I thought I’d post to mark the occasion! I bought this domain 25 years ago today.
Of course, websites have changed quite a bit during that time. Personal websites most of all. Blogging—self-hosted blogging in particular—is almost a lost art. And while social media has been to blame for the reduced frequency of posts on this and countless other long form blogs, the last few years for me have seen almost a full retreat into solely chat rooms and streaming (to a small handful of people). Less of an online presence than ever.
I mean, I’m 39 now. Big job. Three kids. Despite how busy life is, I’d be lying if I said I couldn’t find time throughout the day to keep up on social media—well, just Bluesky, which has a finite amount of posts to read, thanks to my algorithm avoidance—but I just don’t post. Here or anywhere else. No matter how much it was a goal of mine when I was younger, I don’t see the need to wield a megaphone and try to garner an audience. The quest for Likes kind of disgusts me in hindsight, particularly given I don’t have a career or social circle that depends on online clout.
Anyway, what good is this site now? Well, the domain itself is a great form of verification (hat tip again to Bluesky), and I’m using the domain as my primary email as well. The site mainly serves as a bespoke Linktree, which I think is the case for most other webmasters nowadays. It’s also an archive of my earlier time on the Web—I haven’t deleted anything. It’s all there, warts and all (click the ellipses on my homepage to browse through the earlier versions, at your peril). And even though it’s just one dude’s old stuff, I prefer not to contribute to link rot if I can help it.
Here’s to another 25 years! Hope the Web still exists by then! My career depends on it, lol.