For a first proper post, I thought I'd answer the question - why? What purpose does this site serve? Why would I make a personal website in 2024, of all times?
To be honest, there are many reasons. Most of them are likely ephemeral and won't make sense to me in a few months. I think the main one, however, is that I'd like a place of my own.
But, again - why? What does that mean?
If you've read the about me page, you know that I consider myself an outsider, an observer, and a wanderer. But even one of those carries things with them as they go. If nothing else, they carry their name with them, although they may not give it to everyone.
So to put it simply, this is a place where I can be myself. A place to hang my hat when I rest from my travels. A persistant name (klay.moe) my house can be found with, should one desire, even if I've withdrawn from everywhere else for the time being.
That's the real crux of the issue. I don't like the "I'm only here because all my friends are here" feeling that most modern, social websites try to foster. Additionally, I don't like helping said sites make money in ways that I find unethical.
However, if I withdraw from everyone's platforms for a while like I sometimes do, I feel it would be hard to find me again. I would like to be able to leave without anyone wondering where I went. I don't like it when other people I like do this to me, so I wanted to come up with a solution to me doing it to other people.
Right now, a personal website seems like a good place for that. The obscurity is an advantage - only the curious will find this place - and the landlord isn't trying to monetize me beyond charging a utility fee. I'm fairly certain that even future me will probably not want to delete this place. The asymmetry of it all means that there is no obligation, and that is something I think I can work with.
So, pull up a chair and sit by the fireplace if you'd like. There will be refreshments and cookies of various kinds as time goes on. Hopefully they will be to your liking.
-Klay