indieweb

Bilingual

Adding IndieWeb support to my static Hugo blog
2 months ago
- The author added IndieWeb support to a static Hugo blog after reading an article about it.
- The blog already had many IndieWeb principles: own domain, Markdown in Git, Hugo, Netlify, RSS, permanent URLs, rel="me" links.
- Microformats2 were added to Hugo templates, including h-card, h-feed, and h-entry, but a naming conflict with Tailwind CSS classes (h- prefix) required minor fixes.
- Webmention support was implemented using Webmention.io to receive mentions on a static site, tested with Webmention Rocks.
- Backfeed from Mastodon was set up via Bridgy Classic, allowing replies, likes, and reposts to appear on the blog; older articles required manual import.
- Reactions are rendered dynamically via JavaScript that fetches Webmention data, with same-origin proxy and security precautions.
- The author deliberately skipped Micropub, IndieAuth, and WebSub, keeping RSS, to avoid complexity and maintain simplicity.
Knitting the Web: We Need Interlinkers
2 months ago
- Feed aggregators like Bubbles.town that sort by popularity can indicate the health of the blogosphere, analogous to a bioindicator in nature.
- The web has been described through metaphors: the garden (cross-linked ideas), the stream (one-way social media), and the campfire (small blog conversations).
- A strong web depends on interlinking—meaningfully synthesizing others' ideas through link-rich posts, not just linkdumps.
- Personal knowledge management concepts (e.g., no orphan notes, dense linking) apply to public blogging for building a connected ecosystem.
- Metablogging (posts about blogging itself) can become banal; writers should draw from diverse culture, art, and everyday observations.
- Confidence to write is important, but it should focus on sharing valuable perspectives rather than writing about having nothing to say.
- Interlinking transforms isolated threads into a stronger whole, democratizing voices and countering academic gatekeeping.
- Early personal sites like Justin Hall's Justin's Links exemplify democratic digital literature and the transformative power of the IndieWeb.
Substack writers, you need a website
2 months ago
- Substack should be a distribution tool, not a writer's digital home.
- Writers who make Substack their primary platform risk losing control of their content.
- Using a custom domain on Substack is better than a Substack subdomain, but still limited compared to a CMS.
- Platforms like Facebook, Tumblr, Medium, and Substack offer convenience but make writers tenants, not homeowners.
- Relying on corporate platforms is risky because they can change rules or decline without warning.
- The POSSE method (Publish on Own Site, Syndicate Elsewhere) gives writers autonomy and platform reach.
- Platform algorithms favor Western narratives, making it hard for diverse voices to be seen without conforming.
- Writers like John Scalzi, who blogs independently for 28 years, show the value of owning a digital home.
- Platforms cycle through hype and decline; independent websites with RSS provide lasting stability.
- Use platforms to find readers, but bring them back to a site you own and control.
Joining the IndieWeb - #1: Microformats
2 months ago
- Open standards like microformats enable interoperability between independent websites without relying on centralized platforms.
- The POSSE (Publish on your Own Site, Syndicate Everywhere) approach helps maintain ownership of content while sharing it across networks.
- Microformats use simple HTML tags (e.g., h-card, p-name, u-url) to add machine-readable metadata for identity, categories, and links.
- IndieAuth uses rel=me links and bidirectional verification to allow signing into services using your own website as identity.
- Adding microformats requires minimal changes (extra tags in <head> and around content) but enriches the open web ecosystem.
Re: I Stopped "Creating Content"
2 months ago
- The author criticizes SEO marketing for treating people as 'traffic' and commodifying audiences rather than valuing genuine human connections.
- Influencer marketing is described as a subset of SEO, where creators are used as 'funnels' for conversion, reducing audiences to assets.
- The author reflects on leaving the SEO mindset, choosing to build an audience through genuine writing without marketing tricks.
- An audience is defined as active participants in creative works, unlike the faceless masses targeted by SEO marketers.
- The IndieWeb approach rejects SEO tactics, using aggregators, web rings, and blog rolls to foster organic growth and interaction.
I joined the IndieWeb, here's what I learned
2 months ago
- The IndieWeb is a people-focused alternative to the corporate web, started in 2010, emphasizing owning your data, better connectivity, and control.
- Silos (walled gardens) are centralized corporate platforms that restrict access, claim rights over content, and often disappear, taking user data with them.
- IndieWeb principles include owning your data, using visible data, making and using what you need, documenting and open-sourcing, prioritizing UX, modularity, longevity, plurality, and having fun.
- Key technical standards: your own domain as identity; microformats2 (h-card, h-entry) for machine-readable HTML; rel='me' for verified identity; Webmention for cross-site conversations; IndieAuth for domain-based login; Micropub for publishing; WebSub for real-time feeds; and Microsub for decoupled reading.
- Publishing strategies: POSSE (publish on your site, syndicate elsewhere), PESOS (publish elsewhere, syndicate to your site), and backfeed to bring interactions back to your site.
- The IndieWeb coexists with the Fediverse (bridged via Bridgy Fed) but critiques RSS/Atom for maintenance issues, promoting h-feed instead.
- Getting started involves obtaining a domain, setting up hosting, creating pages, syndicating, adding microformats, validating with IndieWebify.me, and joining the community.
- The author implemented Webmention, h-entry, h-card, and rel='me'; discarded Micropub, WebSub, and h-feed due to personal workflow and design constraints.
- Key advice: use plain HTML for durability, create permanent URLs, commit gradually, plan for extreme longevity, and have fun with your website.
Hardcore IndieWeb: Run your own website 100% independently for only $0.01/day
2 months ago
- Hardcore IndieWeb advocates for complete ownership and control of web content by hosting it directly from your own hard drive.
- The method involves authoring HTML content locally, previewing in a browser, and uploading to a web host, requiring only a text editor, file transfer tool, and a low-cost host like NearlyFreeSpeech.net at $0.01/day.
- Key website components like landing pages, blog posts, archives, and RSS feeds can be managed manually in HTML, offering full creative freedom and portability without dependencies on external services or subscriptions.
- This approach eliminates risks associated with third-party service failures, enhances content portability, and reconnects users with the simplicity and empowerment of early web publishing practices.
The State of RSS Feed Readers
2 months ago
- RSS feed readers are experiencing a renaissance due to the FediVerse and IndieWeb, with new services like Bubbles emerging.
- RSS (Really Simple Syndication) is a lightweight protocol for syndicating updated website content, still widely used across the internet.
- RSS readers help users efficiently manage information by aggregating updates from multiple sites, offering features like tagging and rules.
- Options for RSS readers include browser extensions, self-hosted solutions (e.g., Tiny Tiny RSS, FreshRSS), cloud-based services (e.g., Inoreader, FeedLand), and desktop/mobile apps.
- Self-hosted solutions offer the most flexibility, while cloud-based readers provide convenience and pre-built feed databases.
- RSS feeds power various applications beyond readers, including news aggregation sites, Fediverse bridging, podcast platforms, and e-book creation with Calibre.
- The author recommends exploring different RSS reader options based on individual needs, with personal preferences leaning towards self-hosting or using Calibre.

indieweb

Adding IndieWeb support to my static Hugo blog

Knitting the Web: We Need Interlinkers

Substack writers, you need a website

Joining the IndieWeb - #1: Microformats

Re: I Stopped "Creating Content"

I joined the IndieWeb, here's what I learned

Hardcore IndieWeb: Run your own website 100% independently for only $0.01/day

The State of RSS Feed Readers