I didn’t get into self-hosting to build some giant home lab. I got into it because I got tired of noise...ads, redirects, endless platforms, and too many moving parts just to read or write. Besides, I live in a one room apartment... not conducive to have a great big network.
Lately I’ve been pulling things back in.
I’m running a small setup using my own domain, Cloudflare, and Tailscale, mostly experimenting with tools like Prometheus, Grafana, Navidrome, Jellyfin, Wiki.js, and some VM servers maning websites, BBS systems, and protocols. I also have been focusing on RSS Bridge and Miniflux to create a single, clean reading space. My goal is simple: if something shows up in my feed, I want the full content right there, no clicking off to somewhere else.
I’ve also been spending time in places like Gemini and envs.net, which reminded me how much I prefer a slower, simpler web. That’s started to shape what I actually want to build.
At this point, I’m less interested in features and more interested in feel. I’m toying with the idea of a very small, invite-only setup, something more like a quiet corner bar than a social platform. A place where a handful of people can read, write, and talk without everything turning into a performance.
Still in “lab mode” for now, figuring out what’s worth keeping and what just adds noise.
Curious how others here are approaching it, are you replacing services, or trying to build something different?
About my days in my selfhosting lab
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