![](\"https://micro.blog/photos/50/https://greatskyriver.net/blog/bl-content/uploads/pages/49b4d637dd36b8dd0c401d876f43480f/art_dispatch_q2-collage-digital.jpg\")
: greatskyriver.netBlog and website move! greatskyriver.net
","summary":"","url":"https://greatskyriver.net/blog/blog-and-website-move","date_published":"2022-10-17T11:16:26+00:00","author":{"name":"Vega","url":"http://greatskyriver.net","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Fmicro.blog%2Fvega%2Favatar.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"vega"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2022-10-17 11:16","date_timestamp":1666005386,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"is_conversation":false,"is_linkpost":true,"is_mention":false,"note":"","syndication":[]}},{"id":"13417684","content_html":"The rescue of Triskele. Process journal. greatskyriver.net
","summary":"","url":"https://greatskyriver.net/blog/the-rescue-of-triskele-process-journal","date_published":"2022-09-23T03:49:10+00:00","author":{"name":"Vega","url":"http://greatskyriver.net","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Fmicro.blog%2Fvega%2Favatar.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"vega"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2022-09-23 03:49","date_timestamp":1663904950,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"is_conversation":false,"is_linkpost":true,"is_mention":false,"note":"","syndication":[]}},{"id":"13127085","content_html":"Morwenna's execution. Process journal. greatskyriver.net
","summary":"","url":"https://greatskyriver.net/blog/morwenna-s-execution-art-process-journal","date_published":"2022-07-10T04:53:33+00:00","author":{"name":"Vega","url":"http://greatskyriver.net","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Fmicro.blog%2Fvega%2Favatar.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"vega"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2022-07-10 04:53","date_timestamp":1657428813,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"is_conversation":false,"is_linkpost":true,"is_mention":false,"note":"","syndication":[]}},{"id":"12699164","content_html":"Resurfacing after a drought. greatskyriver.net
","summary":"","url":"https://greatskyriver.net/blog/resurfacing-after-a-drought","date_published":"2022-04-13T08:17:14+00:00","author":{"name":"Vega","url":"http://greatskyriver.net","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Fmicro.blog%2Fvega%2Favatar.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"vega"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2022-04-13 08:17","date_timestamp":1649837834,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"is_conversation":false,"is_linkpost":true,"is_mention":false,"note":"","syndication":[]}},{"id":"12209494","content_html":"Hiatus ongoing - short update on the Art Dispatch. greatskyriver.net
","summary":"","url":"https://greatskyriver.net/blog/hiatus-ongoing-short-update-on-the-art-dispatch","date_published":"2021-11-28T22:50:40+00:00","author":{"name":"Vega","url":"http://greatskyriver.net","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Fmicro.blog%2Fvega%2Favatar.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"vega"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2021-11-28 22:50","date_timestamp":1638139840,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"is_conversation":false,"is_linkpost":true,"is_mention":false,"note":"","syndication":[]}},{"id":"12116424","content_html":"Inktober debrief, and a short hiatus: Weekly Art Dispatch, No.35 🎨: greatskyriver.net
","summary":"","url":"https://greatskyriver.net/blog/inktober-debrief-and-a-short-hiatus-weekly-art-dispatch-no-35","date_published":"2021-11-01T02:29:52+00:00","author":{"name":"Vega","url":"http://greatskyriver.net","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Fmicro.blog%2Fvega%2Favatar.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"vega"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2021-11-01 02:29","date_timestamp":1635733792,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"is_conversation":false,"is_linkpost":true,"is_mention":false,"note":"","syndication":[]}},{"id":"12090328","content_html":"On track with Inktober: Weekly Art Dispatch, No.34 🎨: greatskyriver.net
","summary":"","url":"https://greatskyriver.net/blog/on-track-with-inktober-weekly-art-dispatch-no-34","date_published":"2021-10-24T23:54:07+00:00","author":{"name":"Vega","url":"http://greatskyriver.net","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Fmicro.blog%2Fvega%2Favatar.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"vega"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2021-10-24 23:54","date_timestamp":1635119647,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"is_conversation":false,"is_linkpost":true,"is_mention":false,"note":"","syndication":[]}},{"id":"12064581","content_html":"Inktober continues: Weekly Art Dispatch, No.33 🎨: greatskyriver.net
