While putting together this 1990s-style links page, I'm struck by how few activist orgs websites are built like blogs with constant updates about what's going on/calls to action. They've almost all ceded their news to their social media. Something that needs to change in 2025, imo. gregpak.link - ThreadSky

gregpak.net • 39 days ago

While putting together this 1990s-style links page, I'm struck by how few activist orgs websites are built like blogs with constant updates about what's going on/calls to action. They've almost all ceded their news to their social media. Something that needs to change in 2025, imo. https://gregpak.link

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mattferrel.bsky.social•39 days ago

📌

simonelasher.bsky.social•39 days ago

Tho I’ve been putting together websites for more artists / entertainers, I’ve been telling them the same thing. You don’t own nor control social media. You cannot rely on it to convey news quickly, if at all. Put info / updates your website, and have an email newsletter.

jenelaina.bsky.social•39 days ago

Still blogging here. Need to up the frequency and scope but. Capacity. Working on it.

https://cleanwater.org/blog

byrdnash.bsky.social•39 days ago

And their newsletters are only pleas for more money - not anything substantial on what they are doing.

digitalparsons.bsky.social•39 days ago

A lot of people are moving away from social media now. I no longer use anything that belongs to Meta.

jscram3254.bsky.social•39 days ago

It’s not an activist website, but I’ve got one to show off my work. https://www.jaredcramvoices.com

dseitz.bsky.social•39 days ago

Yeah, seconded. Search engines monitor blogs carefully. Even if they just throw all their posts for the week into a doc and run a Weekly Update, it's still got value.

chazcat.bsky.social•38 days ago

📌

laureltaylor.bsky.social•39 days ago

How do you solve the problem of folks looking for a central place to find information about a lot of orgs? I know we need to bring back RSS readers (which I still use). Is the solution that you post the link to your blog on the socials? Because people don’t want to have to keep track tons of sites

gregpak.net•39 days ago

The irony is that most of these sites are built with Wordpress, which is... blogging software.

jamienoguchi.bsky.social•39 days ago

It is, but it’s very clunky. Social media managers want something quick and easy. Social is one click, bam, you’re out the door. Wordpress is open editor, find the right category, oh do I need to tag this?, wait what are these check boxes for, uhhhh SEO???, then publish maybe?

gregpak.net•39 days ago

Yeah, I know. And yet! No one sees their posts on Twitter! It's literally a waste of time for so many of the orgs I love. I see their urgent posts with literally one (1) retweet.

jamienoguchi.bsky.social•39 days ago

Oof. There’s gotta be something in between, like a stripped down wordpress that let’s you get out the door with less bloat

geekgrammy.com•39 days ago

If you don't overload Wordpress with plugins, it can be pretty stripped down. It only takes me a minute or two to make a blog post (excluding the time it actually takes to write it). It's when people start bloating it up with SEO plugins, editor plugins, etc - that's when it gets complicated.

gregpak.net•39 days ago

I keep saying it because it's true and urgent: Twitter and Meta are run by right wingers and bury posts from progressive orgs. To organize effectively in 2025 and beyond, folks need to get on Bluesky AND bolster their newsletter and website presence.

gregpak.net•39 days ago

Websites from activist orgs can't just be dead pages with "about us" copy and fundraising links. They need to feature a blog-style list of current updates and calls to action, front and center. So folks can find out what's going on no matter what Meta & Twitter do.

Just my opinion!

elindbloom.bsky.social•39 days ago

Wholeheartedly agree. We have ceded control and it needs to be taken back.

gregpak.net•39 days ago

Look, I know how much time/energy blogging takes. And so many of us who blogged ALL THE TIME from 1999 to 2006 or so just... took our foot of the gas. Because social media really did seem like a better place to reach people. But this is 2025, and everything's changed. Seriously.

peakzebra.bsky.social•39 days ago

Really interested in some of the things you're up to. For me, it seems like owning your social stuff by housing it on your own site makes a lot of sense, and perhaps all we need is some better protocols for visibility into other folks' postings. Possibly that's already something ATProto could handle

robinmarty.com•39 days ago

One of my biggest frustrations was that when I was trying to develop our org web page, the consultants basically pushed me from having a blog. Every new group or interaction I had made gave me less ability to control the site myself, so that they could stay paid I assume.

keithpurtell.bsky.social•39 days ago

I've worked in #tech since the 90s. Most techs are intensely territorial and will go so far as to deceive a client just to grab a few dollars. Not saying all techs do this. But it is rampant, and there is no entity in the tech sector to emphasize #ethics.

gregpak.net•39 days ago

Meta and Twitter are hostile environments for progressive groups/orgs. I've regularly seen orgs I love post time-urgent notices and get single digit retweets. Time for orgs to stop wasting time there and build a presence elsewhere - and on their own websites/blogs.

kevincureton.bsky.social•39 days ago

People get used to seeing likes. I suggest signing up for Google Console for your domain. You can see all kinds of stats for web page visits. I’m learning how best to advertise my husband’s law practice and follow up on how those actions impact visits to his site.

gregpak.net•39 days ago

Just from my own experience, blogging over the last year has become A THING again that WORKS. I post my links on Bluesky, and if the article is something useful/interesting, folks CLICK and go READ THE BLOG POST. And often subscribe to the newsletter. PEOPLE ARE CLICKING THE LINKS NOW, Y'ALL.

leoprints.bsky.social•39 days ago

I complacently agree with this.
Not just activist org though either. I think artists (myself included) have been very complacent about letting meta become the main feed/blog and the site being much more secondary.

leoprints.bsky.social•39 days ago

I dunno why i wrote complacently and not completely :)

gregpak.net•39 days ago

lolol

zero2webmaster.com•38 days ago

Wordpress is e-commerce, e-learning, donation processing, calendar scheduling, social networking, email marketing software and a whole lot more.

mangoboy66.bsky.social•39 days ago

blogging is so much easier these days. back in the early 90s, you had to set up your own web site, and learn to administer it yourself. the ego boost for me was when my name and web site was published in physical books in bookstores like b&n. /grandpa_voice

odanu.responsivellc.com•38 days ago

I'm actually trying to do that with my website. I'm one person who works full time, so I don't post anything like daily, but it's a goal

fantasticcosmic.bsky.social•38 days ago

.........I work for a small non-profit boat museum and this makes so much sense that I'm redoing our website when I return Saturday to be exactly that. Thanks for the epiphany!

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