Building, Sharing, and Owning Your Online Presence
Anna Rodrigues, a front-end developer at Tech for Good Agency, Hector, discusses the concept of the ‘third space,’ a social environment separate from home and work. She explores how personal websites can serve as this vital third space online, focusing on creativity, community, and self-expression. Anna shares her journey of creating her personal website, the challenges of maintaining an authentic online presence, and her involvement with the Indieweb community, which champions owning your own content and interactions on the web. Her talk emphasizes the value of personal websites in building meaningful online interactions and escaping the pressures and limitations of corporate social media platforms.
Anna delves into the technical aspects of the Indieweb, such as syndicating content and web mentions, and highlights the collaborative effort within the community to enhance personal websites. She assures that it’s alright to have an unpolished site and stresses the importance of just hitting ‘publish.’ Anna advocates for an online existence that aligns with one’s true self and professional aspirations, thus bridging personal interests and technical expertise in a comfortable and innovative digital space.
What You’ll Learn
- The concept of a “third space” online and why personal websites fulfill this role.
- How the IndieWeb fosters ownership, interconnection, and community across independent sites.
- Practical steps for making your personal website interactive using web mentions and WordPress plugins.
- Why imperfect, “unpolished” websites are valuable spaces for creativity and experimentation.
- How to balance personal and professional identities online with authenticity.
- Ways to rediscover inspiration by reading, writing, and connecting beyond algorithm-driven platforms.
- How nurturing a personal site can lead to real-world opportunities, friendships, and fulfillment.