","summary":"","url":"https://greatskyriver.net/blog/inktober-continues-weekly-art-dispatch-no-33","date_published":"2021-10-18T02:47:22+00:00","author":{"name":"Vega","url":"http://greatskyriver.net","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Fmicro.blog%2Fvega%2Favatar.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"vega"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2021-10-18 02:47","date_timestamp":1634525242,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"is_conversation":false,"is_linkpost":true,"is_mention":false,"note":"","syndication":[]}},{"id":"12048734","content_html":"Quarterly Art Review: stepping up my digital art game in Q3, 2021. 🎨: greatskyriver.net
","summary":"","url":"https://greatskyriver.net/blog/quarterly-art-review-stepping-up-my-digital-art-game-in-q3-2021","date_published":"2021-10-13T13:22:04+00:00","author":{"name":"Vega","url":"http://greatskyriver.net","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Fmicro.blog%2Fvega%2Favatar.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"vega"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2021-10-13 13:22","date_timestamp":1634131324,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"is_conversation":false,"is_linkpost":true,"is_mention":false,"note":"","syndication":[]}},{"id":"12011228","content_html":"Finishing the 50 Bird challenge: Weekly Art Dispatch No. 32🎨: greatskyriver.net
","summary":"","url":"https://greatskyriver.net/blog/finishing-the-50-bird-challenge-weekly-art-dispatch-no-32","date_published":"2021-10-03T05:50:04+00:00","author":{"name":"Vega","url":"http://greatskyriver.net","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Fmicro.blog%2Fvega%2Favatar.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"vega"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2021-10-03 05:50","date_timestamp":1633240204,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"is_conversation":false,"is_linkpost":true,"is_mention":false,"note":"","syndication":[]}},{"id":"11961494","content_html":"Finishing a bazaar stall: Weekly Art Dispatch No. 31 🎨: greatskyriver.net
","summary":"","url":"https://greatskyriver.net/blog/finishing-a-bazaar-stall-weekly-art-dispatch-no-31","date_published":"2021-09-20T15:10:59+00:00","author":{"name":"Vega","url":"http://greatskyriver.net","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Fmicro.blog%2Fvega%2Favatar.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"vega"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2021-09-20 15:10","date_timestamp":1632150659,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"is_conversation":false,"is_linkpost":true,"is_mention":false,"note":"","syndication":[]}},{"id":"11941015","content_html":"Painting a bazaar stall (work in progress): Weekly Art Dispatch No. 30 🎨: greatskyriver.net
","summary":"","url":"https://greatskyriver.net/blog/painting-an-environment-work-in-progress-weekly-art-dispatch-no-30","date_published":"2021-09-15T03:30:49+00:00","author":{"name":"Vega","url":"http://greatskyriver.net","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Fmicro.blog%2Fvega%2Favatar.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"vega"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2021-09-15 03:30","date_timestamp":1631676649,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"is_conversation":false,"is_linkpost":true,"is_mention":false,"note":"","syndication":[]}},{"id":"11906180","content_html":"A debrief on my first commission work: Weekly Art Dispatch No. 29 🎨: greatskyriver.net
","summary":"","url":"https://greatskyriver.net/blog/a-debrief-on-my-first-commission-work-weekly-art-dispatch-no-29","date_published":"2021-09-06T04:57:50+00:00","author":{"name":"Vega","url":"http://greatskyriver.net","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Fmicro.blog%2Fvega%2Favatar.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"vega"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2021-09-06 04:57","date_timestamp":1630904270,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"is_conversation":false,"is_linkpost":true,"is_mention":false,"note":"","syndication":[]}},{"id":"11881942","content_html":"Interlude in outdoor sketches: Weekly Art Dispatch No. 28.5 🎨: greatskyriver.net
","summary":"","url":"https://greatskyriver.net/blog/interlude-in-outdoor-sketches-weekly-art-dispatch-no-28-5","date_published":"2021-08-31T04:49:32+00:00","author":{"name":"Vega","url":"http://greatskyriver.net","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Fmicro.blog%2Fvega%2Favatar.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"vega"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2021-08-31 04:49","date_timestamp":1630385372,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"is_conversation":false,"is_linkpost":true,"is_mention":false,"note":"","syndication":[]}},{"id":"11847155","content_html":"How to fight a sheep (plus birds and household objects): Weekly Art Dispatch No. 28 🎨: greatskyriver.net
","summary":"","url":"https://greatskyriver.net/blog/how-to-fight-a-sheep-plus-birds-and-drawabox-weekly-art-dispatch-no-28","date_published":"2021-08-22T12:32:37+00:00","author":{"name":"Vega","url":"http://greatskyriver.net","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Fmicro.blog%2Fvega%2Favatar.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"vega"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2021-08-22 12:32","date_timestamp":1629635557,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"is_conversation":false,"is_linkpost":true,"is_mention":false,"note":"","syndication":[]}},{"id":"11797047","content_html":"Resuming Drawabox, continuing art series: Weekly Art Dispatch No. 27 🎨: greatskyriver.net
