how do we get the word out about this side of the web?

[star dreams]

Hmm, I've never found myself as part of a "movement" in particular, but the question you've posed is an interesting one and I wanted to give my 2 cents anyway. I'm focusing more on having personal websites, since I don't have experience using Fediverse platforms and the like.

I dont know why, but its near impossible to get people to move off of the old sites

From my interpretation, it seems like you want to push the old web as a replacement for mainstream social media sites. But that's kind of like asking people to replace rice with noodles, they're 2 fundamentally different experiences! As you can imagine, someone who is used to the convenience of twitter will likely not be able to find it in maintaining a personal website. Corrupted Unicorn has basically summed up my thoughts on this.

Let's also not forget that it is a privilege to have a laptop you can use, have access to educational resources, to even be able to learn how to build a website for no reason other than personal enjoyment. You can already see how this circle may exclude, let's say, someone whose only means of accessing the internet is through their phone. Nevermind the fact that it is not an expectation for personal sites to meet accessibility standards or even be mobile compatible! (guilty...)

If you really want to promote the old web as a "cause" to join, I think it's not only important to consider the above but also to detail exactly what the goals of the movement is, lest we fall down the path of Yesterweb.

Some websites like SundaySites have been inactive since last year.

Just to end off this tangent, I actually think that's a strength of the personal web. There is no urge to actively maintain your site, no audience to entertain, no algorithm to please. To create your website is to do it for your own pleasure, and I imagine that's another thing someone who is used to the socmed game will find hard to adapt to

i would love to hear about other events and such that people know of.

The 32-bit cafe hosts code jams every so often! There is also the html review, which is more of a formal yearly journal.

[grubbyfox]

I started out way over my head with my website (literally knew nothing), but found that it was more enticing and more-ish when I started using the sadgrl template. It was a nice entryway to making a silly website, it was easier when I already had something to tweak, not just starting with zero and not even knowing what to start with. It gave me something visual to understand what I was looking at under the hood vs what showed as a website.

So yeah, if people arent interested in making a website, I can def see that it's too daunting to start. when it was hard enough being motivated.

I wouldn't say I'm part of some movement, but I've been trying to tempt friends with stuff like, neocities/making cute websites, being on forums, escargot msn, spacehey etc. But usually I am just met with a "omg thats cool" and then they turn their attention back to tiktok/bluesky/snapchat/insta/spotify/whatever because it's convenient, "everyone else is there", and they dont mind that it looks ugly/steals data/gives brainrot. they dont want to be part of a forum community, they just want to scroll.

Sadly I think you simply cant tempt them if they dont actually feel the need or interest in it other than just looking at it for 5 minutes and going "aw so nostalgic".

There will probably always be some people into the indieweb/small web/retroweb community, but I wouldn't be surprised if some of the first waves of indieweb makers eventually grow out of it and move on, sadly. And to some it may have just been a project or life gets in the way, etc.

[wolfkitty42]

I found this thread a really interesting read, primarily with the older part. For sure, I think that this will always be hard to spread- I think at its core, a really important thing is learning and using html to make things yourself. I wouldn't be surprised if the aesthetic spreads, but I don't think it's a big worry for  me. We're all connected because we share a common interest in making websites. Also, I bring it up a lot to friends and most of them seem unenthused, haha. It takes a lot of work!

Right now I am working on running a website coding project at my school. I want to give people the oppurtunity to learn the skillset to participate, if they're interested. We'll see how it goes!

[Yoylecake420]

I really want people to learn about the Indie Web as a way for them to get out of the doom and gloom of social media nowadays, or as a way for them to learn something new.

Let's hope more people learn about the Indie Web and build their own websites.