How Do I IndieWeb?
What’s going on, Internet? This is a reply to a post I came across recently while surfing the net, How do you (personally) IndieWeb? from the Open Mentions website. I wanted to take a moment to answer it, as I have been thinking about the IndieWeb again recently.
These are the ways I’ve chosen to participate in the IndieWeb.
I am a citizen of the web
I have my own website and domain where I post and share thoughts on various topics and parts of my life on the wider web. My website is my home on the web.
My website is portable. If I have a problem with my hosting provider, I can easily pick it up and move it elsewhere. My website moves with me.
I hyperlink out to the World Wide Web through my links page and share interesting posts on my bookmarks page.
My content is available in a web browser or via RSS to read with your reader of choice.
By simply having your own website and linking to other websites, you’re already participating in the IndieWeb. It’s the easiest way to get started, and it doesn’t require anything more than having a website.
IndieWeb building blocks
I’ve implemented a h-card and marked up posts with h-entry so that when I participate in cross-site communication when the other website is also participating, we get the automagic identifying information, adding a rich experience to crafting the web and cross-site communication.
I support Webmentions in their most basic form. If you write a response to one of my posts and send the mention to my website, it will appear at the bottom of the relevant post. I don’t back-feed social media posts; I encourage interactivity between websites.
While implementing the IndieWeb building blocks can be a bit tricky, there are plenty of resources available to help you get started. For the most basic way to begin, check out my recent IndieWeb 101 post.
Community
The web wouldn’t be the web without community. I participate in many communities with similar goals for contributing to a healthy and open web.
One of my favourites is the 32-Bit Cafe, where I also help manage and organise; we have a discussion forum where a wide range of topics are discussed, host a community driven resource list for the personal web, host regular events, publish and share helpful guides and send out a monthly newsletter that covers happenings across our community and the wider web.
So. How do you IndieWeb?
Reply by email, XMPP, send a webmention, or say what's up in the guestbook.
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