","summary":"","url":"https://greatskyriver.net/blog/resuming-drawabox-continuing-art-series-weekly-art-dispatch-no-27","date_published":"2021-08-10T10:34:59+00:00","author":{"name":"Vega","url":"http://greatskyriver.net","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Fmicro.blog%2Fvega%2Favatar.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"vega"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2021-08-10 10:34","date_timestamp":1628591699,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"is_conversation":false,"is_linkpost":true,"is_mention":false,"note":"","syndication":[]}},{"id":"11763026","content_html":"Parenthesis: Weekly Art Dispatch No. 26½ 🎨: greatskyriver.net
","summary":"","url":"https://greatskyriver.net/blog/parenthesis-weekly-art-dispatch-no-26point5","date_published":"2021-08-01T11:17:39+00:00","author":{"name":"Vega","url":"http://greatskyriver.net","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Fmicro.blog%2Fvega%2Favatar.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"vega"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2021-08-01 11:17","date_timestamp":1627816659,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"is_conversation":false,"is_linkpost":true,"is_mention":false,"note":"","syndication":[]}},{"id":"11740246","content_html":"Stepping out of an art hobbyist mindset: Weekly Art Dispatch No. 26 🎨: greatskyriver.net
","summary":"","url":"https://greatskyriver.net/blog/stepping-out-of-an-art-hobbyist-mindset-weekly-art-dispatch-no-26","date_published":"2021-07-26T15:05:13+00:00","author":{"name":"Vega","url":"http://greatskyriver.net","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Fmicro.blog%2Fvega%2Favatar.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"vega"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2021-07-26 15:05","date_timestamp":1627311913,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"is_conversation":false,"is_linkpost":true,"is_mention":false,"note":"","syndication":[]}},{"id":"11713736","content_html":"Breakthrough in digital painting workflow: Weekly Art Dispatch No. 25 🎨: greatskyriver.net
","summary":"","url":"https://greatskyriver.net/blog/breakthrough-in-digital-painting-workflow-weekly-art-dispatch-no-25","date_published":"2021-07-19T11:32:53+00:00","author":{"name":"Vega","url":"http://greatskyriver.net","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Fmicro.blog%2Fvega%2Favatar.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"vega"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2021-07-19 11:32","date_timestamp":1626694373,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"is_conversation":false,"is_linkpost":true,"is_mention":false,"note":"","syndication":[]}},{"id":"11685971","content_html":"Cylinders and digital birds: Weekly Art Dispatch No. 24 🎨: greatskyriver.net
","summary":"","url":"https://greatskyriver.net/blog/cylinders-and-digital-birds-weekly-art-dispatch-no-24","date_published":"2021-07-12T03:51:06+00:00","author":{"name":"Vega","url":"http://greatskyriver.net","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Fmicro.blog%2Fvega%2Favatar.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"vega"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2021-07-12 03:51","date_timestamp":1626061866,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"is_conversation":false,"is_linkpost":true,"is_mention":false,"note":"","syndication":[]}},{"id":"11661010","content_html":"Quarterly Art Dispatch: digital art & shading projects in Q2, 2021. 🎨 : greatskyriver.net
The Dispatch is back - with lots of shading! Weekly Art Dispatch No. 23 🎨 ![](\"https://micro.blog/photos/50/https://greatskyriver.net/blog/bl-content/uploads/pages/ffa45c0eaccfec0a9a8498801a0b6da6/art_dispatch_23-faiye-digital.jpg\")
![](\"https://micro.blog/photos/50/https://greatskyriver.net/blog/bl-content/uploads/pages/ffa45c0eaccfec0a9a8498801a0b6da6/art_dispatch_23-after-loish.jpg\")
: greatskyriver.net
Drawfest, and going on a newsletter hiatus: Weekly Art Dispatch No. 22 🎨 ![](\"https://micro.blog/photos/50/https://greatskyriver.net/blog/bl-content/uploads/pages/a7c16a4918387c6f0a397e1b457ce9e1/art_dispatch_22-dab5.jpg\")
: greatskyriver.net
Slow and steady: Weekly Art Dispatch, No. 21 🎨 ![](\"https://micro.blog/photos/50/https://greatskyriver.net/blog/bl-content/uploads/pages/2e8b4cdbfff214732c011d3593c60cdf/art_dispatch_20-dab5.jpg\")
: greatskyriver.net
A breakthrough in digital drawing: Weekly Art Dispatch, No. 20 🎨 ![](\"https://micro.blog/photos/50/https://greatskyriver.net/blog/bl-content/uploads/pages/1a786a0ca46d26e10020870222f6af50/art_dispatch_20-dab5.jpg\")
: greatskyriver.net
@herself I use Standard Notes, they have apps for Windows and smartphone (and web browser access too). I use it as my catch-all writing tool: from dumping URLs/lists, to quick jotting, to writing blog posts and even fiction. I like it because it’s dead simple to use (essentially like opening a TXT file in Notepad, which is how I used to take notes in the past) but has some subtle extensions that you can add-in later on. Plus encryption/privacy for your account.
