Building a Primer

Before I jump into the actual building and planting of this digital garden project, I wanted to dig further into what others have done and learn more of the history.

So I started building a bit of a primer, mainly for my own reference as I build it out. But I figured it could also be a useful collection of links for anyone else out there who may be wandering down this same path.

The smart play will of course be to actually build this out into a proper primer at some point. And that will be a great garden project down the road! This really is the self-licking ice cream cone of website projects.

And so here are the links I’ve been collecting so far that I go back to as I get a handle on what I want this garden to be for me.

Maggie Appleton’s Brief History: this was my first big read on the history and concepts behind digital gardens, and I find myself coming back to it time and time again.

Daniel Singer’s take on digital gardens: another great read on the concept, with some excellent references and further reading that are absolutely worth exploring.

IndieWeb wiki article: Okay, this one is funny. I love the IndieWeb wiki. It’s a regular go-to resource whenever I’m working on something or looking for inspiration on a next project to tackle. So of course I would go to the wiki entry for digital gardens. And just now I’m reading it, and I get to the bottom, under the “See Also” section, and I read a quote that seems oddly familiar. Then I look at the source and I realize, holy shit that’s me! Folks, I’m trying not to laugh too hard and wake my family, because I just discovered that I’ve been quoted on the internet by a source I turn to all the time and it’s just the funniest thing I’ve ever accidentally come across.

There will be more. But these are some great places to get started. Happy reading!