Trying to navigate how to extend my reach with my social media campaign. I want to be able to share my social media channels so people know where to go but doing so seems to block me from being able to share promotional small web posts to various groups. So I think I’m going to change my strategy with that and just add my social media channels to the images and remove it from the post text. I’m also entertaining the idea of using QR codes on the images as well but idk. I just want to try different things and figure out which strategy works best to further post reach, keep people engaged so the algorithm boosts the posts, and not look spammy – which, I think at the moment, adding a bunch of hashtags and social media plugs to posts does look spammy. Anyways, it’s a bit of a learning experience but it’s a good learning experience.
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I do have my days though where I kind of sit back and question why I am bothering to put in all this time and effort. Sometimes I feel like I’m not very well liked by a lot of the people in the movement, whether it be because I’m not full on against AI and have incorporated elements of it on my site, or because of my personal ideologies on things. A lot of my views don’t fully align with the general frame of mind that goes with a lot of the community here. I often feel like an odd ball and so I keep to myself a lot. But, I think why I put in so much effort still is not because of the community itself – because I think even that can change and become more diverse over time – but because of the freedom my own space has given me. I love my website and feel passionate about not only the freedom it has given me after leaving the corporate web, but the creative outlet it has given me to fully express myself online. I genuinely just want to share this movement and for others to discover this amazing alternative to the corporate web. It’s a movement I believe in, and you don’t have to share the same views and ideologies as the majority here to be part of it.
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As much as the Yesterweb propelled this movement forward, I kind of get the impression what Yesterweb was trying to achieve was also to mold certain views and ideologies into what it means to be part of this movement, and with my campaign and smallweb subdomain, I really want to diverge from that and enforce that the Small Web / Indie Web (or whatever name you want to call it by), is for everyone, no matter what walk of life you come from or your personal ideologies. And sure, you might choose not to interact with certain people of differing ideologies or personalities you clash with, that’s your choice. But just because you don’t like someone with a different set of perceptions and ideologies does not mean that they don’t have a right to be part of this movement as much as you do. People leave the corporate web for freedom, to get away from the censorship, to get away from algorithms dictating what they see online, to create a space of their own that is a unique reflection of that. Who are we to say “well, I don’t like you and what you stand for so you shouldn’t be here” or “you shouldn’t have that on your site because I don’t like it or it hurts my feelings”. No. We don’t get to do that. We don’t get to moderate who gets to be in this movement or what they choose to share on their own websites. What someone chooses to put on their own website is their business. Don’t like it? You have the autonomy to leave and not interact with them if you don’t like what they have to share or if it offends you. This is how it should be. The small web is not a group that you gain membership to through social acceptance. This is just another form of centralization. The small web is decentralized, and it is up to each individual to seek out or create spaces that connect them with others.
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My goal isn’t just to promote the Small Web – it’s to make it more accessible, welcoming, and free from the same patterns of exclusion that exist on the corporate web. If we truly want decentralization, we need to embrace the fact that the Small Web is for everyone, regardless of personal ideologies or preferences. The beauty of this movement is that it allows us to carve out our own spaces, connect with like-minded individuals, and disengage from what doesn’t resonate with us – all without needing permission or validation.
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Anyways, I’ll keep experimenting with different outreach strategies to maximize reach. If something works, I’ll share what I’ve learned so others can do the same. This isn’t about building a following – it’s about building a transition point where people have real alternatives to the corporate web. Whether someone knows how to code a site from scratch, prefers a drag-and-drop builder, or even uses AI to create a site that reflects their unique style, I could honestly care less how people choose to create their personal spaces. What matters is that they have a space that is truly their own – one that isn’t dictated by algorithms, gatekeepers, or any form of centralized control and data mining. That’s the kind of resource hub I want to create: a place where newcomers to the Small Web can find the tools, knowledge, and community they need to build their own corner of the internet, in whatever way works best for them. A space where they don’t feel like they have to conform to someone else’s set of rules but instead feel empowered to make their own.
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At the end of the day, I believe in this movement because I’ve experienced firsthand how freeing it is to have a space that is truly my own. That’s what I want others to discover. Not because they have to fit into a specific mold, but because the Small Web is theirs to shape in whatever way feels right to them.