\nFor links - Pinboard, spiritual successor to Del.icio.us. Also simple and minimal, purely browser-based (no apps). Both SN and Pinboard are paid services, but worth the money to me, and it helps support the IndieWeb.
@patrickrhone Your website-building manifesto is very informative, I’m going to take some leaves out of your book for building my personal websites. Thanks for sharing it.
\n","url":"https://micro.blog/vega/10983740","date_published":"2021-02-08T06:21:52+00:00","author":{"name":"Vega","url":"http://greatskyriver.net","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Fmicro.blog%2Fvega%2Favatar.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"vega"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2021-02-08 06:21","date_timestamp":1612765312,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"is_conversation":true,"is_linkpost":false,"is_mention":true}},{"id":"10854258","content_html":"@ReaderJohn @frostedechoes Thanks for sharing that article. I’m a Pentecostal Christian, however Bethel Church and this NAR movement has been losing credibility with me for some years already.
\nThis article was sobering (even though I felt some “I knew it” schadenfreude). The money quote is: “People are speaking words without accountability.” It looks like those leaders are being called to account for their words now. Their lack of humility, as well as the response from their followers, is disheartening overall. I hope these leaders wake up and see that they were responsible in the first place for creating the followers that are now tearing them to shreds - they made their bed and are now lying in it.
\n@ReaderJohn - I completely agree about the thin line. Jesus and QAnon are two sides of the same coin, and this NAR movement seems intent on living on both sides simultaneously. It’s madness. But also a sobering reminder that I could easily fall into the same error too, if I’m not humble before Christ.
\n","url":"https://micro.blog/vega/10854258","date_published":"2021-01-13T12:29:51+00:00","author":{"name":"Vega","url":"http://greatskyriver.net","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Fmicro.blog%2Fvega%2Favatar.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"vega"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2021-01-13 12:29","date_timestamp":1610540991,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"is_conversation":true,"is_linkpost":false,"is_mention":true}},{"id":"10852438","content_html":"@Mikehendley What great looking points. I haven’t found a sharpener of that quality yet, so I’ve resorted to sharpening my drawing pencils with a blade. Have you sharpened with a blade before, and how does that compare with this sharpener?
\n","url":"https://micro.blog/vega/10852438","date_published":"2021-01-13T03:14:47+00:00","author":{"name":"Vega","url":"http://greatskyriver.net","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Fmicro.blog%2Fvega%2Favatar.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"vega"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2021-01-13 03:14","date_timestamp":1610507687,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"is_conversation":true,"is_linkpost":false,"is_mention":true}},{"id":"10842261","content_html":"If you want some fiction/audio drama and are fine with the horror genre, I highly recommend The Magnus Archives. The episodes are standalone so you can dive in anywhere, but if you like it, I recommend starting from the beginning and listen chronologically, as there are big, linear story arcs that emerge after a while. @jsonbecker
\n","url":"https://micro.blog/vega/10842261","date_published":"2021-01-11T03:49:50+00:00","author":{"name":"Vega","url":"http://greatskyriver.net","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Fmicro.blog%2Fvega%2Favatar.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"vega"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2021-01-11 03:49","date_timestamp":1610336990,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"is_conversation":true,"is_linkpost":false,"is_mention":true}},{"id":"10842211","content_html":"@pratik I think the common takeaway in all immigration situations is perseverance in the face of adversity. It’s quite disheartening when right, quiet perseverance doesn’t seem to get anywhere, especially when the deck is stacked against circumstances you can’t control (such as birthplace) – while (ahem) “alternative avenues” appear more successful. So I’m happy that your long waiting has come to an end!
\nLately I’ve been learning about the history/experience of Chinese immigrants in the United States (by way of a podcast), and it highlighted how the US has not had a good track record of handling immigrants, especially those of non-European origins. Seems like the challenges that you and your wife have faced have deep roots in US history: social attitudes towards immigration may have changed, but the structural “attitude” embedded in government policies remains, and probably will take a while to renovate. Systems are slow to change.
\n","url":"https://micro.blog/vega/10842211","date_published":"2021-01-11T03:39:52+00:00","author":{"name":"Vega","url":"http://greatskyriver.net","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Fmicro.blog%2Fvega%2Favatar.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"vega"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2021-01-11 03:39","date_timestamp":1610336392,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"is_conversation":true,"is_linkpost":false,"is_mention":true}},{"id":"10838692","content_html":"@pratik Congrats sir. What a long road. As an immigrant (though not to USA, and my circumstances were substantially different to yours) I’m glad that your patience and perseverance amidst the challenges bore their fruit in the end.
