Nonweb

Nonweb is a term used in information technology to describe technologies, systems, or content that do not rely on the World Wide Web or its core protocols as the primary means of delivery or interaction. It is not a formal standard or universally defined category, but a descriptive label used in discussions that contrast web-based approaches with non-web alternatives.

Scope and examples: Nonweb covers native applications that run entirely on a device without a web browser, offline data stores, and non-HTTP networking protocols such as FTP, SMTP, SSH, and NNTP. It also encompasses peer-to-peer networks, local area networks, and non-web data formats. In practice, nonweb solutions may emphasize offline operation, privacy, low latency, or reduced dependency on centralized web services.

Relation to the web: In many software design conversations, nonweb is used to discuss tradeoffs between web-first development and native or offline-first strategies, or to describe domains where web technologies have limited reach or where access to the web is restricted. Critics note that the term can be vague and that modern applications often blend web and nonweb elements through native wrappers or progressive enhancements, making a strict boundary difficult to maintain. See also discussions of offline capability, native applications, and web versus non-web architectures.