Reader

I already have a #WordPress blog (I won't link it cause it won't be around for long). I pay $84 CDN/year (these were as of when I signed up) for the Starter plan. Another $36 for ad-free. You're already indulging me in reading the whack ramblings I put on here, I'm not gonna make you scroll past ads for bro supplements and penis pills. And then, I pay another $26 for domain registration/mapping.

WordPress has many features, but I use very few of them. I don't care about monetization, and neither am I expecting a million views a week, so I don't need an Azure cluster and a load-balancing content delivery network.

And... I pay all that and I still can't customize the stylesheet which really cheeses me off – unless I upgrade to a business tier that permits plugins (which I'd need to enable ActivityPub connection). Seriously, all I wanted to do is change the font used by my WordPress Theme for codeblocks to be an actual monospaced font. Nope, couldn't do it. That's horseshit.

So what DO you want?

I want to write stuff. I want it to be out there. I want to have drafts that kick around until Im ready to publish them. I want to customize my CSS stylesheet. I want basic formatting, nothing too special. Host images with it, not just reference by it. Integration with the #Fediverse, but only so my content shows up there. Maybe someone (mostly just me) can follow it, and I can boost or reference it. I'm not looking for comments on my blog (yet.)

Most importantly, get my stuff in my own hands. Host it myself. Not have to be held captive by anyone else.

Stuff I don't need, want, or care about

• monetization – I have a day job, I write for fun
• ads – heck with those things.
• membership, loyalty or patreon gatekeeping – dunno bout you, but if the first thing I get when I follow an enticing link to your content is a Substack popup to subscribe to your mailing list or join some entry-level tier of support, I'll rethink whether I really want to read your stuff, even if there's a link underneath to skip it (in teeny tiny print)

Sooo.... I did a bit of research, had a spare computer kicking around, and decided to host my own WriteFreely instance. You're looking at it.

Here's what you should know before YOU make the jump to WriteFreely – either a hosted account (Write.As or any of the open instances) – its not WordPress; know what you're getting into beforehand.

And..

Here's how you setup your own WriteFreely instance if you want to self-host.

If self-hosting isn't your thing, I might be talked into a trial setup for you... here... msg me at @tezoatlipoca @mas.to after you read the About page.

From:

pic.twitter.com/A3gGr1dmhQ

— Oil Sands Action (@OilsandsAction) May 4, 2022

I’ll follow you if I get an admission that the Canadian petrochemical industry knew all along, and they deliberately sat on global warming for $profit$.

I've had email since the 80s. Spam has always been a thing. Most of the time its worthless. Sometimes its very, very good and makes me laugh.

From: RuthJuan@clevasuniversitys.info <RuthJuan@clevasuniversitys.info> 
To: ME
Sent: September 1, 2022 11:13 AM
Cc: RuthJuan@clevasuniversitys.info
Subject: 

You can call me Nora, I am a seamstress by profession . I am filled with lust as I am typing this. This should let you understand that I am open to shagging . I am not a bashful girl, I am bold in my skills to take care of a man . For this reason, I want a man that is already hard from reading about my personality.

My girlfriend's father John is an archtypal narcissist; everything is about him. He also tends to be racist, sexist and occasionally homophobic.

These are his stories.

Hashtags: #narcissim #narcissists

From: John

Subject: Somewhere Over The Rainbow
To: SISTER1
Cc: SISTER2

I've just been listening to Judy Garland singing this amazing song on an LP I bought recently called "Greatest Hits of the 1930s." While I was listening to it, I suddenly remembered something that you might not know: Your cousin COUSIN1 sang it for you on your naming day, accompanied by me on the piano. I also remember envying COUSIN1, because all she had to do was stay on tune and in time with me, both of which she did very well. I was envying her because the song is sheer HELL to play on the piano. It has chords in it that are really, really hard to get your fingers around. BTW, I'm pretty sure there was a program printed out saying who was doing what that day. I don't have a copy, but I wouldn't be surprised if your mother does. Maybe you do too. :)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSZxmZmBfnU

From: Me
Subject: FW: Fwd: Somewhere Over The Rainbow
To: COUSIN1

As an uninterested party, I do rather enjoy reading her father’s emails. 
The more you read it, the more layers of narcissism you unwrap... like an Narcissonion.
 
Anyway COUSIN1. You were like... 8, so you are probably old enough to remember how tough this was for your uncle to accompany you on that day. 😊

And most of us would say “oh hey, did you know that”. Instead, he says “, I suddenly remembered something that you might not know:” Simultaneously he condescends AND makes it about him! Its a narcissist double word score! He’s off the fucking chain!

From: COUSIN1

To: Me
Subject: Re: FW: Fwd: Somewhere Over The Rainbow

I do remember this!
Narcissonion is amazing and should be trademarked.  

NarcissonionTM – is only $1200 away. Kickstarter to be announced.

My girlfriend's father John is an archtypal narcissist; everything is about him. He also tends to be racist, sexist and occasionally homophobic.

These are his stories.

From: John
To: Sister #1, Sister #2
Subject: What's in a Name?

Henry Ford hated Jews. Guess they'll have to name their vehicles something else lest they offend more snowflakes. Edsel, maybe?

https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/princeton-woodrow-wilson-1.5630249

From: Sister #2
To: John
cc: Sister #1
Subject: Re: What's in a Name?

There is a societal revolution happening around the world that is our generation's continuation of the Civil Rights movement. We have been royally fucked by the generations before us because of shortsighted policies that privilege the white, the elite and the billionaires and have created extreme disparities along racial and economic lines. People are standing up to this reality like your generation did in the 60s. The world needs to change if my son is going to grow up in a world....that exists. If you think this is about snowflakes then think again.

From: Sister #1
To: John
cc: Sister #2
Subject: Re: What's in a Name?

Hey Dad, remember the (multiple, sooooo multiple) times I've asked you to please stop sending me emails that directly insult me and my values? K thx bye.

Writing Freely

A test, writing a basic blog entry on Write Freely, the Fediverse aware ActivityPub supporting blogging platform.

I have resisted learning Markdown. Primarily through apathy, but more recently as I’ve come to the realisation that Swartz and Gruber ignored longstanding existing conventions for marking up plain text with asterisks, underscores and slashes to come up with their own clunky, redundant format instead.

I will shake my fist at these kids and yell at them to get off my lawn.