I missed the point in The boring web. It had some thoughts that were in my head, sure, but there were some other, simpler things I meant to say there.

I didn't mean to talk about the old web—Ye Olde Webbe—at all, really. I'm still doing that here, for the most part (except with a database and WordPress running things, versus a 90s-era static HTML setup which is tempting to go back to some days...). Maybe this site is more like the adolescent web, the mid-2000s web when writing a personal blog (still an ugly sounding word) had some novelty, and successful ones still had a core of followers. And it was easier to find other blogs, honestly, through out-of-date things like web rings and blogrolls and directories and so on. (Actually there probably is no "and so on", that might be it.)

Again, though, the old web wasn't the point. The old web is probably still out there, but it isn't as interesting as the new social web, which isn't remotely new anymore, but still there is that urge to call it "new". I like using social media to be boring. I have no flash. I can't sing. I can't dance. I don't have the interest or wherewithal to do what needs to be done to become popular on TikTok or YouTube or whatever. I just want to say, "Here, I made this". Over and over and over. Here, I'm making a wall. Here, I made some tomatoes. Simple, no over-the-top promotion—utterly boring.

But I'm OK with it. Most making is boring. There are moments that are interesting, and the finished product is nice to see, but most of what goes on in making something is just... sanding, or brushing, or digging, or cutting, or boiling, or whatever. But I enjoy the process—mine or someone else's. Let me introduce you to the best channel on YouTube: Dashner Design & Restoration. Pure doing, but from start to finish. You're welcome. I have friends on Facebook (actual people-I-know-friends) who post songs that they're practicing, quilts they've made, photos they've taken, etc. No flash, just sharing their experience living the process.

Boring doesn't mean low quality, though. There are good photos of what you're working on, and bad ones; good recordings of songs, and bad ones. And so on. Do what you do, and be boring doing it, but learn how to capture that moment well—if you're going to let someone into your space where you do what you do, respect their time and attention, and give them something good, no matter how boring it is.

The point of being boring, in this context, is to be inspiring, by showing things slowly and inexorably making their way in the world, so do it right.