The process of setting up a personal, customized WordPress site hosted on my own server required me to make several important structural decisions. Unlike when working within a platform that is preconfigured, I had to build the design, presentation, and navigation of the site from the ground up. With this, there was definitely a learning curve. It was a little bit challenging to understand the block-based editor set up as well as how to link pages to the main screen of my site. However, after I got the hang of creating new pages and editing themes and navigation, the entire process became much more natural.
My WordPress site has endless possibilities for use. It could serve as a space for presenting academic work or projects, or it could simply be a personal website that is used to advocate for myself. Since the design and structure of the site is not tied to a single assignment, I can design it to work alongside my own interests.
There are several benefits of hosting my own website instead of signing up for a service or using a social media platform. First and foremost, I have absolute control over both content and presentation. I will not get limited by certain constraints that come along with using certain platforms, such as algorithms and advertisements. I get to design it how I want, carefully editing exactly what the user sees and how.
With all of this freedom of hosting my own website, however, come some drawbacks. The first being that it requires much more technical responsibility. I am in charge of things like maintenance and updates. I also have to know how to navigate setup and design. I am sure working with my site will get easier, but as of now, it is definitely a challenge to get the site to look and act exactly how I want it to. Overall, I believe the benefits outweigh the drawbacks, as the freedom to create a personal website is much more exciting and engaging than simply using a preconfigured social media platform.