Background

Some things don’t make sense until you experience them yourself. Starting a blog was one of those things for me. Initially, I wanted to write something, so I purchased a domain name and a server. But then, I procrastinated, wasting an entire month of server time. Realizing this was unsustainable, I decided to write something meaningful before renewing my server subscription. That decision turned out to be Pandora’s box, leading to my first blog post.

At that time, I had a great topic in mind—something about AK—and went ahead with it. I was also struggling with anxiety back then and discovered that writing provided relief. I kept writing non-stop. However, the challenge with writing is that if you don’t have a good topic, it’s hard to keep going. It’s like planting trees: writing about a familiar subject can be prolific at first, but eventually, it becomes repetitive. Venturing into new topics requires learning, which can feel daunting. This led to delays in updates.

To improve, I realized I needed to learn from media professionals—when you don’t know something, learn it; when it doesn’t work, pivot.

Starting the Blog

Launching the blog opened my eyes to how complex things can get. While having my own platform allows me to showcase my personality and make changes freely without relying on browser debugging tools like F12, it also came with unexpected challenges.

As a novice blogger, I underestimated online security issues—particularly bots. When I activated Cloudflare, I was shocked to discover bots trying to brute-force the WordPress login page. This forced me to learn about WAF (Web Application Firewall) protection and set up rules. Although I had some Linux experience, it wasn’t extensive. I installed Fail2Ban to block brute-force attempts on port 22 and learned a lot about cybersecurity in the process—things I had no idea about before owning a website.

Additionally, running my platform meant understanding my audience. Most of the plugins I installed—Yoast SEO, Really Simple Security, and Microsoft Clarity—were aimed at expanding reach and analyzing user behavior.

Even with these efforts, my blog’s traffic couldn’t compete with platforms like Zhihu. However, I believe there’s value in owning something unique rather than relying on someone else’s platform. Plus, I can drive traffic myself. My next step is to create utility tools, like an age calculator, to attract visitors. While people can use these tools for free, it helps advertise my blog. This reflects my belief that the internet isn’t truly free—users pay with their time and attention, and whether I can monetize that depends on my abilities.

Bigger Ambitions

WordPress is undoubtedly powerful, but when I tried customizing things at a deeper level, I realized my lack of HTML/CSS knowledge was a barrier. I explored tutorials and found that I learn best through hands-on experience—like reinstalling an operating system, following guides, and experimenting until it clicks.

A website like freeCodeCamp seems perfect for my learning style. Once I get the hang of it, I plan to revamp my blog and perhaps even explore how to create WordPress themes. For instance, themes like Zibll are excellent examples of WordPress-based customization done right.