Instead of Writing
This evening I hid behind Productive Procrastination instead of writing.
https://readbeanicecream.surge.sh/2025/06/12/instead-of-writing/
#indieweb #personalsite #smallweb #smolweb #vacation #procrastination #slashpage #blog #blogs #blogging #writing
đ Flashback Friday #8 đ â Habbo Hotel
Pixel rooms, rare furni, and avoiding mods while shouting âFREE FURNI IN MA ROOM!ââthe classic Habbo Hotel was chaotic, hilarious, and somehow wholesome. From organized mafias to room raids, it was social media before we had a name for it. Just donât step on the rollers unless youâre ready for war.
Habbo Hotel was a pixelated wonderland of social interaction and chaos in its early days. Launched in 2000, this isometric chatroom was set in a virtual hotel where users created avatars, decorated rooms with âfurni,â and joined themed roleplaying communities. There were Habbo mafias, dance clubs, dating rooms, and trade markets. You could throw wild room parties or spend hours designing the perfect pad. Scammers, mods, and pranksters ran rampant, and room raids by outside forums were common. Yet, under all the trolling was a vibrant community built around creativity and connection.
ââ
Whatâs the wildest thing you ever witnessed (or did) on Habbo Hotel? Did you run a room, join a mafia, or just crash parties for the free furni? What was your favorite piece of furni or room theme you ever created? Let us know!
-----
Source: https://sovereignweb.thecozy.cat/blog/%f0%9f%92%99-flashback-friday-8-%f0%9f%92%99-habbo-hotel/
-----
@sovereignweb @indieweb @neocities @smallweb @webdev @blog @webdesign
#HabboHotel #Indieweb #Nostalgia #Oldweb #Smallweb #Sovereignweb #Webdev
đ Flashback Friday #7 đ â LiveJournal
Ah, LiveJournal. For many of us, it was the moody, poetic corner of the internet where self-expression reigned supreme. Before social media fed us endless streams of curated content, LiveJournal offered something raw and personal. It was where cryptic song lyrics doubled as blog titles and angsty midnight entries were practically a rite of passage. With glitter graphics, emo avatars, and a dashboard full of diary-style posts, LJ wasnât just a platformâit was a lifestyle. Whether you were venting, philosophizing, or crafting your next great fanfiction, your LiveJournal was your sanctuary.
Launched in 1999, LiveJournal quickly became a cultural touchstone for the early internet. It wasnât just a place to writeâit was a place to belong. Communities were everything. You could join fan groups dedicated to your favorite shows, bands, or books and get lost in sprawling comment threads filled with theories, character debates, and writing prompts. Layout customization with CSS gave users full creative control, and your profile was a reflection of your identityâcomplete with mood tags and âcurrent musicâ updates that changed with your emotional weather. It was a golden age of internet intimacy, when every post felt like a letter to your future self and your closest virtual friends.
For fandom enthusiasts, LiveJournal was the epicenter of activity. It birthed shipping wars, meme chains, and expansive fanfiction archives long before platforms like AO3 existed. Writers honed their skills in real-time, receiving feedback in threaded comments that often spiraled into full-blown conversations. The line between fan and creator blurred as communities became tight-knit, collaborative, and passionately expressive. Even drama, when it erupted, felt like a shared storyline in the ongoing soap opera of digital life.
LiveJournal may not dominate the digital landscape anymore, but its legacy is undeniable. It taught us how to build community through vulnerability, how to customize our online spaces, and how to form real emotional bonds in virtual realms. For those who were there, LJ wasnât just a blogâit was a window into who we were becoming.
ââ
Do you remember your first LJ username (or dare we say⌠your most embarrassing one)? What mood tag did you always use? Did you meet any lifelong friends (or rivals) through LJ? Let us know!
-----
Source: https://sovereignweb.thecozy.cat/blog/%f0%9f%92%99-flashback-friday-7-%f0%9f%92%99-livejournal/
-----
@sovereignweb @indieweb @neocities @smallweb @webdev @blog @webdesign
#Indieweb #LiveJournal #Nostalgia #Oldweb #Smallweb #Sovereignweb #Webdev
đ Flashback Friday #6 đ â Neopets
Remember when feeding a digital Aisha was more important than your homework?
