/blog

I started using DuckDuckGo instead of Google back in 2017 but, more recently, have relied on Brave's search engine, especially on my phone. I've been looking to shake things up a bit and was considering Startpage but don't like the huge ads at the top of the results that often take up most of my phone screen.

Seth Godin suggested switching to Ecosia so I'm giving it a try. I've seen it before but, for some reason, dismissed it – I think it's time to make the switch and do some good for the planet while I'm at it. If you're not aware, Ecosia is a carbon negative, not for profit, certified B Corp that plants trees with the revenue it makes. Millions of them.

Even if I have to revert to other search engines every now and then, the slight inconvenience will be far outweighed by the benefits.

Like Brandon's Journal...

I've been reading Brandon's blog for a couple of years now and like a lot of what he has to say. His latest decision is brave and admirable:

"Taking inspiration from my own desire to live a more peaceful life and the pioneers who headed out West, I decided to take up residence on the fringe of the internet. I'm far away from the corporations, advertisers, and mainstream social media. I have a simple, small set up here that is completely self-sufficient. In exchange for this simple existence, I've had to give up some of the comforts of the modern web. As you'll notice, there is no RSS feed nor an email list for this site. I've also intentionally limited graphics. My goal is to keep this site as small as possible, which will allow me to keep things simple."

As he says, keeping up to date with the site will require the old school approach of bookmarking it and going back from time to time to see what's new, not have changes pushed to you.

Such a move may seem totally counter-intuitive on the modern web but his promise of finding "a real connection on the internet and a place to read about a real person" is what this is all about, what it should always be about, and will stand him in good stead.

The social networks give the illusion that we are more connected than at any point in human history but, in reality, we have never been further apart. Genuine connection is hard to come by and I wish more people would do something so radical.