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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.
|
