Having worked in digital marketing for a period, I have become very allergic to ads. If I'm watching a movie and there's an obvious product placement, the quality of film takes a major hit for me. I've been using the free version of ChatGPT and have been considering subscribing, but if there's at any point an ad in the output (even if I'm paying and they start inserting ads in the free tier), I doubt I'd continue using it. There has to be a better way to monetize free users.
Wallabag. I switched from Pocket to Wallabag years ago because I didn't like sponsored content and ads in Pocket. I originally started paying for it as a subscription directly from wallabag.it, but then I started self-hosting it. Wallabag has an option to import all of your articles from Pocket too. It's a fantastic service.
After some researches I ended up with Wallabag as well, hosted on wallabag.it.
I've got a lot of things saved, sometimes quite long articles (I read a lot, but I save a lot more)
The ePub export was a requirement for me since I moved to Kobo (originally for the Pocket compatibility) after old Pocket app on my 1st gen iPad Mini stopped working.
I made some test to self host it but the epub export and the images caching was to much for my Synology NAS. I had some good results with a more powerful machine but I didn't want to keep it running 24/7.
And finally the export works well on wallabag.it so I though the hosted version worth its price!
I also switched to their hosted/paid offering and currently have no plans to self-host. I also aftee that the import tool from Pocket just worked and did a great job.
I owned an Onyx Boox Poke 3. It was great for about a year and half, then it started to power cycle after something as gentle as setting it down on a table (and I'm not exaggerating here). They only have a one year warranty on their devices, so after the standard "Do a factory reset", I was told there was nothing they could do. I haven't bought another ereader since.
A Guide to the Good Life: The Ancient Art of Stoic Joy by William Irvine is great. I read it a couple of years ago and just recently listened to the audiobook. It definitely gives you a different perspective on how to approach life.
Wow, no phone since 2018? I'm curious how you're able to live in the modern world. I can immediately understand some of the benefits. I myself use a degoogled Pixel 4a and only have a few basic apps installed. However, going completely without a phone must have some significant drawbacks. Care to elaborate a bit more? Do still have a phone number like VoIP?
I can call to anyone's phone if needed - for example using Skype service - but I have no number to call me. To have a VoIP number - I bought one for 1 month in that period while applying for a job to one huge corporation. HR didn't wanted to pass me further without phone number - but to have a number it was 5 minutes.
I originally started a website after I lost a digital marketing job, figuring that having a website is a great way to market myself. While job-searching, I realized that I actually hate digital marketing and got into wireless/telecom through a friend. Later I deleted my social media accounts (with the exception of forums/HN) and my website gradually evolved into a personal blog and a replacement for the likes of Facebook, IG, Twitter, etc. I think that sharing things publicly forces me to think through, flush out, and better articulate ideas than I would in on something like Facebook or tweet.
I also use a custom domain for email which still points to my resume (just in case), but I've definitely gotten value from a public facing personal website.
How do readers end up finding your personal website? Do you enable any sort of visitor interaction (likes, comments, etc.?)
I'm not asking from a marketing standpoint, but just how do you know you're not just talking into the void? (Or maybe you are, and that's okay with you.)
I'd love to write more for fun, but I find it difficult to do so without an audience in mind.
I've submitted my website on various places like Derek Sivers' nownownow.com, theforest.link, search.marginalia.nu, and a few other places, but also standard search engines have been picking it up as well (I've written a couple how-to's on obscure things like "How to root the Onyx Boox Poke 3").
I don't have analytics, but I get a handful of emails per month from people commenting, asking questions, and even some nice criticisms. I don't do like/comments - I think people are genuinely nicer when it's a 1 to 1 interaction like email.
I don't know how people do it. I have been blogging for like 20+ years now sometimes regularly, sometimes with gaps. I am lucky if I get 5 visits per day.
