fLaMEd fury

The Web

What's going on,

Internet?

I've been on the web since 1996 and I'm still not tired of it. Maybe something here will inspire you to start your own website, or dust off one you abandoned somewhere along the way.

The short version: I love the web. Personal websites are one of the best things about being online, and I reckon more people should have one. They're not dead either, whatever anyone tells you. They're just not fashionable, and that's fine.

A beautiful website with nothing to say is the worst outcome.

So make one. Pick something you care about and write about it. Start small: link to people, add a blogroll, join a webring. The web's better when it's woven together by hand.

You don't need to know how to code, HTML for People starts from zero. You don't need much time, it's one page. And it doesn't matter if no one reads it, it's yours. That's the whole point.

Everything below is what I'd hand a mate who wanted to get going, from where to host it to what to put on it once it's live.

Start here

Want your own slice of the web? Three rules to live by: own your domain, own your content, own your identity. Here's where to begin.

  1. 32-Bit Cafe

    The first place I'd recommend. I help out with the mod team and I'm pretty stoked with the community we've built on the forums. Always something new to read or learn from people from all walks of life.

  2. omg.lol

    Domain, profile page, blog, now page, and a bunch of other delightful little internet services. A great all-in-one starting point.

  3. Neocities

    The best place to start for website hosting. Start with a free account and see how you get on, then upgrade to the supporters tier for custom domain names once you get in the swing of things.

  4. HTML for People

    A free book by Blake Watson that teaches HTML from scratch. No experience needed. Includes a bonus CSS chapter.

  5. IndieWeb

    A wiki, regular events, and a community actively building the infrastructure of the independent web.

What to add to your site

Got a website but not sure what to put on it? Here are some starting points.

  1. Slash pages

    A directory of common pages you can add to your site: /now, /uses, /colophon, /bookmarks, and more.

  2. Website ideas

    This is the most popular thing the 32-Bit Cafe has produced. It's a community-sourced list of everything and anything to inspire your next addition to your website.

  3. Bloggers Toolbox

    Robert Birming's round-up of tools, prompts, and ideas for keeping your blog full of stuff.

  4. Personal website ideas

    If you feel stuck with what to do with your website, James has you covered with 100 ideas.

Who to follow

Good people across the web writing about the same stuff.

  1. Tracy Durnell

    Sharp, thoughtful writing on the indie web and digital culture, and owning your own patch of it.

  2. Shellsharks: Scrolls

    Each issue, shellsharks rounds up a stack of links from across the personal web and ties them together with a bit of narrative.

Dig deeper

More of my writing on the web, if you want to get into the weeds.

Go exploring

Or just go wandering. My blogroll is full of personal sites I love, and my links page has web directories, link blogs, and small-web search engines for finding more.

Link to me

Got a site of your own? Link back and help weave the web together. Grab a button in whatever colour suits your palette:

Flamed Fury Flamed Fury Flamed Fury Flamed Fury Flamed Fury

Drop it on your page with something like this (swap blue for green, red, purple, or grey):

<a href="https://flamedfury.com">
  <img src="https://flamedfury.com/assets/images/buttons/flamedfury26blue.gif"
       width="88" height="31" alt="Flamed Fury">
</a>

There are more from over the years on my buttons page.

Your turn

The web's more fun with you in it. Carve out a bit of space, make it yours, and don't overthink it. When you've got something, sign the guestbook and show me what you built.