YJL

I have been taking notes on YJL —notes since 8/11/2010. At first, I just use it as a todo list, but, in fact, I didn’t use it as that as much. Two weeks later, I decided to turn it into a notes taking site reluctantly and I wasn’t really writing notes on it much, because I really don’t like current Google Sites. In the beginning of this month, after another task setting in my KeepNote telling me to use that site and considered other options of online CMS platforms, I finally started to take notes for real.

My history of using Google Sites can go back to 9/27/2008, I created my first one private site, then another public one on 11/11 same year. At that moment, Google Sites is freer than present status on the syntax you can use. I don’t like WYSIWYG. In deed, it really is WYSIWYG but it’s also WYWTSINH, What You Want To See Is Not Gonna Happen. I’m an old-fashion, I would prefer using <html/> rather than using WYSIWYG editor, more, I prefer Markdown over <html/>.

When I began to think I should have a public notes site, I searched for viable options. There are some MediaWiki free hosting, but I never like MediaWiki syntax. I even considered to create an Creative Commons licensed content project on Google Code, with it’s online code editing, it could be a huge benefit. I could allow non-member to edit my Markdown source. If I like, I merge them and generate new HTML source code from Markdown. Since Google Code also allows you to host file, those generated HTML source code wouldn’t have problems to be served. It seems perfect, but I didn’t take this route.

The reason is simple, just like the notes would be simple and quick stuff. I don’t intend to take notes which certainly qualified as an article. They will be just a line of code and probably a paragraph of explanation mostly, if I am up to write, that’s all those notes would get. They will not be general, they will be more of my own personal stuff. In other words, a line of code may not work for other people if they don’t have same environment as I have.

I don’t want to maintain a repository which doesn’t have much valuable content in it. I don’t want to design a HTML template just for those simple notes, though the template might end up with just less than ten lines.

Simplicity,

with twisted definition, I chose Google Sites, even I don’t like it much.

First, do you know what is "index.html"? If you don't, please read Index.htm on Wikipedia, that will only take your few minutes. Basically or formerly, it's a directory of that website. I still remember when I was a student, I got a gig to design a web page of  a office of my school. The head of the office asked me why "index.html", what does that mean? If I recall my answer correctly, that would be: It's the first page that Internet users would be checking up for a new website to them.

I chose to create a Google Sites (will refer as GS as follows) as my index.html website, which means I use GS' service as my personal directory website. I think the infrastructure of GS is great. For a directory, you don't need it to be fancy when you are not a designer. You only need to show the information of you in a formal way or just spreading it out. Simple, quick, and easy is the only requirements that we should have to focus on.

Actually, I have a GS before this index.html website. However, that one is private, I am the only one can access to it. I put my to-do list, ideas, thoughts on it. That do help a lot.

Few days ago, I think it's in this week, I created my second GS. The name of it is "Yu-Jie Lin", that is the same as my name. I created some pages to list my favorites of things and projects, which I am currently working on. I also list what social network websites I am using or I had used. And a contact information, of course. "About me" page isn't created yet, but I will.

I guess creating a page with List is my favorite feature of GS. You can add fields, you can sort the list as the way like, you can add and delete items easily. Besides List feature, you can store files  and/or embed some gadgets. The pages are created in hierarchical method, which is a great way to organize.

I believe that we all need a website but definitely not meaning a blog. They are different. Blog is a specific website, you need a general website to represent you. Yes, you can create page in a blog as if you can do in a WordPress blog. But, that is just a page in blog, not in your website.

I had used a social network website (FriendFeed) as my website link in many social network websites. I then realized that is not quite a good idea to do, because not everyone who happens to be interested in you and are like to read stuff in social networks, at least not in that one you link to. More over, a social network website has very narrow purpose, the functionality is limited. Social network website would never be perfect as your website.

Go signing up for GS and create one for your own.