A Return to Old-School Blogging

🎯 I launched the "Timeline" while on holiday in Japan and it feels amazing to embrace that old-school blogging vibe again.

While my wife was shopping at Gotemba Premium Outlets, I lost track of her for about three hours (expected). After 20 minutes of wandering the endless shops, I grabbed my laptop, found a café and ended up coding something I'd been wanting to create for ages but could never quite define.

Here's the context: I can't stand social media. The noise, the algorithms, the agendas, echo chambers, doomscrolling and, of course, the so-called “freedom of speech” façade.

I deleted my Facebook and Instagram accounts years ago, keeping placeholder accounts for work that I never use. I've stuck with LinkedIn and Twitter because they align with my professional life and interests in indie hacking and tech.

But these platforms don't feel right for personal thoughts or small updates. I don't want to clutter people's feeds. Social media creates the expectation of likes and validation, leading to thoughts about what others might like rather than what you truly think. What I've been seeking is a space just for me.

A place to share thoughts, photos or notes without pressure. If no one reads it, that's fine. It'll still hold meaning for me and might even be something fun for my kids to explore years down the line. If someone else finds it interesting, they can bookmark it.

Adopting this mindset has been a game-changer. It's freed me from the pressure of likes and engagement, making me more excited to post.

So, in a few hours (coding is still one of my favourite things), I built it. Now, I'm running an experiment to see if it sticks.