Re - On personal websites and social web
Posted on September 23, 2024 by Loren
In this blog post, Manu reflects on the divide between two groups regarding the future of being social on the web.
And in those posts, I’m starting to see a trend of some sort. People are apparently starting to split into two camps that follow two very different ideological approaches when it comes to being social on the web. And when I say “people” I mean tech people, those who care about this type of stuff.
On the other you have the people who are realising that maybe the solution is not to recreate social media but rather to abandon it and go back to a more deliberate way to be social online, using personal sites, small forums, emails, and other “traditional” tools. I’m obviously part of this second group.
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Having said that I’m hopeful. I do think people are slowly starting to realise that you can get immense human value from the web outside of traditional social media. You have to work for it but it’s absolutely worth it.
I side with Manu on this. Social Media is shit (my opinion). I’ve mentioned many times in the past that I’ve never had an account with any social media platforms that most people participate in, except for Twitter and Mastodon, both of which I’ve stopped using.
Instead, I’ve discovered indie blogging and indie blogs. I have over 100 in my RSS feed, and I add a few new ones every week. I find that indie blogging provides a better, more authentic experience than social media by offering thoughtful content without the distractions of ads and algorithms. Instead of chasing likes or viral trends, indie bloggers write with passion, giving readers deeper insights and unique perspectives.
Additionally, blogs create a more meaningful community where discussions feel genuine and less fleeting compared to social media’s fast-paced, superficial interactions. Bloggers also have full control over their content, free from the ever-changing algorithms that often limit visibility on social platforms.
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