Do you all still have personal websites?

12 points by bbissoon 11 years ago | 19 comments

Hi All, quick question.

How many of us have our own website or do we simply rely on our works at various URLs as our online presence?

sarahj 11 years ago |

I do, it is mostly for me to record thoughts and document projects - I generally don't expect people to visit it, which is a shame I think.

In my opinion websites display the true intent of the web, decentralized spaces for people to express ingenuity and share ideas. I dislike the centralization of the modern web (I say that with a LinkedIn, Github and Twitter account) and the effort to streamline and reduce the variety of presentation of information.

I guess that is why I keep a site around, it lets me hold onto the web I remember growing up in, and that one day I hope it will morph back into.

And I had the domain for an email address and may as well have put something there.

lewisjoe 11 years ago | |

> In my opinion websites display the true intent of the web, decentralized spaces for people to express ingenuity and share ideas. I dislike the centralization of the modern web(I say that with a LinkedIn, Github and Twitter account) and the effort to streamline and reduce the variety of presentation of information.

+1 for putting it out. I find it against the motive and principles of an open web, to consider Internet synonymous with Facebook/Twitter/LinkedIn or any service. Yes, they do help us to put content online easily but with a cost. It looks like you could do whatever you want with your content, but it's a false sense of control.

Web is much better the decentralized way.

jsnk 11 years ago |

I have one, but not for online presence. I first got it to learn how to setup a website and I still keep it for learning purposes. First started with html+css. Then learned some jquery to add awesome animations all over the website! Around 2010, I watched DHH's setup blog using Ruby on Rails in X min video. I was blown away. I also created website/blog using Ruby on Rails. Then came backbone.js which was another mind blowing thing back then. Switched to that now. I'll probably change it to React to see what the hype is about soon.

bdcravens 11 years ago |

I have a Wordpress blog, but it's on an AWS micro, and seems to go down all the time. I actually have a WPEngine account, and put the little bit of "web" work I do there, but haven't migrated the blog. I may convert it to Jekyll and put it on my GH account, but increasingly, I feel time blogging would be better spent doing freelance or spent on a side project.

drethemadrapper 11 years ago |

I created one for myself about 15yrs ago and it was hosted on freeservers. It is still available if anyone tries to dig it out.

Some years ago, I started blogging and made it a responsibility to blog at least once in a month. I had a diary about my life on the Internet until two weeks ago, when I blocked people from viewing my WordPress blog,which was hosted on my server.

I recently realized that I was sharing all about myself for the powers-that-be to analyze. You call it my metadata or dumbness. While I wouldn't castigate anyone for blogging, in this day and age, one has to be meticulous and diplomatic about what they share. I hope to revamp the blog to some sort of information site, where I could be recognized as a consultant in my field.

brickcap 11 years ago |

Yes. I had a couple of posts on 1up.com[1], IGN bought it and decided to shut it down.

It was only then that I decided to create my own website and write what I wanted to there. I am still sad 1up got shut down but I probably wouldn't have created my website if it didn't.

[1] Don't know if any one here read 1up? I was a big fan of their "retronauts" and "The grind" podcasts. I loved the analysis of games by Kat bailey and Jermy parish. Jermy has his own blog where he still writes and Kat posts on US gamer. 1up is still online though in read only mode. It seems like they have also disabled the user accounts.

rrrrrraul 11 years ago |

I have one. I bought a domain to have a personalized email address and decided I'd throw something up. It's an 'about me' page, but I still guide folks to my LinkedIn page instead. I am planning to add a blog, mostly to document / comment snippets of code I find myself reusing.

sharmi 11 years ago |

I have one. There is no set frequency to how often I post. I post when I have something interesting enough that I can sit down to write a few hundred or thousand words. Over years, it has collected a few interesting articles. Like sarahj said, it is a space on the web to call my own.

BorisMelnik 11 years ago |

Of course. In our industry it is one of the first things an employer looks for. Most people blog, have links to github, personal design projects and other hobby related stuff.

It shows you are well rounded, are invested in yourself, and have nothing to hide.

pedrorijo91 11 years ago |

Well, nowadays I guess plenty of developers simply use github-pages as personal website (myself included). It's a more expressive way to present yourself (employers included) than facebook and linkedin :)

asadlionpk 11 years ago |

I really like the simplicity of http://qasaryounis.com/

whsh 11 years ago |

Yes, please check http://florin.link

marssaxman 11 years ago |

I still have my own website, though it feels more and more like a relic as time goes by.

galfarragem 11 years ago |

This would be a good question for a poll. It would be easier to get the trend.

bluerail 11 years ago |

I do have one.. I'm using it for my blog, portfolio and my email address..

alashley 11 years ago |

I have a personal blog, but its been a few months since I wrote anything.

Faither 11 years ago |

I do, I had a couple of posts .I'm using it for my blog

rec 11 years ago |

For developers seems like GitHub is enough.

halieu 11 years ago |