Why is setting up a blog still so annoying in 2025?
I’ve been spinning up blogs since 2002—starting with WordPress 1.x (maybe even before 1.0, honestly can’t remember). It used to feel easier. Fewer choices. Less stuff to worry about. Or maybe it just seemed easier because everything else back then was such a pain in the ass.
These days, all I want is a place to write. Something clean, easy to read, well-designed, and—this part is key—notdrowning in ads or clickbait layouts. Medium gets part of the way there, but the paywalls and reader charges? Not a fan.
I just want a modern blogging platform that feels natural to write in. Like Day One, but for the open web. Seamless from start to publish. Instead, I’m back to dealing with hosting or paying for a managed WordPress (which I do), and even that still feels clunky.
The closest thing I’ve found? Hey World. If you’re already a hey.com user, it’s a dead-simple blogging platform with a beautiful writing interface. Sounds perfect, right?
Well, almost. The catch: you can’t use your own domain just for the blog. You have to switch your email to a custom domain too, and I don’t want that. I actually like having a short @hey.com email. I don’t have a short domain to switch to, and even if I did, I wouldn’t want it tied to the blog. Email and blog serve different roles in my life.
So here I am, still looking for the perfect fit.
Right now, I’m setting up a WordPress site. DNS is propagating. I’ll have to customize the theme, clean up the layout, probably rip out some crap I didn’t ask for. All while wondering—should I keep looking?
Does Medium really lock all content behind a paywall? Can I mark mine as free?
What about Ghost? Remember Ghost? That slick Node.js-based platform from back in the early days of Node hype? I haven’t checked on it in years. Is it still self-hostable? And if not, is the managed version affordable?
Also, while reading Medium’s TOS, I tripped over their policy about users reporting “hateful” content. That feels… fuzzy. These days, “hateful” can just mean “something I don’t like.” No thanks. I prefer platforms that stick to actual First Amendment principles, not selectively enforced community vibes. If I’m going to write, I want to say what I mean—even if it ruffles feathers.
Honestly, I don’t get why no one’s built a Hey World–style platform for everyone. Highly opinionated, super simple:
- Sign up
- Start writing
- Hit publish
- Done
Want a custom domain? Cool. Point a CNAME and you’re good to go. Shouldn’t take more than five minutes, ten tops if your DNS provider makes things weird.
Instead, it feels like every platform is chasing newsletters, SEO plugins, and marketing automation. I get it—I work in affiliate marketing—I know where the money is. But has everyone forgotten about the writers?
All I want is to write. Let me do that.