Thoughts on “Finding an Internet Home”
I read a blog post by Void recently, about finding a new internet home. He wrote about how he and many others have had to pick up their “digital roots” and migrate multiple times over the years, from one platform to another. It is a position I can sympathise with as I have done likewise. Hence I like the idea of having a place online where I hangout by default. My own blog is an anchor for me but it is not quite the same thing as a platform or online portal where I can find all my friends and colleagues, share content and shoot the breeze. It’s a curious thing, because as I typed that last sentence it struck how such a sentiment may seem alien to others. There may well be people who like to have a finger in multiple pies and who are happy to frequent and flit between various social media apps, Discord servers and subreddits. I prefer to focus my efforts on a single instance. A place that suits my requirements, allows me to put down roots and become part of the furniture. Like a virtual Diogenes Club.
I read a blog post by Void recently, about finding a new internet home. He wrote about how he and many others have had to pick up their “digital roots” and migrate multiple times over the years, from one platform to another. It is a position I can sympathise with as I have done likewise. Hence I like the idea of having a place online where I hangout by default. My own blog is an anchor for me but it is not quite the same thing as a platform or online portal where I can find all my friends and colleagues, share content and shoot the breeze. It’s a curious thing, because as I typed that last sentence it struck how such a sentiment may seem alien to others. There may well be people who like to have a finger in multiple pies and who are happy to frequent and flit between various social media apps, Discord servers and subreddits. I prefer to focus my efforts on a single instance. A place that suits my requirements, allows me to put down roots and become part of the furniture. Like a virtual Diogenes Club.
Those who know me, may cogently argue that such a place already exists and I am currently a member there. That place being the Blaugust Discord server. It provides a fixed presence online, allows people to share content, hangout and chat. That meets a lot of the criteria I’ve already mentioned. Furthermore, I have been informed that there is a great more functionality available, should we wish to add it and use it. So perhaps this is the modern equivalent of an old school forum or community website that I crave after all? Sadly, there is one stumbling block with regard to this. Naturally, the Blaugust Discord server was set up and owned by Belghast. Hence nothing can be done administratively, such as adding functionality to current set up, until the ownership is transferred. This is something that has to be done through proper channels and obviously has to be handled with appropriate respect and deference.
Another issue that has crossed my mind with regard to Discord, is the long term viability of the service that currently provides, Discord has gained great traction due to its mainly free business model, which is supplemented with additional subscription fees for increased functionality. The pandemic helped make the product ubiquitous. However, nothing stays the same forever and we have seen plenty of other products with a similar business model become more and more monetised over the years. Discord explicitly said in 2025 that it was expanding beyond subscriptions into advertising, microtransactions and services for game developers. It has since expanded Quests advertising, virtual rewards and direct commerce inside gaming communities. At present none of these are a deal breaker. Will that remain the case? There have been rumours of an IPO for a while. Such a thing may well change the dynamic of Discord.
Looking back, I’ve spent time in many bespoke online portals that were created to provide the sort of community hub that I enjoy. For the original Newbie Blogger Initiative (the precursor to Blaugust) there was a bespoke forum provided by some company that has long since gone to the wall. Later the event centred around a Discord server that has now been abandoned. It’s still out there but no one uses it any more. Then there was Anook, a dedicated social platform designed by gamers, for gamers. This was especially popular among many of my peers but sadly just didn’t get the market uptake it was looking for. However, all of these service have had their respective day in the sun. Perhaps I am unrealistic in my desire for a permanent home. It could be that the reason why our community survives is because it migrates and adapts. Blaugust is now a blogging event, as opposed to the video games blogging event it started out as. Perhaps Marvin Gaye was right after all. “Wherever I lay my hate, that’s my home”.