Before mobile games and dopamine-fueled scroll sessions, there was Neopetsâa magical land called Neopia where we fed digital creatures, played Flash games for Neopoints, and dreamed of getting rare paint brushes to customize our pets. But Neopets wasnât just a pet simulator; it was an immersive fantasy world. You could own a shop, invest in the Neopian stock market, decorate your Neohome, and even write for the in-world newspaper. Guilds, Battledome duels, and seasonal events made the site endlessly engaging. And letâs not forget the thrill of unlocking the Lab Ray or catching a random event from the mysterious Boochi.
For many of us, Neopets was our first brush with online community, HTML editing, and low-key economic theory. Neopia may have aged, but the nostalgia is eternal.
ââ
What was your favorite Neopets memory? Did Neopets spark your interest in coding, writing, or digital design? Let us know!
-----
Source: https://sovereignweb.thecozy.cat/blog/%f0%9f%92%99-flashback-friday-6-%f0%9f%92%99-neopets/
-----
@sovereignweb @indieweb @neocities @smallweb @webdev @blog @webdesign
#Indieweb #Neopets #Nostalgia #Oldweb #Smallweb #Sovereignweb #Webdev
đ Flashback Friday #5 đ â Youtube
Before YouTube became a corporate machine full of sponsorships, algorithms, and influencer culture, it was chaotic, weird, and deeply personal. It was a time when youâd stumble across a random vlogger in their bedroom, an over-the-top skit, or a grainy anime music video set to Linkin Parkâand it all felt real.
Back then, there were no forced ads, no algorithm pushing content, and no pressure to monetize everything. People made videos because they wanted to, not because they were chasing views. Classics like Charlie Bit Me, Potter Puppet Pals, and Shoes by Kelly werenât manufactured viral hitsâthey just happened. And the comment sections? Absolute wild west energy.
Once Google bought YouTube in 2006, things started shifting toward polished, advertiser-friendly content, which eventually resulted in a lot of censorship and stifling of creativity. While thereâs still great stuff on YouTube today, that old, uncurated magic is missing. The Sovereign Web and similar movements are bringing that back to the internetâcontent made for passion, not profit.
đ Do you miss old-school YouTube? Did you have your own vlog channel? Whatâs one early YouTube video that lives in your head rent free? Let us know!
-----
Source: https://sovereignweb.thecozy.cat/blog/%f0%9f%92%99-flashback-friday-5-%f0%9f%92%99-youtube/
-----
@sovereignweb @indieweb @neocities @smallweb @webdev @blog @webdesign
#Google #Indieweb #Nostalgia #Oldweb #Smallweb #Sovereignweb #Webdesign #Webdev #Webrevival #Youtube
đ Flashback Friday #3 đ â Geocities & Angelfire
Before social media took over, Geocities and Angelfire were where the internetâs real creativity happened. These free web hosting platforms let people build anything they wantedâfrom personal diaries to deep-dive fan shrines to completely bizarre conspiracy hubs. It was the raw, unfiltered internet, and it was glorious.
These sites werenât polished, but that was the charm. Backgrounds were painfully bright, GIFs were everywhere, and youâd often be greeted with a âWELCOME TO MY WEBSITE!!!â in giant, flashing Comic Sans. And honestly? That was way more interesting than the sanitized, templated internet we have today.
Geocities shut down in 2009, and Angelfire still exists but is barely recognizable. Yet, in many ways, the Sovereign Web and similar movement are bringing back what these sites stood forâa web that is personal, creative, and fully owned by its users.
đ Did you ever make a Geocities or Angelfire site? If you could bring back one thing from that era, what would it be? Is there anything stopping you from creating a personal website simply for the fun of it? Let us know!
-----
-----
@sovereignweb @indieweb @neocities @smallweb @webdev @blog @webdesign
#Angelfire #Geocities #Indieweb #Nostalgia #Oldweb #Smallweb #Sovereignweb #Webdesign #Webdev #Webrevival
đ Flashback Friday #1 đ | Myspace
Myspace wasnât just a social network; it was a digital expression of who you were. We spent hours tweaking HTML and CSS to perfect our profile layouts, adding glitter text, custom cursors, and autoplaying songs that set the mood. Your Top 8 friends were a serious status symbol (and possibly a source of drama). And letâs not forget the bulletin postsâthose chain surveys that gave us a glimpse into everyoneâs most random thoughts.
