One quiet weekend, I decided to launch my own WordPress site. Although it might seem like a spur-of-the-moment decision out of my ordinary routine, I’ve actually had my “Online Project” notes since about ten (10) years ago, initially kept in Microsoft OneNote—the old desktop version, not the OneNote we know today.
A little backstory about my “Online Project” notebook: After accumulating a lot of notes, I discovered Notion several years later when it became popular and free, so I transferred all my notes there. Eventually, Microsoft Loop came along.
As I type this post, I’m looking at my “Online Project” Loop page—which, by the way, are stored in a workspace I call “Life Tracker“—and, looking at it, I can’t believe how much information I’ve gathered over the years:
- A list of 135 possible names for my blog, including the one I chose—”After Pivot.”
- My vision for the logo, which isn’t the temporary one you currently see on this site.
- Over 130 items covering website resources, web hosting price and performance comparisons, asset resources (both free and paid), WordPress setup and plugins, topics I want to write about, and other online platforms I want to establish (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, Medium).
Why did it take me so long, you ask? Short answer—time, money, and the limitations of technology a decade ago.
It was indeed my dream to have my own website, LinkedIn profile, YouTube channel (for professional or educational videos), and Medium account as a way to stand out online and attract career opportunities. However, it wasn’t a dream that I could do concurrently with my full time job and other goals. Rather, I saw it as something more than a hobby, but less than a full-time endeavor. Despite taking several years to bring the project to fruition, I enjoyed the process of gathering as much information as I could.
Years ago, hosting was expensive. I could’ve avoided costs entirely by using free blog hosting sites like the free version of WordPress or Blogspot, but that wasn’t the kind of practicality I was aiming for.
Additionally, WordPress had a steep learning curve, at least for a non-IT guy like me. In comparison, today’s version allows me to use a feature called “blocks,” making website building more akin to using a word processor with draggable textboxes, or at least that’s the impression that I get.
A project whose plan took the backseat for around a decade suddenly took life on the Internet. Times have changed, and something that once felt beyond my reach is now something I managed to set up in less than an hour. That’s how it has become easy now. Just as photography and videography once were in the hands of experts and were out of reach for most people who only wanted to capture moments of their lives as a form of hobby, but now everybody can do the same thing with their smartphones, I was able to launch this humble nook in the vast online sphere in spite of the bells and whistles underlying this fascinating technology.
It may not be much, but this is my small piece of the World Wide Web. I created it primarily for myself, but if you happen to find anything useful here, that would mean a lot to me.
Here’s to more creating content. Cheers!
Leave a Reply