The Indie Web is a way of using the internet in which your own website is the primary home for your writing, projects, photos, and identity. It is less about a specific platform than a set of habits: own a domain, publish on your site first, and make it easy for other people to connect with you.
Your domain is an address you control
A profile on a social platform is convenient, but its layout, reach, and rules belong to someone else. A domain gives your work a stable address. You can change hosts, redesign the site, or move from a static generator to a different tool without changing the link people use to find you.
Publish on your site first
POSSE — Publish on your Own Site, Syndicate Elsewhere — does not require abandoning social media. Write the durable version on your own domain, then share a shorter version wherever your friends already are. The post, archive, and context remain yours even if a feed changes.
Link out generously
The Indie Web grows through links rather than locked recommendation systems. Keep a blogroll, cite the source of an idea, join a webring, or link to a small project you enjoyed. Good outbound links make a personal site useful even when the author is not trying to become an influencer.
Start with one durable page
You can begin with an about page, a contact address, and one page that explains something you know. Add an RSS feed when you have updates, and use plain URLs that will still make sense years from now. The goal is not to launch a perfect site; it is to create a home you can keep improving.
Keep the social web in its place
Social platforms can still be good places to meet people and discover ideas. The difference is that they become distribution channels rather than the only copy of your work. Owning the original gives you a backup, a long memory, and a place where your choices are yours.