It has been two years since my first and only blog post, and since then I’ve shifted my perspective on technology and the role it plays in my life. The person I was two years ago, enthusiastic about the web and dreaming of meaningful code contributions for opensource cloud computing projects, is gone.

I have had a few burn-outs, sprinkled in with a few periods of searching for my inner meaning, and swathes of time feeling overwhelmed, likely caused by my crippling addiction to my phone and Instagram barging its way into any quiet corner of my life (which I hear doesn’t help the nervous system). I’ve already had a disdain for AI for some time, but in the two years, it has intensified with every advert, every useless software integration, and every image generated by middle managers harbouring delusions of grandeur that they’re artists. Oh that and every inflated stock point.

We live in a world where no companies cater to their customer base. Every day Microsoft infantilises users by removing user choice in Windows 11 (and pushes for us to deal with “agentic operating systems”, whatever the hell that’ll mean). Amazon pushes out competitors, especially book sellers, taking losses on multiple products just so they collect strangle-holds on markets like badges. Google refuses to innovate their products; why improve search if it reduces the time spent looking at adverts? Spotify refuses to actually be a music streamer, opting instead to push soulless computer-vomited music to its paying users. And everything is a subscription. And you own nothing and you will be miserable with it.

My last two years have not been miserable, however. Every year has its ups and downs, mine certainly, but my contentedness has been higher than years past. Every year I have surpassed the previous year’s amount of books read (more accurately, finished). In the last two years I’ve also taken an interest in clothing, something previously a perplexing mystery is now starting to make sense as I decipher its rules and language. I’m regrowing my CD collection after cancelling Spotify, the latter I am yet to miss. Recently, I’ve tried to appreciate and understand art more, finally taking time to study paintings from within coffee table art books (I can see why these were a staple of every home from yesteryear). I have spent time deepening my friendships, sharing quality time and letting those close to me know how much they mean to me (and this is with no drink involved whatsoever!)

So to mark the start of 2026, I’m further redefining how I interact with the World Wide Web. No longer do I wish to spend hours finding myself scrolling Instagram Reels mindlessly. When I’m fully concious, I’d rather do something actually worth my time.

I found some YouTube videos recently on topics of Windows XP and the IndieWeb, and it reminded me of my first website; a GeoCities site where I got to learn how to code in HTML and CSS. I would often make changes to the look of my site, even once designing a theme so good my friend copied it to use for their site too. After taking a look at the IndieWeb, I’m taken aback by a wave of nostalgia for how websites were more personal and unique in the past. I’m amazed at the lack of rigidity in their design, as many websites, this one currently included, adhere to principles for optimising mobile-first browsing experiences, leaving sites viewed on the computer lacking in the charm they once had.

So, therefore, I have decided I am going to turn around this place. I’m inspired by the individuality and creativity of many websites I’ve seen the last few days. I am going to push this site to become something that reflects me, something that I can use to interface with instead of using so much of the corporate slop social media platforms I’m so used to doomscrolling.

My first port of call is to redesign this site; I will bulldoze the developer portfolio graveyard this has become and replace it with a fun and interesting theme, one without the need of mobile optimisations (I may wipe the entirety of the CSS and have fun with it like long ago). I will add different pages relevant to my interests, including a bookshelf and maybe even a page to track my running (if I can figure out how to automate that). Afterwards, I will likely change my host from AWS onto something else, just because I’d rather support a smaller host if it costs about the same.

I’m looking forward to what the future holds here on this site, I hope you stick around too. Who knows, it might be less than two years for the next update on this thing.