\n","url":"https://micro.blog/vega/10838692","date_published":"2021-01-10T10:31:02+00:00","author":{"name":"Vega","url":"http://greatskyriver.net","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Fmicro.blog%2Fvega%2Favatar.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"vega"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2021-01-10 10:31","date_timestamp":1610274662,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"is_conversation":true,"is_linkpost":false,"is_mention":true}},{"id":"10804743","content_html":"@frostedechoes Thanks for linking to this artist Theophilia and introducing me to her art. Her work is stunning - it has that great mix of contemporary artistic sensibilities while maintaining that spirit of reverence and ancient symbolism.
\n","url":"https://micro.blog/vega/10804743","date_published":"2021-01-03T03:36:37+00:00","author":{"name":"Vega","url":"http://greatskyriver.net","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Fmicro.blog%2Fvega%2Favatar.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"vega"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2021-01-03 03:36","date_timestamp":1609644997,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"is_conversation":true,"is_linkpost":false,"is_mention":true}},{"id":"10779871","content_html":"@Cheri Your new website is looking crisp - and fast too. So well made. Congrats on moving away from WP. :D
\n","url":"https://micro.blog/vega/10779871","date_published":"2020-12-28T12:22:03+00:00","author":{"name":"Vega","url":"http://greatskyriver.net","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Fmicro.blog%2Fvega%2Favatar.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"vega"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2020-12-28 12:22","date_timestamp":1609158123,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"is_conversation":true,"is_linkpost":false,"is_mention":true}},{"id":"10770913","content_html":"@fahrni I too attempted to use Hugo for my blog, and very quickly got frustrated and gave up. However, I recently discovered Bludit - a CMS based off static-site generators that is fast and very simple to set up and use. A bit more fiddly to customize themes, and there are fewer plugins than WP of course, but otherwise, it’s fantastic for a little website. My entire website is now powered by Bludit and I’ve happily dumped WP into the dustbin. Typemill is also similar to Bludit, but haven’t tried it. Hope this helps, good luck finding an alternative to WP!
\n","url":"https://micro.blog/vega/10770913","date_published":"2020-12-26T05:57:22+00:00","author":{"name":"Vega","url":"http://greatskyriver.net","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Fmicro.blog%2Fvega%2Favatar.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"vega"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2020-12-26 05:57","date_timestamp":1608962242,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"is_conversation":true,"is_linkpost":false,"is_mention":true}},{"id":"4755554","content_html":"@fardles --
\n\n\n\n\nI had some suspicion that fewer people in Eastern countries have concerns about privacy and the need for an independent web
\n
I think East Asians do want privacy, but I think it'd be defined differently vs. Western/American. I also wonder if the tools used to build the Internet and/or IndieWeb contribute to one's way of thinking and engaging with the Net. At least, the outcomes (websites) I've seen in the independent web mostly embody that Western paradigm of privatization/individualism. But I'm aware that I sit within a glass box of perception that I can't entirely get out of, so maybe there are different examples out there.
\n\nI've been thinking about your second question for a few days. \"Virtue\" is very well put, it captures thoughts I hadn't been able to verbalize. That really helped me reframe the independent web into a paradigm I hadn't considered before, so thank you for mentioning it! But I'm finding it very hard to reconcile \"virtue\" with the independent web as it's currently defined and exemplified by IndieWeb. Guiding philosophies definitely influence tools and outcomes here.
\n","url":"https://micro.blog/vega/4755554","date_published":"2019-07-29T02:01:55+00:00","author":{"name":"Vega","url":"http://greatskyriver.net","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Fmicro.blog%2Fvega%2Favatar.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"vega"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2019-07-29 02:01","date_timestamp":1564365715,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"is_conversation":true,"is_linkpost":false,"is_mention":true}},{"id":"4755294","content_html":"@kimberlyhirsh Thanks for writing this. I'm of a similar generation as you, so I share a lot of the nostalgia and internal conflict with current Internet life.
\n\nI remember the \"weird Internet\" very well; indeed I used to make those kinds of websites, and I'm still invested in making them. I also think those Web 1.0-esque websites and communities are still around, even with linkrot they've never quite gone away. But with the increasing centralization and prominence of social-media giants, I think the average user of the Internet has been schooled into seeing and engaging only with the giants (and thus, to think about websites under a certain paradigm), and have been schooled out of the methods of finding and engaging with the small independent websites. We're now used to having links served to us by the silos and just scanning a random blog post but not engaging with the entire blog (person). We have to school ourselves back into how to walk off the beaten track and discover the Internet for ourselves -- by following links and engaging deeply with websites and blogs.
