Key facts
- HyperTexting is a new iOS app designed to present the open web as a scrollable social media-like feed.
- The app allows users to follow websites, news outlets, blogs, and newsletters.
- Content from followed sources is displayed in a familiar feed format, including articles, essays, and multimedia posts.
- Users can also publish content to their own websites, which will then appear in the feeds of their followers.
- The app includes an 'Explore' section for trending web content and a Safari extension for easy website following.
HyperTexting, a new application available on iOS, aims to transform the internet browsing experience by presenting the open web in a format akin to social media feeds. The app, developed by Caleb Hailey, a 20-year veteran of the tech industry, allows users to follow various online content sources, including personal websites, news outlets, blogs, and newsletters. These sources are then aggregated into a single, scrollable feed, reminiscent of platforms like X or Facebook.
Hailey's vision for HyperTexting is rooted in a desire to return to the early internet's promise of individual web publishing and ownership, a concept he feels has been overshadowed by the rise of social media. He noted that social media platforms made it easier to create and post content than maintaining a personal website, leading to a shift in user behavior and interface norms.
The app leverages RSS technology in the background but does not heavily market the protocol, focusing instead on providing a familiar user experience. Users can not only consume content but also publish their own posts to their personal websites, which then appear in the feeds of those who follow them. This approach aims to foster a more decentralized form of online discourse.
HyperTexting also features an "Explore" section to highlight trending content across the web and offers a Safari extension to simplify the process of adding new websites to follow. Hailey expressed a philosophy of not reinventing the wheel, believing the World Wide Web itself is the ultimate decentralized social network and that HyperTexting's role is to provide a more accessible way to engage with it.