N Benefits of an Independent Website

I recently read Wiwi’s article on Internet Sharecroppers and resonated deeply with it. Wiwi also recently shared another perspective: adults who blog are worth getting to know.

I’ve been blogging for nearly ten years now. If you count my earlier days on Wretch and Pixnet, it’s been almost 20 years. Why is having your own blog so important? Especially in an age where short-form video and social media offer massive bonuses and exposure—the ROI of blogging seems far too low.

Yes, exactly because the ROI is low (in the short term), it’s worth doing. In the age of AI, authenticity has become a scarce resource.

• You have complete control over formatting and content; write your CSS however you want
  • Embed YouTube videos, Mermaid syntax, or math formulas at will
  • You can even build your own interactive elements
• You can write long-form. You can write short notes. You can write daily logs. You can write things only ten people will ever understand
• No likes or comments; the only way to contact the author is via email, leading to much more genuine discussions
• Free from external feedback loops, you can focus purely on what you actually want to write
• Blog posts are much easier to search
• Readers can follow along via RSS
• People who subscribe to your RSS feed actually want to read what you write
• You won’t lose everything overnight because a platform shuts down, gets acquired, or tweaks its algorithm (Wretch, Google Reader, and Medium’s paywalls are all cautionary tales)
• You own your domain name (buying a domain for a year is cheaper than Starbucks!)
• No algorithm dictates who sees your posts—only people who actively choose to read them will find them
• No need to hook someone in the first three seconds; you can take your time crafting a 20-minute deep dive
• No artificial shackles like character or word limits
• No one will insert an ad right next to your content
• An article you write today might save a stranger late at night five years from now—that kind of impact can’t be quantified by likes
• Blogging is practicing thinking in public, and thinking in public naturally attracts like-minded people
• Email filters out 99% of the noise, leaving behind only those genuinely interested in deep conversation
• Blogging is more effective than a business card for building trust capital
• Technical write-ups amplify your reach and impact
• Markdown is one of the most future-proof formats around
• In an era increasingly obsessed with short-term gains and fueled by anxiety, long-termism itself is all the more precious

In 2026, setting up a blog has become easier than ever. You can check out Bear to spin one up quickly. There are plenty of other options to consider as well; personally, I recommend Ghost. You can self-host or use their managed hosting (paid), customize styles, pick themes, and take advantage of built-in newsletter support and Stripe integration.