Arul's Space

Why you need to run your own website ?

Jun 5, 2025
Why I Chose to Run My website from Home

Well, I wouldn’t say it’s entirely a home server setup.

To keep the cost low and to avoid looking for mercy from ISP inorder to get a static IP with highest bid. I have rented a public VPS and use it as a tunnel to bring global traffic into my local server at home. Unusual? Maybe. But it gives me control — and that’s what I care about. ⚡

Why go through all this hassle?

Because I’m tired of platforms telling me what I can and can’t post.

Social media has become a place where your content gets filtered, buried, or outright blocked — even if it’s thoughtful, helpful, and genuine. You’re always under watch , and you never truly own your digital presence.

I wanted to break out of that system.

Privacy and ️ Freedom Matter

We’re not born with a moral compass — it’s learned, shaped by experience. So relying on others to guard your rights doesn’t sit right with me. Systems fail. Platforms collapse. Policies change overnight. ⚠️

I’d rather build something where I control the outcome. A space where I’m free to share what I believe — without gatekeepers.

It’s Not About Money

I’m not doing this for profit. Most creators in the FOSS world aren’t.

We do it because we love it. ❤️
Because we believe in sharing knowledge. Because we want to inspire people to dive into the world of GNU/Linux , Free software , and ethical tech.

I want to show that software can be:

  • Simple but powerful
  • Reusable
  • ✅ Ethical
  • Self-sufficient

You don’t need a MacBook , a huge desktop setup ️, or a fancy college degree . You just need the mindset to build and share. To stay outside of the system — and help others do the same.

Freedom Has a Price

Of course, independence isn’t free.

My home server once went down for almost a week because of ISP issues. My latest API article barely got seen. The downtime was frustrating — but the data was safe. ✅ The content was mine. ✊ And I didn’t lose anything to some third-party service shutting me out.

There’s peace in that. ☁️

Start Small — But Start

I recommend everyone build their own website.

You don’t need to go all in with a home server like I did. Just rent a VPS, set up a basic blog ✍️, and start publishing. It’s way better than relying on algorithm-driven, engagement-optimized platforms.

Yes, I use LinkedIn too — but we should be honest about how addictive and controlling these platforms are. Most people don’t even know about alternatives like the Fediverse or RSS anymore.

That’s how control slips away — we stop questioning, stop learning, stop owning. One day, you’ll wake up and realize everything you posted, built, and cared about was never really yours.

Final Thoughts

I chose this path not because it’s easy — but because it’s worth it. ️

Self-hosting isn’t for everyone. But if you care about privacy, expression, and long-term ownership of your content, it’s the most honest way to exist online.

Start small. Build what matters. And own your corner of the web.

Thanks for reading.

If you’re into self-hosting, open-source, or reclaiming digital freedom — Stay Tuned!