Blog introspection
I’ve written posts about the history of this blog here and there (and many others have been lost during domain changes). However, this challenge shared by el amigo Juanjo feels like a great exercise in introspection.
Why did you start blogging in the first place?
Many, many years ago, back when the Internet was practically black and white, my curiosity was sparked by that other free operating system that didn’t belong to any big corporation. With that interest came the idea to create a website where I could share resources (documentation, manuals, news) about that fascinating project called Linux. That’s how Userlinux was born.
Over time, I discovered the blogosphere, and with it, I felt an increasing desire to write posts that were less technical and more personal. Somewhere along that transition — and without me even realizing it — Userlinux became my blog.
What platform are you using to manage your blog, and why do you use it?
Currently, I’m using Hugo because I don’t need anything beyond a static site. However, this blog has also been one of the main excuses for investing time in learning by developing my own content management systems. It started as a custom PHP+MySQL setup, then went through several development frameworks before evolving into a Django package with support for MySQL and Redis. Good times.
Have you blogged on other platforms before?
I’ve used other platforms (both commercial and open-source) for other projects and to gather ideas for features I could implement in my own CMS. In fact, when I planned the domain change (userlinux.net → oscarmlage.com), I tested several platforms before settling on the one that, in my opinion, best suited my needs.
What’s your favourite post on your blog?
It’s hard to decide — it’s been over 20 years of posts! However, if I had to choose, I think my top favorites would be the ones that reflect changes, projects, or emotions that, in some way, have shaped my life (in chronological order):
Any future plans for the blog?
I have no idea what the future holds, but I believe it’s the past that has defined what this site has become, so the present is helping shape what will happen in the future (what a ridiculous way to say I have no idea).
BTW, if you like the LORE, I have to say that in the past I’ve changed the way I viewed this little space many times. It went from being a place for documentation and/or technical posts related to Linux and programming languages, to a place I used as an escape and outlet for various frustrations.
At one point, I tried to keep two separate sites, one for personal and one for professional content, thinking it was best for my career and that I shouldn’t mix apples with oranges. But over time, I realized there’s no sense in dividing myself like that because, in the end, I’m the same person, with all the good and bad that comes with it.
If we look at the present, with everything happening in the tech giants, content filtering, and the mix of politics… we can get a glimpse of what the future might look like.
I think, on one hand, decentralized networks and having control and authorship over the content we write is a great decision. That’s why I can’t imagine writing anywhere other than a site that I can manage and control myself. As for the topics, it’s hard to define, but I don’t think it’s much different from what it already is today.
I’m not sure if I should tag someone else, I guess I should to keep the chain going… so, even though it’s a bit of a hassle, I think Andreas will have a lovely story to tell us about his blog.