Here is a link to my new site! I enjoyed setting up the website; I enjoyed how much freedom there is in terms of themes and design. Being able to edit with CSS is a great feature because when there aren’t easy blocks or methods to edit the appearance with the built-in tools, CSS allows for more editing.
I ran into one challenge, though, regarding personalization. I found that clicking on the button in the top right, which opens the menu of pages, had a very different-looking theme from the rest of the site. I tried to find a way to edit it, but could not figure it out after a while. This is something I will return to later, and if anyone reading has been able to edit this, please let me know!
In terms of what I was able to do, I used a random theme that I found aesthetically pleasing, and then changed the colors being used (within the editor). I also added a border to the website title to give it extra emphasis, using CSS.
I am excited to use the site, though I’m not sure what I would use it for. In some ways, it could be fun to use it as a blog, documenting my senior year. Considering more academic uses, I am also somewhat interested in using it for more archival work. I have a couple of ideas about this, but they might be a bit outside the scope of this website and class, considering time constraints.
Overall, it seems like the biggest benefit of hosting your own website is simply the amount of personalization that is available. When you create your own website, it can be literally anything, which does not apply to signing up for a service or using social media. There are some positives of using services and social media, particularly the interconnectedness of social media, but it’s very limiting otherwise. A drawback of hosting your own website might be simply the amount of work it takes to put together all the pieces, but I also think it’s worth it for the customization.
I really like how creatively your site is set up! I agree—customization is a really nice aspect of having your own page. I think the amount of work is definitely a drawback; I said something similar in my lab! It is such a huge learning process, and it might be too difficult if you don’t have any experience or guidance. However, it’s easy to find how-to guides online, and the amount of freedom it gives you, like you said, kind of makes it worth it.
Hi Mallory, I love the title of your site and the way you customized your site! I also like the idea of using the site for more archival work. I completely agree that one of the benefits is the level of customization you’re able to do but it also means that there’s endless possibilities which can be pretty daunting.