It was messy, loud, and personal in a way todayâs social platforms arenât. There were no algorithms deciding what you should seeâyour profile was your own space. Now, Myspace is a ghost of what it once was, trying (and failing) to be a music discovery platform. But honestly, nothing will ever compare to the golden era of profile songs and the thrill of getting a friend request from Tom.
đ Did you have a Myspace? What was your go-to profile song? And do you miss having that much control over your online presence? What are some of your core memories that you loved about the Myspace era that youâd like to see brought back into mainstream social media? Let us know!
-----
Source: https://sovereignweb.thecozy.cat/blog/flashback-friday-1/
-----
@sovereignweb @indieweb @neocities @smallweb @webdev @blog @webdesign
#Indieweb #Myspace #Nostalgia #Oldweb #Smallweb #Socialmedia #Sovereignweb #Spacehey
đ Thread Thursday #10 đ
Have you ever scrapped a website project and started over? Why?
Was it a technical issue, a design problem, or a shift in your vision?
Did you learn anything from the experience that helped with future projects?
Do you think starting over led to a better final result?
Let us know! đ
-----
Source: https://sovereignweb.thecozy.cat/blog/%f0%9f%92%9a-thread-thursday-10-%f0%9f%92%9a/
-----
@sovereignweb @indieweb @neocities @smallweb @webdev @blog @webdesign
#Indieweb #NekoWeb #Neocities #Nostalgia #Oldweb #Smallweb #Sovereignweb #Webdesign #Webdev #Webrevival
đ Thread Thursday #9 đ
Whatâs a feature on someone elseâs website that you want to implement on yours?
What makes this feature stand out to you?
Would you tweak or customize it to fit your siteâs unique style?
Have you found any good tutorials or resources on how to implement it?
Let us know! đ
-----
Source: https://sovereignweb.thecozy.cat/blog/%f0%9f%92%9a-thread-thursday-9-%f0%9f%92%9a/
-----
@sovereignweb @indieweb @neocities @smallweb @webdev @blog @webdesign
#Indieweb #NekoWeb #Neocities #Nostalgia #Oldweb #Smallweb #Sovereignweb #Webdesign #Webdev #Webrevival
đ Thread Thursday #8 đ
How do you come up with a unique aesthetic for your website?
What influences your siteâs aesthetic the mostâcolors, typography, layout, or something else?
How do you balance aesthetics with usability and functionality?
Do you have a signature style or element that makes your site unmistakably yours?
Let us know! đ
-----
Source: https://sovereignweb.thecozy.cat/blog/%f0%9f%92%9a-thread-thursday-8-%f0%9f%92%9a/
-----
@sovereignweb @indieweb @neocities @smallweb @webdev @blog @webdesign
#Indieweb #NekoWeb #Neocities #Nostalgia #Oldweb #Smallweb #Sovereignweb #Webdesign #Webdev #Webrevival
đ Thread Thursday #7 đ
Whatâs one small detail on your site that makes you proud?
Did you add it intentionally, or was it a happy accident?
Would you ever make a whole page or feature based on this detail?
Have visitors ever noticed or commented on it?
Let us know! đ
-----
Source: https://sovereignweb.thecozy.cat/blog/%f0%9f%92%9a-thread-thursday-7-%f0%9f%92%9a/
-----
@sovereignweb @indieweb @neocities @smallweb @webdev @blog @webdesign
#Indieweb #NekoWeb #Neocities #Nostalgia #Oldweb #Smallweb #Sovereignweb #Webdesign #Webdev #Webrevival
đ Thread Thursday #6 đ
Whatâs the most fun or weirdest page youâve ever added to your site?
What inspired you to create that page?
Have visitors reacted to it in a way you didnât expect?
If you could add an even weirder page, what would it be?
Let us know! đ
-----
Source: https://sovereignweb.thecozy.cat/blog/%f0%9f%92%9a-thread-thursday-6-%f0%9f%92%9a/
-----
@sovereignweb @indieweb @neocities @smallweb @webdev @blog @webdesign
#Indieweb #NekoWeb #Neocities #Nostalgia #Oldweb #Smallweb #Sovereignweb #Webdesign #Webdev #Webrevival
đ Thread Thursday #5 đ
Do you prefer hand-coding your site or using a web builder? Why?