\n","url":"https://micro.blog/vega/4755294","date_published":"2019-07-29T00:01:36+00:00","author":{"name":"Vega","url":"http://greatskyriver.net","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Fmicro.blog%2Fvega%2Favatar.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"vega"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2019-07-29 00:01","date_timestamp":1564358496,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"is_conversation":true,"is_linkpost":false,"is_mention":true}},{"id":"4711020","content_html":"@hjertnes Indeed, listening to podcasts becomes the new norm. When I listened to music during downtimes at work and on my commute, it gave me space to think, reflect and daydream... but since I replaced the music with people talking into my ear, those times of reflection become less and less. I've been getting dissatisfied with this \"crowdedness\" in my headspace, so I think it's good to return to music (or even silence) to recapture that space for reflection and imagination.
\n","url":"https://micro.blog/vega/4711020","date_published":"2019-07-26T08:25:05+00:00","author":{"name":"Vega","url":"http://greatskyriver.net","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Fmicro.blog%2Fvega%2Favatar.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"vega"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2019-07-26 08:25","date_timestamp":1564129505,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"is_conversation":true,"is_linkpost":false,"is_mention":true}},{"id":"4708287","content_html":"@kicks re tools:\nI think that \"unlike things adjacent to each other\" helps a lot; the examples in @dancohen's article -- record store, newspaper -- depend on spatial organization to promote serendipity even when one begins at a point of their own interest. Browsing my Pinboard.in account revives and reminds me of old interests -- the links may be organized by date in a flat-file, but diverse things are adjacent to each other. I've also been experimenting with Zettelkasten for various info-management and creative purposes (haven't progressed far though).
\n\nI'm generally in agreement with this paper that spatial organization is integral to human interaction with things outside the self; but digital tools and AI aren't that good at doing it yet. Human-curated hyperlinks and organizational methods are a step towards it, but perhaps this is an area for future IT development.
\n","url":"https://micro.blog/vega/4708287","date_published":"2019-07-26T00:28:22+00:00","author":{"name":"Vega","url":"http://greatskyriver.net","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Fmicro.blog%2Fvega%2Favatar.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"vega"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2019-07-26 00:28","date_timestamp":1564100902,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"is_conversation":true,"is_linkpost":false,"is_mention":true}},{"id":"4708129","content_html":"@fardles @amit I'm of the opinion that it's quite Western (more specifically, middle/upper-class Western) -- and that's purely derived from the \"vibe\" I get off browsing Micro.blog and IndieWeb at large. Here on M.B, the ethnically non-white people I know of (myself included) seem substantially Westernized, at least in the way they express themselves in this context. Not to say that East Asian and other non-Western cultures don't want an independent web, but I think they express and enact it through different avenues and guiding philosophies -- and languages for that matter. I'm personally not cognizant of these other avenues -- something to explore further perhaps.
\n\nI blogged somewhat about it here and here.
\n","url":"https://micro.blog/vega/4708129","date_published":"2019-07-25T23:30:23+00:00","author":{"name":"Vega","url":"http://greatskyriver.net","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Fmicro.blog%2Fvega%2Favatar.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"vega"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2019-07-25 23:30","date_timestamp":1564097423,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"is_conversation":true,"is_linkpost":false,"is_mention":true}},{"id":"4707987","content_html":"@hjertnes Thanks for posting this, it prompted my reflection. I noticed that since I started listening to podcasts, I'm listening to a lot less music and radio. I think that needs to change!
\n","url":"https://micro.blog/vega/4707987","date_published":"2019-07-25T22:37:29+00:00","author":{"name":"Vega","url":"http://greatskyriver.net","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Fmicro.blog%2Fvega%2Favatar.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"vega"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2019-07-25 22:37","date_timestamp":1564094249,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"is_conversation":true,"is_linkpost":false,"is_mention":true}},{"id":"4691806","content_html":"@amit I don't see why a proposal like yours can't be attempted! I haven't examined recent AI research to any degree so I can't comment on whether machine learning is able to accurately parse \"tone\" of individuals and contexts right now -- maybe it is possible for AI to do it. Where I'm more skeptical, less sanguine, is on the implications when these machine learning/algorithms are applied by humans to humans.
\n\nI think we've seen how algorithms, once used for pragmatic means, can be inadvertently or even purposefully used to discriminate against subsets of people; the example I'm thinking of is how zipcode/location is used to discriminate against people in certain neighbourhoods when applying for mortgages/loans in the US (though I don't have citations for this right now). To me, tools like machine learning are double-edged swords: all well and good if it's used for its original purpose, but am I prepared to let it be used against me?
