Writing
My main tool for writing is Obsidian. The reason is that I just like the clean Markdown editor (including extended syntax) and the fact that the files are easy to share and store. I am not locked in. I used to use markdown in Trello to keep notes, but found it was overkill for what I was trying to achieve.
Another thing that I like about Obsidian is that I can easily store things like podcasts listened to using AntennaPod, quotes from books annotated using Moon Reader Pro or audiobooks listened to straight to Obsidian on my Samsung S24 phone via the share feature.
I feel that it is important to note that I am not wedded to Obsidian and the graph as my source of truth. I certainly do not follow the Zettelkasten methodology. I also manually syncronise files between my phone and my Dell laptop as I choose not to pay for Obsidian Sync.
Once on my laptop, I then use Dillinger to translate the Markdown into HTML. Although I have used other sites, this was the best one I found when it comes to extended syntax. I then take the HTML and paste this into WordPress. I know that I could publish in Markdown using Jetpack, but I prefer to work with HTML and the Classic Editor in WordPress, as it allows me to add various pieces of code, such as microformats and audio players.
Publishing
With regards to publishing, I have two sites: Read Write Collect and Read Write Respond. These are both hosted via Reclaim Hosting.
Read Write Collect is my collection of dots. A social media of one. Here I capture reviews, bookmarks, listens, likes, reads, check-ins, anything really. These pieces are often interlinked and connected via my use of microformats. Originally I used to post on site and syndicate elsewhere (POSSE), but these days simply post on my own sit (POS).
Read Write Respond houses my longer pieces. Originally, my intent was to capture responses to my reading:
To read is to write, to write is to respond.
However, overtime, what it means to ‘read’ has extended well beyond books, responses and reviews, and has become as much about reflection. These pieces are initially written using Classic Editor on my Collect site as a private post before being copied to my Read Write Respond and reformatted using the Gutenberg Editor.
Design
Read Write Collect uses the IW26 WordPress Theme. This is David Shanske’s fork of Twenty Sixteen theme. Some of the plugins specific to this site include Classic Editor and Post Kinds.
Read Write Respond uses the Autonomie theme. This is a highly semantic, responsive, accessible and search engine optimized WordPress Theme developed by Matthias Pfefferle. This site uses the Gutenberg Editor.
For the feature images, I use a Google Slides template. While for the Lego-inspired backgrounds, I often use chatbots, such as Microsoft CoPilot and Google Gemini.
Across both sites, I use the IndieWeb and Webmention plugins to extend the way in which the site interacts with the wider web. This is supported by the Brid.gy, a service that connects IndieWeb websites to existing accounts on social networks.
Location
The majority of my writing is done on the lands of the Wurundjeri people, a group of Aboriginal Australians, part of the Woi-wurrung language group within the Kulin Nation, who are the Traditional Owners of the land around the Yarra River Valley, encompassing much of present-day Melbourne and surrounding areas.