me: Nico, I’m trying to blog every day in November. I’ve done this for 4 years now. The first three years, I did not miss a day. This year? I missed 4. Suggestions for blog post?
Sent at 3:53 PM on TuesdayNico: Were you around for the “golden age” of blogging? Right around the start of Twitter and the rise of 20sb?
Sent at 3:54 PM on Tuesdayme: I was around, yes.
Nico: Because I have the feeling that when people made their own homes on the Internet, we came to each others’ sites like how you’d visit someone’s house. But now that there are common meeting spaces, it’s like New York – you don’t spend time at your place, you meet in public. And it’s easier for people to shrink back into the shadows when we all have to share this common space. So the prompt > how does one make a “home” on the internet nowadays?
I’ve been sharing my life on the internet since high school. My last home before this blog was Diaryland, which I had from 2001-2005. During high school I owned my own domain with my best friend; it was called healingstar.org. Before that, I blogged on someone else’s domain. I am almost too embarrassed to tell you it was called sweetessence.com but please remember I was 14 and it wasn’t mine! I still have a few friendships from those days which means they’re some of my oldest friendships. I made my home by sharing my small life as consistently as I can and reading (and listening and watching) the content of others as they share their lives. The internet has changed my social life. I make it my home by keeping it respectful. I try very hard to not air the dirty laundry of people I share a life with. This was something I had to learn as I have a history of over-sharing. I make it a home by taking things offline. If there is a spark in public forum, I’ll send a private message and meet for coffee or bubble tea. Before I knew it, the first meetings grew to vacationing together and sharing heartaches.
I have seen people say personal blogging is dead. People don’t share too personally anymore. Really, after Diaryland, I myself don’t share too personally. Maybe it’s true as a trend, but I’m glad I’ve found a tribe of friends who still show up and who still tell their stories. It has been such a gift in my life.
So, thank you for reading if you’re reading.