\n\nAnd it'd certainly be nice to have an automaton (instead of a human community manager) screen out negativity; however, how easy is it to move the line from \"indecent in our cultural milieu\" to \"indecent because I don't want to deal with tough things\"? Sometimes an indecent, vile message still prompt self-reflection and a more open mind in spite (or because) of its vileness. Part of me worries that algorithms ultimately end up being exploited to reinforce our own biases and narrow our horizons, which is why I wonder about consensus over decency/negativity, and how to arrive at one without biasing the algorithm towards narrowness.
\n\nApologies for derailing the thread into a more philosophical ramble - I'm not in IT/programming, so my thoughts tend toward \"how will this be used?\" :)
\n","url":"https://micro.blog/vega/4691806","date_published":"2019-07-25T06:09:07+00:00","author":{"name":"Vega","url":"http://greatskyriver.net","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Fmicro.blog%2Fvega%2Favatar.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"vega"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2019-07-25 06:09","date_timestamp":1564034947,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"is_conversation":true,"is_linkpost":false,"is_mention":true}},{"id":"4690924","content_html":"@ayjay Very true, but the limitations of individual scope could be overcome if enough individuals do it and feed off each other.
\n\nI subscribe to your and @robinsloan's newsletters (Sloan came to my attention both via your blog and someone else's - identity long forgotten - reference of Fat Gold), and I consider both newsletters as my \"serendipitous connections\" to new ideas. Ideally, I ought to reciprocate and produce my own newsletter of interests and links for you and others to benefit from. (Newsletter is unlikely, but I'm hoping to create a directory of links through my very tiny website eventually -- all as a matter of practicing what I believe.)
\n\nBut yes, it's still ad hoc, privatized, and limited to my own scope of interests. It makes me wonder whether you're right about the incompatibility of (current) digital life and serendipity. The culture of Internet and tech use has definitely shifted to prioritize reliance on centralized search a la Google over small-scope methods like human curation.
\n\nI did like @dancohen's example of \"generous interfaces\" though.
\n","url":"https://micro.blog/vega/4690924","date_published":"2019-07-25T02:21:13+00:00","author":{"name":"Vega","url":"http://greatskyriver.net","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Fmicro.blog%2Fvega%2Favatar.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"vega"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2019-07-25 02:21","date_timestamp":1564021273,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"is_conversation":true,"is_linkpost":false,"is_mention":true}},{"id":"4690768","content_html":"@fardles Raises hand. I only just saw this. There are a few on M.B.
\n","url":"https://micro.blog/vega/4690768","date_published":"2019-07-25T01:56:34+00:00","author":{"name":"Vega","url":"http://greatskyriver.net","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Fmicro.blog%2Fvega%2Favatar.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"vega"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2019-07-25 01:56","date_timestamp":1564019794,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"is_conversation":true,"is_linkpost":false,"is_mention":true}},{"id":"4690488","content_html":"\n\n\n\n\nSo what would digital serendipity look like?
\n
It might look like human-curated hyperlinks. Serendipity in newspapers and record stores is dependent on unlike things being adjacent to each other. Discovery during \"Web 1.0\" was entirely through hyperlinking via the personal website: I might follow a hyperlink to a website because it was like the page that linked it; but might leave the website through an unlike but adjacent hyperlink. It's the caprice, whimsy, lateral thinking, and uniqueness of the curator that decides what link stands next to what else -- something that machine algorithms just can't do. These days we rely too much on a machine serving us hyperlinks; a return to human-curated hyperlinks is perhaps a way of raising serendipity.
\n\n// CC'ing @kicks @bradenslen as I've had past convos with them about hyperlinking.
\n","url":"https://micro.blog/vega/4690488","date_published":"2019-07-25T00:16:16+00:00","author":{"name":"Vega","url":"http://greatskyriver.net","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Fmicro.blog%2Fvega%2Favatar.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"vega"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2019-07-25 00:16","date_timestamp":1564013776,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"is_conversation":true,"is_linkpost":false,"is_mention":true}},{"id":"4690381","content_html":"@amit We first have to come to a consensus on what constitutes \"negativity\", and how screening against negativity doesn't represent a form of censorship. Is consensus possible? Who decides this? And who decides how to quantify/code for this, and what will be the philosophies guiding the coding? Are you willing to apply the algorithms to yourself, and what if you fall short of it? And how will this liberate or constrain people's expressions of themselves?
\n\nNo easy answers to this!
\n","url":"https://micro.blog/vega/4690381","date_published":"2019-07-24T23:38:08+00:00","author":{"name":"Vega","url":"http://greatskyriver.net","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Fmicro.blog%2Fvega%2Favatar.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"vega"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2019-07-24 23:38","date_timestamp":1564011488,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"is_conversation":true,"is_linkpost":false,"is_mention":true}},{"id":"4590870","content_html":"@bradenslen Thanks for sharing your family's experience, I love hearing stories like that.
