There was a time when the internet was far more enjoyable than it is these days. There was less social media, social media was actually kinda fun, there were fewer ads, etc. One thing that made this time so great was that so many more people had personal sites / blogs.
But then somewhere along the line, everyone started treating their Facebook profile and Instagram account as a blog. I mean, why have an entire website and deal with hosting when you can just use this “free” service to get your thoughts and life out there for everyone to see?
Thus, the downfall of the personal blog.
But everyone was lied to. Social media isn’t free at all. In fact, it’s far more costly than hosting a blog on your own domain. Those costs are wasted time, distraction, heated political arguments, and privacy concerns. The list goes on, but you likely already know all of this.
For myself, I abandoned my personal site for other reasons. I simply got too busy and too uninspired to write. Sure, social media has taken far too much of my time and attention since then. But that’s mostly a consumption issue rather than an over-sharing issue. Consume as I may, I mostly hate social media and the giant platforms we’ve become enslaved to. And I miss having my own little corner of the internet.
I’ve missed having a place that was just my own. A place where I make the rules. A place that’s free from algorithms, ads, and noise. Of course, I feel like I’ve had this conversation for years with other folks on Twitter who have been feeling the same. And with that, today is the day. I’m hitting publish again. I have no plans for this site other than to enjoy it. It’s simply my home base to share my thoughts, ask questions, and to flee the noise while still being online.