Hobo Signs Some Raw Source Material

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Let me take you back to 2006. I’d been blogging on Wordpress.com for a little while and decided that I wanted to write more on my own terms. So I moved to a self-hosted Wordpress installation. In 2007 I migrated the content to the domain you are currently reading this on, Macdrifter.com. A name partially lifted from the excellent Martin Sargent web-show Web Drifter.

I like the idea of being a drifter on the internet. I have varied taste and I read a lot. I collect a lot of words and ideas. I thought Macdrifter would basically be a collection of random stuff with a somewhat opinionated voice. I was a big fan of Apple hardware and software so I had something to say about their stuff. Over the years, I think the voice of Macdrifter took a front seat and brought me a lot of joy. I like to write. I like to see my words on the internet. So Macdrifter focused on long-form semi-sarcastic writing. I’m pretty self-satisfied with that.

But I miss collecting and sharing random crap that doesn’t require me to fully form an opinion. Sometimes a thing can just be interesting without needing an opinion. Sometimes I can have an opinion without the “the thing” being interesting.

So, here’s an experiment…

I’m posting short things at hobosigns.macdrifter.com.1 Many of them are just links. Some are images I like. Think of it as a Tumblr without the shitty Verizon part.

Hobosigns is where I stash my raw materials. I still post a lot to Pinboard. But this gives me a way to share my stuff with a bit more style and also make it searchable and discoverable to people that have no idea what a bookmark is.

If you are very old, here’s an RSS feed for Hobosigns.

ASocial

Hobosigns is a sub-domain of Macdrifter, but it’s hosted through asocialfolder.com. It’s a new secret society created by an internet friend. It’s pretty great. With minimal configuration (and a Dropbox account), I have a totally new site. Posting to the site is super easy. I can do it right from my browser or through Drafts or Workflow for iOS. Basically anything that can access Dropbox can post to the site. The ease of posting is one of the things I like.

The other thing I like about Asocialfolder.com is that it’s not pretending to be an SEO engine or some bull-crap for Millenial over-sharing. It can be a lot of things to different people. I happen to use it as a Tumblr that I own. If you want to over-share your Burning Man adventure, go for it.

Comments

I’ve always been a defender of comments. Well, not exactly the comments, but rather I defended against the bloated opinions of bloggers that critique other sites for allowing comments. “Oh, you still have comments? How quaint. I stopped having comments back in 2015 when it was all the rage.” I’m very impressed with your adulting.

I get some high quality comments using Disqus on Macdrifter. I get very few ass-hats. Those that I do get can be blocked. Most commenters are nice. Most commenters actually teach me something new. Some commenters actually help each other with tips. That’s neat. But the volume of comments is very low and I forget to moderate some weeks.

Because of that last sentence, I’ve removed the piece of HTML that enables Disqus on Macdrifter. All your comments still live in the Disqus CMS, they just don’t show up on the Macdrifter domain.

My recommendation to anyone that likes to put their ideas out there through blog comments: Go get an Asocialfolder.com account. Publish your thoughts. It’s free right now and likely to be “less than a cup of coffee” in the future. Everything will eventually be less than a cup of coffee in the future. Don’t ask me about coffee inflation.

If you really, really, want to comment directly to me then drop me an email. I read everything even if I don’t respond right away. Despite popular opinion, email still works.

I’m Offended

After twelve years of blogging, I’ve learned very few things. But, one of those things is that the most sensitive and fragile readers are usually the ones with the most opportunity in the world. My words on Macdrifter may have raised the ire of many a reader, but in general only the Bro Flakes contact me with complaints. Most complaints fall into a few buckets.

  1. They feel threatened by an idea that does not fit with their self image.
  2. I used language that does not fit with their reality filter.
  3. I used grammar in a way that somehow hurt their mother
  4. I got a fact wrong <– The only complaint that makes the world better

All of these things are likely on Hobosigns. I rarely shy away from topics on Macdrifter, but I do filter the content simply by thinking about who I want to be on the internet. Hobosigns is really just stuff I find. It’s not really me. It’s just scraps.

TLDR

Site: hobosigns.macdrifter.com

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  1. It’s a play on “drifter.” I’ve been fascinated with the idea of the skilled wanderer for a long time. If you have some time, read about actual hobo signs. ↩︎