Hitting the social media reset button

This post was originally posted on May 30, 2021 on Sketchbook B. It’s reposted here as part of a project to move some of my favorite writing to my new site.

Time to start using Micro.Blog more

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Every so often, I realize that I’m not happy with my social media setup. I had been using Micro.Blog paired with Squarespace since the service launched and I was happy with how my regular blog could connect via RSS with my social media feeds. I’ve written about it in the past, but basically, with my original Squarespace/Micro.Blog setup:

  • I posted to my microblog here on Sketchbook B and it showed up on Micro.Blog and Twitter.
  • Any main blog post with the category “micro” posts to Micro.Blog and Twitter.

When I redesigned Sketchbook B, the new Squarespace template didn’t play well with my self-hosted micro blog set up. The template couldn’t figure out how to deal with titleless posts. I spent some time trying to figure out how to fix it, but after a while, decided that maybe it was best if I started using Micro.Blog for posting and hosting.

I never got around to really setting things up again. A pandemic. The election. Working from home. And I had a thesis to write. But now that I’m finished with my Master’s degree, I’ve got time to think through how I want this to work. (At least until August when I start working on my Ph.D.)

So here’s the new plan:

  • Short posts start on Micro.Blog using either the Micro.Blog app or my favorite writing app, Ulysses. They are then crossposted to Twitter.
  • Main blog posts — like this one — on Squarespace with the category set to “micro” will still show up on Micro.Blog and Twitter.
  • Limit my time and interactions on Twitter. Continue to avoid Facebook.

A couple of notes about the new setup:

  • One benefit of using the Micro.Blog app is that I can decide to pause crossposting to Twitter. This was tougher when I just posted everything through Squarespace. Sometimes, I just want to post something that’s relevant to the Micro.Blog community.
  • I still really like the ability to connect my main blog with my microblog via RSS. To me, this has always been one of the strengths of Micro.Blog.
  • I’m not sure how to best share images. I could use Sunlit, the Micro.Blog photo sharing app, but honestly, I don’t mind Instagram, even if their parent company is straight up evil.
  • I turned on LinkedIn sharing. Then I disabled it. It’s a cool feature, but I remembered that I strongly dislike LinkedIn.

I’m sure things will continue to change and evolve over the summer. I’m happier when I spend less time on social media, but I also know that having an active presence is important for my career and my research. Using Micro.Blog as my intermediary tends to lead me to a better balance and I’m looking forward to hitting the big reset button.

Bob Wertz writes about design, technology and pop culture at Sketchbook B. Bob is a Columbia, South Carolina-based designer, soon-to-be Ph.D. student, researcher, college instructor, husband and dad. He’s particularly obsessed with typography, the creative process and the tools we use to create. He wears a mask and got vaccinated to protect his community. #TeamModerna

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