indie web ✧
my research
disqus —
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What platform is your site on?
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WordPress
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WordPress
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Blogger
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Blogger
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Tumblr
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Tumblr
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Squarespace
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Squarespace
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TypePad
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TypePad
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Movable Type
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Movable Type
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Drupal
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Drupal
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Joomla
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Joomla
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Weebly
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Weebly
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Strikingly
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Strikingly
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Jekyll
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Jekyll
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Ghost
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Ghost
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HubSpot
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HubSpot
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Shopify
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Shopify
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Adobe Muse
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Adobe Muse
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AMP
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AMP
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Jimdo
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Jimdo
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Postach.io
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Postach.io
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Gatsby
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Gatsby
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Pattern
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Pattern
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React
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React
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to research
personal sites research
IndieWeb pages #
The IndieWeb is more than just a bunch of open protocols, it is about personal websites, human written content and a fallback to a time before algorithms, GDPR pop-ups and spyware spreading adverts.
It is a place to share your lives and the things you are interested in without feeding the pockets of some big corporations.
They also tend to include the following pages:
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Blogroll - Links to other sites that you enjoy reading, so other people can discover them as well.
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Now - I believe Derek Sivers started the now page to let people know what you're currently working on.
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Links/Bookmarks - Share the links to pages that you have saved for later. Essentially a public list of bookmarks.
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Uses - A list of the software and tech that you use on a daily basis.
At the end of the day it is your website, your space to share whatever you feel like.
If you want to read more about the IndieWeb and getting started I recommend starting here:
Here's a breakdown of platforms and their key features:
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Google Sites
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I want to create an account on this site to access its features, save my progress, and participate more fully in the community.
links
search query that are interesting
Is Orkut still working?
What is the most powerful website in the world?
How much should a web designer charge?
Are websites becoming obsolete?
What is the most used website ever?
What is the oldest .com domain?
What did websites look like in the 90s?
Why did GeoCities fail?
What is the website similar to gadgets 360?
What illegal sites are there?
What is the hidden dark web search engine?
How to look at websites that no longer exist?
What is the 360 extreme browser used for?
How to create your own 360?
Why do people use 360?
What is the most searched thing on Google?
What is the most blocked website in the world?
What is the unique address of a website called?
What will replace websites?
Why do sites not use www anymore?
How many years does a website last?
What is the oldest still active website?
Who owns my old domain?
What is the shortest domain name in the world?
What sites are banned in the US?
What are examples of dark web websites?
Is 123Movies illegal?
What is ahmia search?
Is there a Google of the dark web, the DuckDuckGo?
What are onion sites?
Is a Wayback Machine legal?
What is a neocity?
How to make a website never appear?
What is the oldest chat website?
What social media was banned in the USA?
What is the most deleted social media?
What social media does Donald Trump use now?
What app came after Vine?
What was the first true social media network?
Which social media is declining?
What killed MySpace?
Will MySpace make a comeback?
What was before Facebook?
Can I get my old MySpace pictures back?
Who owns MySpace now?
Did MySpace delete old profiles?
Does G+ still exist?
What is the most unpopular social media platform?
What is Google Buzz?
What is the new MySpace called?
What did Gen Z used to be called?
What do Gen Z use instead of Facebook?
What replaced MySpace in popularity?
What is the modern version of MySpace?
What is the app like no place?
What is the FreeRoam app?
What is friendlist?
What is getting friend zoned?
Do Myspace profiles still exist?
When did Bebo shut down?
What is Friendster?
Is it true that Friendster is back?
Is MySpace still a thing today?
my searches:
more alternatives to my spacehey
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more info on building an indie site
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Built-in support for ActivityPub (e.g. Funkwhale, Hubzilla, Mastodon, Pleroma, Pixelfed), OStatus (e.g. StatusNet, GNU social, Quitter) and diaspora* protocols.
Federated Networks / Decentralized Social
info sheet
Great — you're stepping into a vibrant, creative ecosystem of people building small, meaningful, self-owned spaces on the internet. Here's a detailed intro to help you find your footing and discover where to sign up.
🌱 The IndieWeb
The IndieWeb is a movement for creating a web where you own your content, your domain, and your connections — rather than handing them over to platforms like Instagram, Twitter, or Medium.
Core Principles:
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Own your domain and content
→ You’re eliana.me, not @someone_else’s_platform
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Publish on your own site, syndicate elsewhere
→ Share to social, but keep the source on your blog/site
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Use open standards
→ Like Webmentions, Micropub, h-card, etc. for federated interaction
Example IndieWeb Projects:
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Micro.blog – like a hybrid between Twitter and a blog
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Write.as – minimalist blogging with privacy in mind
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Bear Blog – no tracking, no javascript, just writing
🧰 Personal Sites & Tools (You Own It All)
Sign-Up Friendly Tools:
Service | What It Offers |
A whimsical yet powerful identity + presence platform with a personal homepage, PURLs (via url.lol), status logs, Mastodon handle, and more | |
Revives the spirit of GeoCities — host static HTML/CSS sites, often used for creative/retro personal websites | |
Simple drag-and-drop personal websites, great for resumes, link trees, etc. | |
A platform for curating knowledge in blocks — great for digital gardens or idea boards | |
Tools for hosting your own small server with privacy-first design | |
A community of small personal sites with a mutual directory (no algorithms, just people) |
🌍 The Fediverse (Decentralized Social Media)
The Fediverse is a network of independently operated servers (called "instances") that talk to each other using protocols like ActivityPub. You can post on one platform and interact across many.
