Introducing: Baud. A browser-like layer for the IndieWeb. It helps you discover sites.

I’ve been building a small-web browser/directory called BAUD

I’ve been messing around with an idea for a while and figured this might be the right place to show it.

It’s called BAUD.

The basic idea came from the desire to make the IndieWeb more accessible and giving users a way to discover websites without "leaving" the IndieWeb.

BAUD is basically a curated layer on top of the normal web. It doesn’t host the sites and I’m not trying to create another platform people have to move to.

Sites stay where they are, on their own domains.

BAUD just gives them another way to be found. Sites can get addresses like:

"camera98.baud"

Those aren’t real DNS domains. They’re addresses understood by the BAUD browser.

There’s also a directory, search, random site discovery and web rings. I’m currently working on making existing independent webrings first-class citizens too, rather than expecting everyone to create new BAUD-specific ones.

A few things I’m deliberately trying to avoid:

– no tracking or profiling

– no popularity/engagement ranking

– no likes/followers

– no full-web crawler

– no requirement to create an account

– no requirement to modify your website

– no trying to replace the actual web

The interface takes a little inspiration from old computers/dial-up terminology ("DIAL", "NO CARRIER", "READY." etc.), but I’m not trying to make it gimmicky.

It’s still early and I’m mostly trying to figure out whether this is something people with personal sites/web rings would actually find useful.

One thing I’d especially like opinions on:

If you run a personal site or a webring, what would BAUD have to do — or absolutely not do — for you to be comfortable having your site/ring listed there?

I’m much more interested in figuring that out before filling it with features nobody wants.