Original Location: Fizzy Notes > Rediscovering the Old, with modifications
Some Background#
This is the umpteenth time I have started a blog. It started with a Sina blog in high school, then WordPress, Typecho, and other CMS platforms. Later, I tried static site generators like Jekyll and Hexo, and even helped some friends create their own academic websites. While studying in the UK, I also wrote an English blog using Ghost and even developed a theme called Fizzy Theme, which I open-sourced on GitHub. Similar to WordPress, Ghost requires a server to run, which not only incurs costs but also requires maintenance and other related operations, adding various costs to the process of writing articles. Later, I learned about Gridea, a client for generating static blogs. However, its drawback is the inability to customize content types, and after switching devices, synchronization requires tools like cloud storage, which is not very elegant. Finally, based on the concept of Jamstack, I developed my own blog system called Fizzy Notes, and it is also completely open-source on GitHub: Fizzy-Jam. If you are interested in this concept, you can take a look.
Some time ago, I learned about the decentralized blogging platform xlog.app developed by DIYgod. It impressed me and was something I had always wanted to do but didn't have the ability to do 😂. At least in terms of content ownership, the content you create is written on the EVM-compatible blockchain called Crossbell that they built.
I am a very persistent person when it comes to blogging, and perhaps a bit stubborn, or rather, stubborn to the point of getting things out of order. I could have published content on blogging platforms or media platforms, and even gained fans and traffic. However, I insisted on tinkering with an independent blog, which was thankless and consumed a lot of energy. But I particularly dislike being constrained, especially when it comes to blogging. While internet technology is becoming more advanced, it is also becoming more closed off. I hope that blogging can be more pure and open. So, this strong desire to create a decentralized website that connects me with the outside world has driven me to continuously learn and understand the technical skills behind various implementation methods. For example, PHP, MySQL, HTML, CSS, JavaScript (my initial understanding actually started in middle school with the forum software Discuz), Markdown used by Jekyll, GitHub, command-line operations, and later when I wrote themes for Ghost, combining static generation languages like Handlebars with system APIs, databases, servers, and continuous integration. These technical skills have helped me to some extent in work and life, and I would call it the ability to apply knowledge in different contexts.
Some Reflections#
People have long recognized the power of blogging products, otherwise there wouldn't have been a blogging boom in previous years. However, with the explosive growth of network information, we have become busier and more utilitarian. Our time is divided among various platforms and content stimuli, and so-called content creators are busy catering to the preferences of different platforms and users, using knowledge and content for monetization, with little time left for deep conversations with themselves.
In terms of the purpose of this blog, I have made significant changes. In the past, it was about understanding and testing the mechanisms of SEO (search engine optimization); collecting and learning content related to my interests; recording knowledge related to my master's degree and work direction; and trying to exercise my ability to build complete projects using open-source frameworks. However, I lacked the aspect of having conversations with myself and the world.
Writing is the Medium for Thinking#
As I have grown older, I have become more aware of my lack of systematic thinking and have come to appreciate the power of words even more.
We all have the experience that thinking is a divergent process, and if we want to analyze a complex problem, we need to use tools to record or visualize it. The same goes for expressing a topic in writing. We need to think around the topic, list core points, and then enrich the content based on those points. The same applies when reading or learning. Without good tools to integrate and understand knowledge systems, that knowledge will be like short videos we have watched or content we have bookmarked but never returned to—it just passes through our minds. Only by organizing knowledge based on our understanding, and then systematically thinking and outputting it through writing, speaking, or applying it in different environments, can we truly internalize knowledge (writing is not the result of thinking, but the medium through which thinking occurs). As we repeatedly exercise this ability, when we look back at our past writings in the future, our minds will make connections with that knowledge, and we will have the ability to apply it in similar situations, which is the ability to apply knowledge in different contexts.
The Importance of Using the Human Brain Correctly#
I feel compelled to briefly mention the importance of using the human brain correctly because many people often think they have poor memory. For ordinary people, the human brain has many characteristics and abilities, as well as limitations. For example, there is instant memory from the senses, limited short-term memory, and long-term memory that triggers thinking. In addition, the human brain has abilities such as comparison, classification, abstraction, imitation, and generalization. Furthermore, each person's brain has different abilities in different areas. If we can recognize the strengths and weaknesses of our thinking and make use of our strengths while seeking alternative methods for our weaknesses, we can maximize our thinking abilities.
For example, in this age of information, it is unwise to rely on the human brain to memorize information. Information is easily accessible, and there are now many excellent software tools that can help us with most of the memory work, acting as the hard drive for our brains. I will write an article about this later. What we should make use of is the human brain's ability to analyze, summarize, abstract, and transfer knowledge, which some people call thinking ability—the ability to process sensory materials and transform them into rational understanding in order to solve problems.
The Importance of Simple Expression#
The ability to express complex concepts and ideas in simple and clear language is a skill.
Starting Over#
After turning 30, I became even more aware of the power of words, which can connect individuals, spaces, and time. So, at the beginning of 2023, I made a New Year's resolution to start writing a blog again, hoping to use it to record my growth.
As an ordinary person with poor memory, limited reading, poor writing skills, and very limited life experience, I simply hope to use a simple method to record my reading summaries and thoughts, exercise my writing skills, and leave some clues for my future self to help me apply knowledge and make the right decisions in critical moments.
I have not set any requirements for the depth of content or the length of articles because I don't want to increase the cost of writing, and I believe that deliberate practice will inevitably lead to improvement.