Re: [libreplanet-discuss] helping newcomers start blogs - but where?

[Thadeu Lima de Souza Cascardo]

On Thu, Aug 17, 2017 at 10:39:37PM +0200, Daniel Pocock wrote:
> On 17/08/17 20:57, Thadeu Lima de Souza Cascardo wrote:
> > On Thu, Aug 17, 2017 at 08:24:34PM +0200, Daniel Pocock wrote:
> >> On 17/08/17 20:17, Thadeu Lima de Souza Cascardo wrote:
> >>> On Thu, Aug 17, 2017 at 07:52:51PM +0200, Daniel Pocock wrote:
> >>>> Hi all,
> >>>>
> >>>> blogger.com and wordpress are well known platforms for people to create
> >>>> free blogs.  Github pages have also become popular with developers 
> >>>> recently.
> >>>>
> >>>> What are the recommended alternatives for people who want to adhere to a
> >>>> more free / libre approach?
> >>>>
> >>>> In particular, I'm looking for solutions I can recommend to students
> >>>> getting into Outreachy and GSoC.  They often have a lot of things to
> >>>> think about at the start of their project and need to start blogging
> >>>> quite quickly.
> >>>>
> >>>> For now, I'm tempted to recommend github pages with Jekyll static
> >>>> content generation because at least the git repository (and full
> >>>> history) behind these sites can be easily migrated to any other hosting
> >>>> platform.  Are there other alternatives people recommend?
> >>>>
> >>>> Regards,
> >>>>
> >>>> Daniel
> >>> I love ikiwiki, and there is branchable [1].
> >>>
> >>> [1] https://www.branchable.com/
> >> The fees there - $9.99 per month - are actually quite expensive in some
> >> of the countries where we attract students and interns
> >>
> >> I'm going to a hackathon event this weekend where there will be 25
> >> students and it would be great if all 25 start a blog but if they need
> >> to get out their credit card, I suspect some will be reluctant to try it.
> >>
> >> Are there similar options without cost?
> >>
> >> Regards,
> >>
> >> Daniel
> > Well, at least I am glad cost is the first issue you have with using
> > branchable.com. There is ikiwiki-hosting at Debian, so setting up
> > something that allows all those 25 to use a single cheap VPS host should
> > not be a year's work. I have no idea how simple it is, but I understand
> > you don't have time for that, and it's something that you need to be
> > maintained and involve some money cost.
> >
> > Still, there is the first free month, and then you can test how the
> > migration really works out.
> >
> > Also, http://www.branchable.com/news/free_hosting_for_Free_Software/.
> 
> Good in principle but the process they describe looks a little bit
> complicated.
> 
> > The other way of thinking about it is: what is the sustaining model for
> > a "free" hosting?
> 
> Whatever it is, it probably needs to involve bringing together a range
> of services into a single package, giving a lengthy free trial (2-3
> years) for students and potentially being helped by subsidies from some
> of the non-profit organizations.

I wonder if Debian and/or SFC could help with that somehow.

Cascardo.

> 
> Regards,
> 
> Daniel