Big tech is wobbling.
In a recent court hearing, OpenAI’s head of product said they’d consider buying Google Chrome if regulators force Google to divest it. Let that sink in: ChatGPT’s parent company is eyeing your browser. The very tool millions use to explore the web each day could one day be owned by the same folks who generate the web’s content.
We’re not here to speculate on who ends up holding the keys to Chrome – or what happens if it gets auctioned off like a digital artifact. But moments like this remind us of a deeper truth:
If your site depends entirely on platforms to be discovered, you’re building your future on shifting sand.
And this is why indie discovery channels matter now more than ever.
Discovery shouldn’t be centralized
It’s not just search. It’s not just social. It’s the browser itself now. That layer you thought was neutral? It’s up for grabs.
An indie website friend of mine recently said:
“Diversify your platform risk: Build direct relationships with your audience. Invest in email lists, communities, and other direct channels that don’t depend on browser-based discovery.”
Amen. And might we humbly add: webrings.
Enter: Webring Studio
Webring Studio was built for exactly this moment – and for all the ones that haven’t arrived yet.
It’s a lightweight, human-powered way to help people find you and find others like you – without begging algorithms for attention or fighting with SEO just to be visible.
No rankings. No secret rules. Just discovery by actual humans with actual taste.
With Webring Studio, your personal site joins a curated constellation – a ring of creators who share something in common. Art. Code. Spicy opinions. Ghost stories. Whatever you’re into, there’s a ring waiting to be born around it.
And it’s not dependent on who owns Chrome, what Google tweaks next, or whether OpenAI dreams your content into oblivion.
What you can do today (to support your site’s reach)
- Start building your own newsletter list.
- Set up a tiny community, Discord or otherwise.
- Brush the dust off your RSS feed.
- And yes – join or start a ring with Webring Studio.
Because when the platform rug gets yanked – and sooner or later, it always does – we’d like you to still be standing, torch in hand, surrounded by people who found you because they wanted to.
Bonus: Want to test what your webring might be called?
Try our AI-powered ring name generator – just for fun, no strings. Play with it, then make it real when you are ready to create your own ring.
