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Why Mutable Web?

Mutable Web is a new, decentralized UX layer for Web3, designed to empower users and communities to instantly modify the look and functionality of any website, regardless of ownership, and share these changes within the community. This is achieved in a secure, community-driven, and permissionless environment.

Currently, almost any social-network-based project has an entity with complete ownership control over the community. This ownership manifests in various forms:

  • UX/UI Ownership: Only the owner defines the website’s appearance and functionality.
  • Domain Ownership: Only the owner controls the domain to access the website.
  • User Data Ownership: Only the owner possesses the full user data and analytics.
  • Rules and Policy Ownership: Only the owner defines the policy for the community.
  • Hosting Ownership: Only the owner can host the community.

Sometimes, this ownership is interfered with by a third party, like the state. Even if the owner delegates partial control to the community, the ownership remains centralized. Decentralization efforts tend to address only specific aspects, leaving much of the problem unresolved. For instance, decentralizing source code ownership can allow website cloning, but it doesn't enable hosting or community control.

What is the Problem​

The current ownership structure allows the owner to extract value from the community for themselves or a powerful third party, even when the community creates most of the value.

This system has significant drawbacks:

  • The owner can monopolize feature development, disregarding community needs.
  • The owner can enforce censorship and excessive value extraction, hurting the community.
  • Ownership can be lost, confiscated, or punished by a powerful external entity.

A fairer distribution of control and benefits should favor the community rather than a singular owner.

What is the Solution​

We started by addressing the problem at the UX/UI level, as the browser is entirely under the user's control. The website can only display content in the user's browser with the user's consent.

Typically, a user's browser shows the website exactly as the owner defines it. However, we propose that the user be able to apply a "Site Mutation" to the original website.

Community-Driven Development​

The community can:

  • Vote on which Site Mutation becomes the main one.
  • Pull changes rather than having the owner push updates to them.
  • Stick to previous versions if the owner enforces unwanted changes.
  • Fork away if the owner breaks things or behaves unethically.

Users can choose which version tag to follow: the "official," the "community," or a specific one. The version with the most usage becomes the default.