What are the biggest pros and cons youâve experienced with your preferred method?
How does your choice reflect your approach to web design or your personal creative process?
Has your preference changed over time, or have you always felt the same way?
Let us know! đ
-----
Source: https://sovereignweb.thecozy.cat/blog/%f0%9f%92%9a-thread-thursday-5-%f0%9f%92%9a/
-----
@sovereignweb @indieweb @neocities @smallweb @webdev @blog @webdesign
#Indieweb #NekoWeb #Neocities #Nostalgia #Oldweb #Smallweb #Sovereignweb #Webdesign #Webdev #Webrevival
đ Thread Thursday #4 đ
Whatâs something you wish you had known before making your first website?
Did this lesson come from a mistake you made, or was it something you discovered along the way?
How do you think knowing this earlier would have changed your approach to building your site?
What advice would you give to someone whoâs about to create their first website now that you have this knowledge?
Let us know! đ
-----
Source: https://sovereignweb.thecozy.cat/blog/%f0%9f%92%9a-thread-thursday-4-%f0%9f%92%9a/
-----
@sovereignweb @indieweb @neocities @smallweb @webdev @blog @webdesign
#Indieweb #NekoWeb #Neocities #Nostalgia #Oldweb #Smallweb #Sovereignweb #Webdesign #Webdev #Webrevival
đ Thread Thursday #3 đ
How do you decide what to put on your website?
Is there a particular process or routine you follow when choosing new content/pages?
Is there something youâve always wanted to add but havenât yet? Whatâs holding you back?
Let us know! đ
-----
Source: https://sovereignweb.thecozy.cat/blog/%f0%9f%92%9a-thread-thursday-3-%f0%9f%92%9a/
-----
@sovereignweb @indieweb @neocities @smallweb @webdev @blog @webdesign
#Indieweb #NekoWeb #Neocities #Nostalgia #Oldweb #Smallweb #Sovereignweb #Webdesign #Webdev #Webrevival
đ Thread Thursday #2 đ
Whatâs your favorite part about owning a personal website?
What inspired you to focus on this aspect of your site?
How does it make you feel to see your ideas come to life online?
Let us know! đ
-----
Source: https://sovereignweb.thecozy.cat/blog/%f0%9f%92%9a-thread-thursday-2-%f0%9f%92%9a/
-----
@sovereignweb @indieweb @neocities @smallweb @webdev @blog @webdesign
#Indieweb #NekoWeb #Neocities #Nostalgia #Oldweb #Smallweb #Sovereignweb #Webdesign #Webdev #Webrevival #Nekoweb
đ Thread Thursday #1 đ
What inspired you to create your personal website?
Was there a specific moment or experience that made you decide to start a website?
Let us know in the comments!
-----
Source: https://sovereignweb.thecozy.cat/blog/thread-thursday-1/
-----
@sovereignweb @indieweb @neocities @smallweb @webdev @blog @webdesign
#Indieweb #NekoWeb #Neocities #Nostalgia #Oldweb #Smallweb #Sovereignweb #Webdesign #Webdev #Webrevival
it was a terrific meeting today. Much thoughtful conversation and many terrific links shared and ideas shared. Thanks to all who participated today! The etherpad has been archived at https://indieweb.org/events/2025-06-11-hwc-europe #IndieWeb
đ Thread Thursday #13 đ
Whatâs one thing you still want to learn to improve your website?
Why do you think this will make a significant impact on your website?
Is there a particular challenge on your site that this would help solve?
How do you plan to incorporate this new knowledge once youâve learned it?
Let us know! đ
-----
Source: https://sovereignweb.thecozy.cat/blog/%f0%9f%92%9a-thread-thursday-13-%f0%9f%92%9a/
-----
@sovereignweb @indieweb @neocities @smallweb @webdev @blog @webdesign
#Indieweb #NekoWeb #Neocities #Nostalgia #Oldweb #Smallweb #Sovereignweb #Webdesign #Webdev #Webrevival
#indieWeb people LOOK AT THIS! đŻ
RE: https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:73dpznbu4wqwtcyurwbiulov/post/3lrekycxuhv2c