I Can't Recommend Nekoweb, A Neocities Alternative

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Today I woke up, and, like I do, I checked my “daily report” bot e-mail, and noticed something … strange. According to the Neocities subreddit, the person behind Neocities had written, a year ago, some positive thinking about AI (which, I’m not sure can be fully judged a year later, since it’s only gotten extremely bad, this year). In response, some users were suggesting Nekoweb as an alternative for people who don’t want to be potentially affiliated with someone who endorses Sam Altman. And then I stumbled into an issue, and the strangest people I’ve met this week (so far).

Nekoweb is much like Neocities, and even more-so, it offers services that Neocities doesn’t. At first glance, this seems pretty awesome. You have more storage space, more bandwith, access to Git, FTP, and it’s even got framework for deploying your site with a static generator (like Jekyll). “Sweet.” I thought, this could really make my life easier, instead of pushing through Github, to Neocities, right?

There’s just one problem.

Nekoweb requires you reveal all personal information to them, in order to register an account. VPNs are not allowed.

The only other place online, thus far, that I’ve had any issue with using my VPN, be it via Proton’s subscription service that I use for e-mail, or Apple’s built-in VPN, has been Misskey’s flagship server (that auto-blocks Western users from registering). Not even Activision blocks you from using a VPN while playing their highly competitive shooters, Call of Duty.

So, like ya do, I joined their Discord, curious, a little bummed. Thinking, there’s no way I have to turn off something completely related to my own online safety and privacy just to make an account here, right?

Wrong.

I don’t feel the need to post direct screenshots, since this website is seen by quite a few more people than my Mastodon account, so I’ll just quote the person who immediately replied to me when I asked, “So why can’t I have my VPN turned on when I’m making an account?”

User / Supporter / or maybe even dev? responds:

why are you using VPN to register an account?

we had spammers use VPN to comment hate stuff on users guestbooks

probably why [team member affiliated with Nekoweb] doesn’t allow vpn

The Nekoweb team member responds,

abuse prevention

Flabbergasted, blown-away, I respond, “I use a VPN provided by Proton’s subscription service that comes along with their e-mail, entirely just for privacy lol”

To which the first user replies, again,

well in order to register you need proper internet connection and no VPN.

…

PROPER INTERNET CONNECTION???

It was at this point I kind of fell off and spiraled a bit, implied neither of them know what they’re doing, and left.

So, no, I absolutely wouldn’t recommend you use Nekoweb as an alternative to Neocities, if that’s what you’re looking for. How people who don’t even know what a VPN does, or is used for by average people, ended up making an entire web service, is wild, ridiculous, and makes absolutely no sense. And I get the impression that they don’t want new users, or any subscription money for that matter. Which is fine. They aren’t getting any from me.

For anyone else, who might be a little more rationally inclined, why use a VPN?

It’s not just for watching shows on Netflix you can’t get in the US. Some countries are blocked from most internet access and can’t interact with the outside world, without a VPN. Guess they aren’t allowed to make websites, either?

Why do I use a VPN? I use one, because I don’t think every website and provider needs my personal information at all times, every single time I access a domain. I especially don’t think the developers behind Nekoweb need my personal information, just to make an account on their Neocities clone. Entitled to my data as they may be, if you have a problem with spam and abuse coming from users behind VPNs, and you just ban VPN use, uhm, guys? You know that perpetrators of abuse can just make a new e-mail and do exactly the same thing, without a VPN? They could drive down the street to McDonalds, log on, and continue harassing your users.

And, I’m sorry, I’m still reeling over “proper internet connection.”

I’m just out of words in my brain sauce that would allow me to express how ridiculous that sounds … you guys made this web service? For real? You made a whole web service for hosting websites and you don’t even know the first thing about privacy and safety online?

Holy hell.