Google How interoperability was intentionally broken and antitrust was weakened The hidden human labour and exploitation behind “AI magic” The rise and hangover of vibe coding (Karpathy, YC, GitClear findings) Why AI‑generated codebases are brittle and hard to maintain Tim Berners‑Lee, the fight to keep the web in public ownership, and why the web is for everyone Practical ways web designers and developers can reclaim agency: Static sites and the “dumb web” IndieWeb and POSSE (Publish on your Own Site, Syndicate Elsewhere) Using AI as a tool, not a master If you’ve been feeling uneasy about AI hype, social media, and the state of the modern web, this episode might help connect the dots and point to a healthier, more human direction for making websites. Mentioned in this episode Cory Doctorow – Enshittification: Why Everything Suddenly Got Worse and What to Do About It Karen Hao – Empire…
People in this episode
Hosts: Nathan Wrigley, David Waumsley
Topics covered
- Enshittification
- independent websites
- AI and technology
- social media
- web design
- interoperability
- human labor
Keywords
- Enshittification
- independent websites
- AI
- social media
- web design
- interoperability
- Cory Doctorow
- Tim Berners-Lee
- IndieWeb
- vibe coding
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: IndieWeb, OpenAI
Books & works: Empire of AI: Dreams and Nightmares in Sam Altman’s OpenAI, Technofeudalism, This Is for Everyone, Better Offline, Internet of Bugs
More episodes of No Script Show
- Ep 31. Inclusive design · May 21, 2026 · 40 min
- Ep 30. Content design · April 2, 2026 · 36 min
- Ep 29. Making a website owners manual · March 13, 2026 · 60 min
- Ep 28. Trap or Trade off What small businesses should know before getting a website · February 6, 2026 · 54 min
- Ep26. Google Ads for Local Businesses. Avoid costly mistakes. · November 29, 2025 · 41 min
- Ep25. Form options for static websites · September 10, 2025 · 50 min
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