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Internet in its current form, where I can theoretically ping any web server on earth from my bedroom, doesn't seem sustainable. I think it will have to end at some point.

I can't fully articulate it but I feel like there is some game theory aspect of the current design that's just not compatible with the reality.

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Years ago, wasn't there a proposal from google or the likes to have push notifications for search engines? Instead of the bots checking offer and offer again if there is something new, you would inform them about it. I think that would be a fair middle ground. You don't ddos us and in exchange we inform you timely if there is something new. (Bot would need a way to subscript themselves.)

I have a personal website that sometimes doesn't get an update for a year. Still the bots are in the majority of visitors. (Not so much that I would need counter measures but still.) Most bot visits could be avoided with such a scheme.

Ah, so blog pingbacks are new again. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pingback

That's how Technorati worked.

The problem I see with this approach is that it enables website operators to stop alerting bots completely, and then the bots' customers will complain that sites aren't updated, and don't care that the site owner is blocking them.

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