Hello everyone, today we are going to share a tutorial on how to build a blog that is permanent, free, secure, and unrestricted! If you're in a hurry, you can skip to the second half and follow the instructions. For beginners, we need to understand a few things first!
Why Build Your Own Blog Site#
Many friends may ask, why build your own blog? Aren't there many platforms where you can easily register an account and post videos and articles?
Well, only creators who have experienced it themselves understand. After all, when you're under someone else's roof, you have to follow their rules. If they say you're violating the rules, you're violating the rules. If they say they'll ban your account, there's nothing you can do. Your data is held hostage by these centralized platforms, and you have to obey.
Moreover, on closed internet platforms, only users of specific platforms can see your content. So if you don't want to put up with this or if you want to have a backup just in case, it's necessary to build a blog.
Common Free Building Methods#
Now let's talk about the more common free building methods. You can use GitHub Pages for free building, but it's more complicated for beginners.
We have also shared before how to build a website using Notion, which can be deployed with the help of free open-source projects and Replit. There are also many foolproof Notion website building projects, but they are only suitable for light users. Because they still use traditional methods. Traffic, domain names, databases, servers, whatever it is, it all costs money if you use them too much!
Modern Building Method#
Today, we have found a more modern method for you. If you are familiar with blockchain, web3, IPFS, and other technologies, then you will find this method very easy to use. If you haven't heard of them, it doesn't matter, you can still easily build a successful blog by following the instructions.
First, we need to use the project called "xlog," which claims to be the first blockchain blog community. The code is already available on GitHub, and it is much more reliable than those pseudo-applications that claim to be blockchain-based but still store data on centralized platforms.
Professional Terms#
To understand its characteristics, let's briefly explain a few professional terms mentioned above.
IPFS can be understood as a more advanced transmission protocol than BitTorrent. Taking our common HTTP as an example, it is a centralized product. For example, when I upload a resource to a central server of a certain company, everyone needs to download it from the central server through a shared link. Due to time, speed, and traffic limitations, this protocol is facing the reality of being slow and inefficient. Of course, that slowness is an exception for certain companies. On the other hand, IPFS is distributed and decentralized. For example, if 100 people in your community have a copy of a resource, there is no need for a central server. These 100 people can directly send it to you through their own computers. It's like using the same bandwidth and time to obtain different parts of the resource from multiple channels and then combining them together, greatly improving efficiency.
Web3 is more like a concept. In comparison, Web1 was the era of portal websites, where you had to go to a few giant websites to get various information and listen to what they said. Web2 is like the various online platforms we have now, where everyone can create and interact. However, users' data is still in the hands of these centralized companies. Whether you are a creator or a viewer, you are still a user, and your data is their asset. So if you want to wait for them to open up the data, it's better to wait for them to give out red envelopes, which is more reliable. Web3, on the other hand, is more like turning us from users into partners. We can establish platform rules, plan platform development, participate in platform dividends, and most importantly, have control over our own data.
And I believe everyone has heard of blockchain. It can make data tamper-proof and traceable. It also has characteristics such as decentralization, anonymity, universality, and openness. If you're interested, you can search for more information on your own.
xlog Features#
In short, xlog is implemented based on the aforementioned technologies. So your blog data will be permanently and securely stored on the blockchain, and no one can change it except for you. You don't have to worry about the various attacks that regular websites often encounter.
Through IPFS and various caching mechanisms, your blog site on the blockchain can run smoothly.
It also supports importing and exporting markdown. If, like me, you have previously built a website using Notion, you just need to export the markdown files and import them here to move your website.
You can freely set the domain name, navigation bar, style, etc. in the way you like, and all these things are stored on the blockchain.
Its openness also allows it to seamlessly integrate with many other open protocols and applications. Its rich ecosystem makes it very enjoyable. As a long-lasting blog site for your future, you can have fun with it.
Now let's talk about the method. Simply put, you just need to install a plugin and link it to the website. In more detail, it involves many new things, and I will include explanatory articles for you to read. But for now, let's just go ahead and do it.
Building Method#
Installing Metamask#
First, you need a wallet, and we choose Metamask. Install its plugin directly on your browser from the official website. You can think of it as an identity credential or an account. Your actions, such as publishing articles and changing domain names on the blog, will consume the CSB in this wallet. Don't worry about what CSB is for now.
Connecting Metamask to xlog#
Then open the xLog official website and click on the "Connect" button in the upper right corner. Choose the first option, Metamask. The first time you use it, there will be a registration-like process where it will generate an address starting with "0x" for you. You don't need to remember it, just keep clicking next. However, when you encounter the mnemonic phrase, take a screenshot and save it because you will need it for future logins.
Claiming CSB from the Aid Website#
At this point, our account is empty. You can claim CSB for free from a website, which you can think of as an aid website for users with insufficient balance. Each person can claim 0.002 CSB per day. Don't think it's too little, you probably won't even use it all. I have published three articles and changed the domain name once, and I still have 0.1769 CSB left. It's enough for you to post many articles in a day. And as long as you have less than 0.002 CSB, you can claim it every day. So you can think of it as completely free!
To claim, simply select the second option starting with "0x" in the upper right corner of xlog, click on it to copy it, and then paste it on the aid website to claim.
Creating a Blog on xlog#
After that, we can create a blog on xlog by setting a website name, domain name, and website description.
Finally, select the first option in the upper right corner of xlog, "dashboard," to freely set and publish articles in the system backend. At the end of the article, you can clearly see the hash, IPFS link, and other Web3 information. You are truly creating content on the blockchain.