Platforms to Explore:
Platform | Like... | Description |
Twitter/X | Microblogging across thousands of servers. You can join whimsical instances like social.lol(from omg.lol) or midwest.social | |
Instagram | Decentralized photo sharing with an emphasis on privacy | |
Medium | Federated blogging with minimalist design (also powers Write.as) | |
Goodreads | Federated reading tracker & book reviews | |
Reddit | Federated link aggregation and discussion communities | |
YouTube | Federated video hosting and streaming |
🗺️ How to Get Started
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Claim a domain or identity
→ Try omg.lol to get a playful + useful presence (includes Mastodon, PURLs, profile pages, status updates, and more)
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Join a fediverse instance
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Syndicate & connect
💡 You Might Like
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indieweb.org/start – official intro for newcomers
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yesterweb.org – creative, nostalgic, anti-algorithmic webspace
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webring.xxiivv.com – directory of hand-coded sites and creative web experiments
Want help picking an instance, building a homepage, or crafting a username for something like omg.lol? I can help you set it all up.
Small Web examples + inspo
Okay, here are some examples of websites that align with the principles of the Small Web ecosystem:
Personal Websites and Blogs:
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Simplifier: A simple, text-based website promoting minimalist web design.
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Text-only websites: Websites designed with a focus on delivering content in a concise and efficient text-only format.
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Lee Tusman's Nosebook: A website with a text-only landing page, embodying the spirit of the Small Web.
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Thoughts and Writings by Armin Ronacher: A personal blog with a typographically appealing small web approach.
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Null program by Chris Wellons: Another blog that has adopted a Small Web approach with appealing typography.
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BSD and SQL blog by Eric Radman: A blog focused on specific technical topics with a Small Web aesthetic.
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Programming blog by Hugo Tunius: A blog that combines a small web approach with a focus on programming content.
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Programming in the Twenty-First Century by James Hague: A programming blog that adheres to Small Web principles.
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Julia Evans' programming blog: A blog that uses a Small Web design for its programming content.
Tools and Resources:
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Wiby: A search engine that focuses on indexing websites that adhere to the principles of the small web, often prioritizing non-commercial content.
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Marginalia Search: An independent, DIY search engine that focuses on non-commercial content and aims to surface sites that are often overlooked by larger search engines.
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Lieu webring search engine: A search engine that helps you discover websites connected within webrings, promoting a decentralized approach to website discovery.
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IndieWeb.org: A wiki and movement dedicated to promoting independent web development and ownership of online spaces.
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Small Technology Foundation: An organization that advocates for technologies that are sustainable, respectful of human dignity, and prioritize resource conservation.
Other Examples:
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Curlie search: A human-edited web directory, powered by volunteers, which offers a curated approach to website discovery.
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Open Mentions: A project that uses WebMention and ActivityPub to connect conversations across different websites and encourage community interaction.
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Public Tiddlywikis: Websites based on TiddlyWiki, which emphasize the organization and styling of personal hypertext, prioritizing personal expression over protocols and APIs.
indie web research
indie web links
🎨 Design, Web & Visual Culture
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Creative publishing tool's TikTok hub.
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Blog/subscription-based writing channel.
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Part of the small web/personal site movement.
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Discussion of controversial lifehacks for educational discounts.
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Creator monetization for content on cultural aesthetics.
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A talk on speculative programming environments and art-tech futures.
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Guide to understanding and designing alignment charts.
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A curated list of influential design books.
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WebGL/JavaScript shader experiment using Three.js.
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UI mockup of science-fiction inspired HUD.
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Webrings: Join webrings, which are curated networks of themed websites, by adding a small snippet of code to your site.
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Niche forums and discussion boards: Explore various online forums and message boards focused on specific topics that align with your interests.
small web sites
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IndieWeb CMSs: Explore various open-source content management systems (CMSs) like Known, Craft, Kirby, Perch, ProcessWire, or TYPO3 for more control over your website.
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GitHub Pages or GitLab Pages: Use these free platforms for quick hosting and easy creation of a simple website.
my faves
7/2 links
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Free Blogging Platforms, Engines & Static-Site Generators
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Bear Blog, a blogging platform
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Chyrp Lite, a PHP blogging engine similar to Tumblr
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Dreamwidth, an open-source LiveJournal alternative
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Eleventy, SSG
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Faircamp, Bandcamp platform alternative
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Gatsby, SSG
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Hugo, SSG
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Jekyll, SSG
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Mataroa, a blogging platform
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Melonking’s Gallery Maker, an application that lets you easily create HTML photo galleries
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Midnight.pub, a blogging platform created by m15o
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Phantomake, SSG created by Osmose
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Pika, a blogging platform similar to BearBlog
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Publii, a beginner-friendly, open-source, all-in-one WordPress alternative
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Simple page builder app, a WYSIWYG editor to export code and upload elsewhere
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Smol.pub, a blogging platform created by m15o
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Soupault, an SSG that doesn’t need templates or front matter