Why you should self-host

A server is incredibly useful. It fills a niche in our computing lives. Whereas a personal computer is good for getting things done while you’re sitting in front of it, and a phone can help you stay notified and do quick tasks on the go, a server is headless. That is—it has no user. It works in the background (preferably in an efficient manner), and stays ready to serve your devices what they need, when they need it.

This is the same idea of the cloud—offload some of your computing to a computer somewhere else, so your device can save on battery and compute, and so computing can go on even when your device is turned off. But with the cloud, it’s not your computer, it’s someone else’s. And if you put your stuff on someone else’s computer, it’s not really yours. In America, to give up control over your computing is to give up your right to the expectation of privacy under the Fourth Amendment. And cloud companies’ business models are all built around harvesting your data to make a profit. You can fill this cloud-shaped niche without giving up any privacy or control by running your own cloud at home.

I host a collection of movies, shows, and music that I can stream or download to my phone, laptop, or desktop at any time. I host a photo library so I can keep my photos safe and organized while being free from google’s control and prying eyes. I host a link saver, which functions way, way better than your typical browser bookmark system. My server syncs my files for me between all my devices.

I’ll finish this post later, but those are my thoughts for now!