Humans.txt

Humans.txt is a text file that webmasters place in the root directory of their websites to provide information about the people involved in the creation and maintenance of the site. It is inspired by the robots.txt file, which instructs web crawlers on how to interact with the site, but instead focuses on human aspects like credits, contact information, and acknowledgments.

History and Origin

The concept of humans.txt was first introduced by Juanjo Bernabeu, a Spanish web developer, in 2011. The idea was to give credit to the people behind the website, much like credits in a movie or software application. The initiative quickly gained traction in the web development community as a way to humanize the internet and provide transparency about who is involved in a website's production[1].

Content and Structure

The file typically contains structured information in a key-value format, with sections for:

• Team Members: Names, roles, and sometimes links to personal websites or social profiles.
• Thanks: Acknowledgments to individuals or organizations who have contributed to the project.
• Site: Information about the site itself, like its name, URL, and founding date.
• Standards: Mention of any web standards or technologies used in the site's development.

An example entry might look like this:

/* TEAM */
    Webdesigner: Your Name
    Developer: Another Developer
    Contact: info@example.com
    /* THANKS */
    Thanks: To all our users

Usage and Adoption

While not as universally adopted as robots.txt, many developers and companies have embraced the humans.txt file as a way to showcase their team and acknowledge contributions. Websites like Google and The White House have included humans.txt files, although its presence is still more of a niche practice than a standard[2].

Impact and Significance

Humans.txt contributes to:

• Transparency: By revealing the human element behind websites, it fosters trust and openness in the online community.
• Community Building: It encourages recognition of contributors, which can be motivating for team members and foster a sense of community.
• Historical Record: It serves as a timestamp of who was involved in a project at a particular time, preserving the human history of web development.

Controversies and Criticisms

Some critics argue that:

• It might not be secure to list contact information, potentially exposing individuals to spam or unwanted contact.
• The file can become outdated if not regularly updated, leading to misinformation.
• It's an additional overhead for webmasters to maintain, with little direct benefit to the site's functionality or SEO.

References

[1] Humans.txt Official Website

[2] The Humans.txt File for Your Website

• robots-txt
• web-crawlers
• site-verification
• webmaster-tools