\n\nYour mention of \"relevance\" struck a chord. I find it a gnarly claim. My parents spoke English at home and encouraged me to associate with the majority cultures we lived in; my family upbringing was quite Westernized as a result. I have memories of parents saying things like: \"We assimilate because we are entering the greater 'host culture', and we must be open to them just as they were open in welcoming us immigrants.\" That assimilation wasn't coercive, as in your family's case -- I couldn't imagine the pressure and anxiety that must cause! But assimilation runs the risk of forgetting my roots. The more I live, the more I realize how valuable my mother culture is to my identity... and they were things I dismissed as \"irrelevant\" when I was younger!
\n\nWhile I'm grateful that I can navigate Western culture quite well as a result of my upbringing, I do feel that something of my heritage had been lost along the way. It's not too late to embrace it though, even if I don't do it as well as my peers (and that's no shame!). I think it's inevitable to lose something while gaining something else, so it's a matter of holding both in tension, returning to my heritage while also valuing the goodness that Western culture has given to me (and it has, a lot).
\n","url":"https://micro.blog/vega/4590870","date_published":"2019-07-18T23:28:35+00:00","author":{"name":"Vega","url":"http://greatskyriver.net","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Fmicro.blog%2Fvega%2Favatar.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"vega"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2019-07-18 23:28","date_timestamp":1563492515,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"is_conversation":true,"is_linkpost":false,"is_mention":true}},{"id":"4574779","content_html":"@garciabuxton @Miraz @smokey Thanks Joyce for sharing that link. It's definitely not just an American phenomenon. You're not alone!
\n\nSmokey said:
\n\n\n\n\nI wonder if there’s a qualitative difference in feeling between those who lost their language heritage via “state action” (in most cases, some form of colonization) and those who lost it via parental (in)action after emigration?
\n
Yes, I'm sure there's a difference that's not limited to language. To use Southeast Asia as an example, there's a difference between being a Malaysian, living in Malaysia, rediscovering Malaysian history pre-colonization by the British.... and being a child of Malaysian emigrants who is born in Australia. On one hand, you're a part of a majority culture -- influenced by colonialism and the West, yes, but still the majority. On the other hand, you're a minority living within a majority culture. And there are differences between being an indigenous minority who is currently being marginalized by the now-majority colonists/emigrants (eg. indigenous Australians), and being an indigenous majority who is no longer directly subjugated (eg. Southeast Asian nations that were former British colonies).
\n\nI'm a third-culture kid, have been part of majority and minority cultures at different times, and I've constantly wrestled in my relationship with my mother tongue and my identity at large. I don't think I fall neatly into either category of colonized vs. emigrated. So while generalities can be helpful, I also hesitate to categorize the experiences of nations and individuals in too much detail, as they can be pretty complex.
\n","url":"https://micro.blog/vega/4574779","date_published":"2019-07-18T04:49:33+00:00","author":{"name":"Vega","url":"http://greatskyriver.net","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Fmicro.blog%2Fvega%2Favatar.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"vega"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2019-07-18 04:49","date_timestamp":1563425373,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"is_conversation":true,"is_linkpost":false,"is_mention":true}},{"id":"4414495","content_html":"@bradenslen I follow The Everyday Novelist podcast, by a self published author. He also published an ebook called Business 101 which is geared toward writers. I appreciate most that he delves into the mindset and attitudes toward money required to successfully self publish, instead of merely providing methods.
\n","url":"https://micro.blog/vega/4414495","date_published":"2019-07-08T23:38:30+00:00","author":{"name":"Vega","url":"http://greatskyriver.net","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Fmicro.blog%2Fvega%2Favatar.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"vega"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2019-07-08 23:38","date_timestamp":1562629110,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"is_conversation":true,"is_linkpost":false,"is_mention":true}},{"id":"4383129","content_html":"@kicks Hello, Kicks. Replying to the comment in this post in praise of creating webpages in plain HTML/CSS. Boy has the Internet come full circle -- back to the status quo of the early 2000s (so not that big a circle). I'm currently playing with Hugo static site generator, and at the back of my mind lingers the thought about whether it will give me more trouble than not in the long-term. HTML really is the elegant KISS method at the end of the day. Thanks for highlighting alternative perspectives in webdesign!
\n","url":"https://micro.blog/vega/4383129","date_published":"2019-07-06T04:39:38+00:00","author":{"name":"Vega","url":"http://greatskyriver.net","avatar":"https://cdn.micro.blog/photos/96/https%3A%2F%2Fmicro.blog%2Fvega%2Favatar.jpg","_microblog":{"username":"vega"}},"_microblog":{"date_relative":"2019-07-06 04:39","date_timestamp":1562387978,"is_favorite":false,"is_bookmark":false,"is_deletable":false,"is_conversation":true,"is_linkpost":false,"is_mention":true}}]}