Time to start using Micro.Blog more

Every so often, I realize that I’m not happy with my social media setup. I had been using Micro.Blog paired with Squarespace since the service launched and I was happy with how my regular blog could connect via RSS with my social media feeds. I’ve written about it in the past, but basically, with my original Squarespace/Micro.Blog setup:

I posted to my microblog here on Sketchbook B and it showed up on Micro.Blog and Twitter.
Any main blog post with the category “micro” posts to Micro.Blog and Twitter.

When I redesigned Sketchbook B, the new Squarespace template didn’t play well with my self-hosted micro blog set up. The template couldn’t figure out how to deal with titleless posts. I spent some time trying to figure out how to fix it, but after a while, decided that maybe it was best if I started using Micro.Blog for posting and hosting.

I never got around to really setting things up again. A pandemic. The election. Working from home. And I had a thesis to write. But now that I’m finished with my Master’s degree, I’ve got time to think through how I want this to work. (At least until August when I start working on my Ph.D.)

So here’s the new plan:

Short posts start on Micro.Blog using either the Micro.Blog app or my favorite writing app, Ulysses. They are then crossposted to Twitter.
Main blog posts — like this one — on Squarespace with the category set to “micro” will still show up on Micro.Blog and Twitter.
Limit my time and interactions on Twitter. Continue to avoid Facebook.

A couple of notes about the new setup:

One benefit of using the Micro.Blog app is that I can decide to pause crossposting to Twitter. This was tougher when I just posted everything through Squarespace. Sometimes, I just want to post something that’s relevant to the Micro.Blog community.
I still really like the ability to connect my main blog with my microblog via RSS. To me, this has always been one of the strengths of Micro.Blog.
I’m not sure how to best share images. I could use Sunlit, the Micro.Blog photo sharing app, but honestly, I don’t mind Instagram, even if their parent company is straight up evil.
I turned on LinkedIn sharing. Then I disabled it. It’s a cool feature, but I remembered that I strongly dislike LinkedIn.

I’m sure things will continue to change and evolve over the summer. I’m happier when I spend less time on social media, but I also know that having an active presence is important for my career and my research. Using Micro.Blog as my intermediary tends to lead me to a better balance and I’m looking forward to hitting the big reset button.

Bob Wertz writes about design, technology and pop culture at Sketchbook B. Bob is a Columbia, South Carolina-based designer, soon-to-be Ph.D. student, researcher, college instructor, husband and dad. He’s particularly obsessed with typography, the creative process and the tools we use to create. Bob occasionally and begrudgingly posts to Twitter and Instagram. He wears a mask and got vaccinated to protect his community. #TeamModerna