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+title = "Being a webmaster is freaking cool"
+author = ["Michał Sapka"]
+date = 2024-02-28T19:25:00+01:00
+categories = ["blog"]
+draft = false
+weight = 2001
+abstract = "On the joyes of peronal webpage"
++++
+
+Occasionally I'm seeing articles about the benefits of _blogging_.
+It's to be a way to socialize, or to counter the platforms.
+Both of those are true and great,
+But there is one more, which drives _me_: being a _webmaster_ is a way to create a place of my own.
+
+Most of this website is coded, designed[^fn:1], and written by yours truly.
+There is a reason that this website doesn't look like any platform - be it wordpress, medium or twitter.
+What I am aiming for is a place on the web that will reflect who I am.
+Or at least who I perceive as me.
+
+When I was starting, I had a few failed attempts at actually doing something here.
+I wanted to pretend to be someone who I am not - a sad professional.
+I even had a version written in Next.js!
+Only when I abandoned any pretense and made this a _my_ place everything clicked.
+
+{{< img-r "netscape-v.png" >}}
+Netscape, from days of past.
+{{< /img-r >}}
+
+What allowed for that was an absolute power to do whatever I want.
+This is not something I would be able to do with any SASS platform.
+What is the biggest benefit hereis that doing everything myself reignited my passion from teen years - passion towards doing _cool things in the cyberspace_.
+I want to have an Emacs site? Sure, it takes 10 mins.
+I want it to look like a technical manual? Why not. CSS will accept even the dumbest idea.
+I want web buttons? Let's spend a full evening browsing and choosing.
+I want to try OpenBSD? Amsterdam[^fn:2] has me covered!
+
+I want to try something almost no one will ever notice?
+Here's my [now](/me/now/) page with ratings of movies, books and series I've recently finished.
+I think of putting more data-driven parts, like scrobbing from EMMS.
+It's so much fun!
+The possibilites with plain, old HTML and CSS are limitless.
+
+The other part of the equation is complete abandonment of any chance of monetization.
+The web runs on ads and sponsors (and porn), but do I want to participate?
+While earning millions from doing video edutainment may sound cool, for me it's a sad life.
+Mixing hobbies and work is ok up to a point.
+After that your hobby stops being fun.
+
+Those two ideas give mu (near) full freedom of expression.
+Do I want to criticize big tech?
+Do I want to promote piracy?
+Do I want to talk how much I love the open web?
+Nothing stops me, as I am not working for Google under the boot of The Algorithm.
+
+Here's the neat part: I love the technical aspect.
+Learning how to host a site in an unknown environment is cool.
+Doing HTML and CSS is cool.
+Designing simple site is cool.
+Doing what you _love_ is the coolest feeling out there.
+
+It may not be for everyone, but if you are reading this, I am sure you would succeed at creating your own space.
+It may be easy to just throw something on Instagram and watch the like counter go up, but it is not something that would fill me with joy.
+Participation in creation web of my dreams does.
+Not making Musk even richer also.
+Blocking Yandex from DDOSing me not so much[^fn:3], but having learned how to do it does.
+
+So, this is my pledge: create a _website_.
+Want to write regularly? Have a blog.
+Want to write a Nethack guide?
+This, alone, is a great website.
+A _good_ website does not need to be regularly updated.
+Don't want to write?
+Create a Hello website.
+Give us a few tidbits about you, or about something dear to you.
+It is _your_ website after all.
+Your dog deserves a website!
+
+But make it your _own_.
+Go off-platform as far as you can.
+Know how to maintain a server?
+Do it!
+Want to have a site without the hustle?
+There are still great WYSIWYG SAAS product.
+Want to have video content?
+A simple index page with list of links is great!
+
+Just create your public space and send me a link :-)
+
+[^fn:1]: With mandatory credit to [http://fabiensanglard.net/](http://fabiensanglard.net/)
+[^fn:2]: This site is running on a VPS provided by [OpenBSD Amsterdam](https://openbsd.amsterdam/) in exchange for money.
+    No data is being sold, as it should never be.
+[^fn:3]: For the last few days Yandex tried to learn my code so freaking hard, that my Gitea instance was being killed all the time.
+    The solution?
+    Blocking that bot on my firewall.