Journey through my projects: from dormant Domains to AI and Substack
At present, I’m immersed in a few projects: a website linked to a domain I’ve owned for a while, a newsletter/blog hosted on Substack, and the resurrection of a dead blog. Initiating projects has always come naturally to me. However, maintaining consistency and seeing them through to completion has been a challenging – a pattern I’m determined to change. It could be a function of age, or maybe it’s because I’ve become more discerning about the projects I invest my time in.
Reviving dormant domain names
Have you ever impulsively purchased a domain name, or even multiple domain names, only to leave them dormant, unattached to any site? I certainly have, and it’s not something I take pride in. I used to be a fountain of ideas, and one of my first instincts was to secure a domain name for each one. These ideas often seemed brilliant at the time, leading me to buy the domain name(s), only to realize days or weeks later that I had no interest in pursuing the project or that the idea was flawed.
This habit resulted in an accumulation of domain names, many of which have expired registrations, while a few remain active, renewed annually in the hope that one day I’ll utilize them. That day has finally arrived. The domain name I’m working on is the Spanish equivalent of exploring and traveling. The concept is to employ AI to summarize and aggregate content, organizing it meaningfully for readers, particularly those keen on learning about specific destinations. That’s the broad overview. It does boast unique features that, in my opinion, make it a compelling alternative to other travel websites.
Augmenting my capabilities
I’ll share more details in the coming days, weeks, and months, but the project is still under development, and there’s nothing substantial to showcase. What’s accelerating my progress and preventing burnout is the assistance of AI tools. Contrary to popular belief, AI isn’t replacing me; rather, it’s augmenting my capabilities, a dynamic I hope continues for the foreseeable future. It’s a gratifying experience to accomplish more within the same timeframe and with the same knowledge base.
I am embracing AI tools and I recommend that you do too. While there are risks that we all need to be aware of, it is also true that technologies such as AI will continue to move forward, regardless of our thoughts about them.
A Substack blog?
My second endeavor is the revival of a Substack publication. I have a penchant for writing, and while I’ll continue to pen most of my pieces here, I’m keen on exploring other platforms and dividing my writing between this site and my Substack. I plan to publish essays and articles on technology and culture on Substack, while reserving more personal and informal topics for my personal blog.
The reality is that the Substack publication might not gain traction, given that it requires readers to subscribe and pay a nominal monthly fee. Consequently, I might see little activity there. However, I enjoy writing, and using Substack is my way of learning more about its capabilities, offerings, and how they compare to WordPress. I researched and experimented with other platforms, but ultimately, I decided to give Substack a genuine shot.
Before settling on Substack, I experimented with a self-hosted instance of Ghost. While it seemed promising initially, there were aspects I didn’t particularly enjoy. As a coder, I’m proficient in installing and setting up systems on a server. I found it enjoyable to set up virtual servers running OpenBSD and Ubuntu using Vultr and DigitalOcean, and then installing Ghost on them. However, while it was fun, it was also time-consuming, time that could have been better spent writing. So, for now, Substack is my platform of choice.
Resurrecting an almost-dead blog
Additionally, with the assistance of ChatGPT, I’ve resurrected my old blog under Ontechies to share tips (in English and Spanish) related to technology, programming, and productivity. I establish parameters for ChatGPT prompts, generate tips with them, curate the results, apply some editing, and then publish them. I post one every day except Sundays. So if you’re interested, I invite you to take a look and share your thoughts.
That sums up my current projects. While I have ideas for a few more, I’m also a fervent movie watcher, reader, and traveler. I don’t want to monopolize all my personal time with projects. It’s essential to carve out space and time to enjoy life and occasionally do nothing. After all, balance is vital to a fulfilling life.
That’s it
As I continue to navigate this exciting journey of managing multiple projects and exploring different platforms, I invite you to join me. Whether it’s by subscribing to my Substack publication, checking out my AI-powered travel site once it’s live, or simply engaging with my posts here, your support and feedback are invaluable. If you’ve had similar experiences or have any insights to share, I’d love to hear from you in the comments below. And if you find my posts helpful or interesting, please consider sharing them with your network. Cheers!
