All Things Small Web

Now that Small Web September is all wrapped up for another year, I wanted to give everyone the opportunity to share some thoughts on the event - how you found it, and whether you have anything you'd like to change or add.

If you don't have any particular feedback, no problem! But I'm always keen to hear suggestions if there are any. Last year was the first time I'd run the event, and based on everyone's feedback I kept the format pretty consistent, just changing up the check-in themes slightly. (If it ain't broke...) However, I'd be curious to know how first-time participants found the event, and also whether any repeat participants would like to see something new.

Freeform thoughts are extremely welcome, but here are some points to respond to if you're stuck:

• Have you taken part in this event before, or was it your first time participating?
• What did you think of the event format? (Regular 'check-in' posts with engagement/replies in the comments)
• What did you think of the check-in frequency? (Weekly posts/check-ins for a total of five during the event, including the kick-off post). Too many/too few/about right?
• What did you think of the check-in themes (links, communities, troubleshooting, etc.)? Were they too specific, or too general? Do you prefer to have a theme, or would you rather stick to general progress updates for the check-ins?
• Do you have any thoughts on the bonus discussion prompts? Are there any other topics that you think would make for an interesting discussion?
• Is there anything else you'd like the event to feature in future?

Thank you very much in advance for sharing any feedback that you have!

Our third check-in point for Small Web September is at hand!

We're now on the home stretch - but there's still lots of time to play around with your small web project(s), so if you're just joining us, welcome! We hope you enjoy taking part and chatting with everyone in the comments.

The theme of this week's check-in is communities! There are lots of cool groups, forums, mailing lists, and social media movements for or adjacent to the small/indie web - I'm posting in one right now! These can be really excellent places to find like-minded hobbyists, share tips and resources, and take part in challenges and events (again, like this one :D).

So, in the comments, share how you're doing with your small web project(s) and also where you like to spend time talking about the small web, if anywhere! I'm not going to too-rigidly define what counts as a "community", so if you think it counts, mention it here.

As a bonus discussion prompt: what is something you would love to see/join a community for (this one doesn't have to be small web-related!) but you haven't yet found one? Have you ever thought of starting it yourself?

As a reminder, this is the third of four ‘check-in’/comment points that will be published during the event – you can check out the schedule and dates of these posts over on the event intro. There’s no cut-off point for commenting on them, so you can add something at any time – you also don’t need to comment on every one or do them in order! The themes are a loose guide and all discussion is welcome. For our previous check-in post, head on over to Small Web September Check-In 2: Halfway House/Troubleshooting!

There'll be a longer gap than usual between this and our next (and final!) check-in, which will be posted on Tuesday 30th September, the last day of the challenge - so look out for it then!

We’ve reached the first check-in point for Small Web September! How is everyone doing so far? Whether you’re just getting warmed up or are already ticking off goals (or maybe you just found this and want to join – welcome!), come and share your progress in the comments of this check-in.

The theme of this week’s check-in is links! Earlier this year, I came across Coy (osteophage)’s link compilation in praise of links, which led me down a rabbit hole of reading various essays about the importance of hyperlinking and being a good steward of the web. This includes not making your own site into an effective dead end, but sending people on to interesting destinations via links that you’ve included there.

I’ve always been a lover of curating cool webpages and sites, but it struck me that I wasn’t actually doing much of this on my own little website – now, it’s a personal fanworks archive, so you could argue that linking out to random pages is a bit out of step with the purpose of it. However, it broadened my thinking about where I could start adding more links: from archiving rec lists to linking out to gifts that other fans had made for me over the years.

So, the discussion starter for this check-in is: how do you link, and to what? Do you have a link hub or set of interesting finds? Would you like to do more with links?

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Hi, everyone! Though I can't really believe it's almost September, we're fast approaching the month in question and that means it's nearly time for... Small Web September! \o/

I'm pleased to say that I'm bringing back SWS for another year and I hope you'll join me in doing small web stuff for the month of September! If you aren't familiar with Small Web September or can't remember exactly how it works, that's okay: all the information you need will be in this post!

What is Small Web September?

Small Web September is a month-long event run right here on smallweb, and it's designed to be a chill, friendly and accessible event for anyone to make progress on a small web project. This can be anything from a personal site/indie archive to a shrine or directory, or maybe it's a list of resources you've always wanted to put together, or a set of graphics for small web projects! Whatever you'd like to work on, as long as it's small web-related (by the helpful definition in our comm intro post), it belongs in the event and we'd love you to bring it to Small Web September.

How does the challenge work?

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