Independent Presence

Experimenting:

I am structuring my blog and trying to do it in the best possible way, combining:

• R;
• Hugo (static site generator);
• Tools for self-publishing and syndicating to social silos;
• Indie Web elements for interaction outside the silos and to ‘bring back’ the engagement generated there.

As a foundation, my main goal is to create posts using R. This is the primary data analysis tool I use for work; using it for analyses is a logical extension.

I have experimented with static site generators (Jekyll runs my online resume ‘home’), and after some research, I chose Hugo, particularly after discovering a package and theme (blogdown and Hugo-Apero) that allowed me to ‘get started faster.’

To add comments to the site, I adapted StaticMan as best I could.

I only discovered the IndieWeb initiative a few days ago. I strongly identify with many of its principles (check https://indieweb.org/why ) , several of which I was already applying or striving to implement.

Starting with POSSE (Publish on your Own Site, Syndicate Elsewhere), which emphasizes owning my own content, to sharing ideas without being dependent on social media ‘silos.’

Although it is not my main theme, reflections from my volunteer work in research and outreach networks, readings of books or extensive excerpts like those from Manufacturing Consent (Noam Chomsky) and Comunicación y Poder (Manuel Castells), had led me to think about the importance of this.

Recovering interactions from these silos and bringing them back to their ‘rightful home’—around the original site where the content or publication was posted—is an important step.

I followed and thank the steps indicated by Dan Williams(2017) and Edwin Wenink, among others.

Opting to share this even if it still is an unconcluded note.