What is the Torus?

In the mid-90s, searching for web content was often a bit of a chore and was driven primarily by shared links from friends or groups, or by long lists of hyperlinks on home pages. Then we got webrings.

A webring was beautifully simple: a circle of websites, linked together by moderators or website owners who shared a common passion. You'd land on a page about vintage synthesisers or Novell NetWare drivers, and at the bottom, you'd find a small navigation bar. Next. Previous. Random. Click, and you'd tumble into another corner of someone else's obsession.

There was no ranking. No optimisation. No engagement metrics. Just people who cared about a subject, reaching out to like-minded website owners and agreeing to link to each other.

Webrings were roads of discovery powered by trust. If you loved this subject or website, then you might love the next one too.

What is the Torus?

As an extension of the 'ring', the Torus brings passionate people together again. The modern Internet is hostile to clear-text websites or telnet services. We built the Torus to supply a framework for these legacy, insecure platforms.

The Torus is Nekotopia's private mesh network — a secure overlay that connects members across the globe using WireGuard tunnels through our infrastructure.

Think of it as your own private internet. Every member gets a unique IP address on the Torus. You can reach other members' services, and they can reach yours — all without exposing anything to the public internet.