C.M. Black
@foucaultu.bsky.social
Writer of things great and small.
B.A., Philosophy; M.A., Technical Writing
Blog writer for The Philosopher's Shirt
Sometime Goth Auntie
B.A., Philosophy; M.A., Technical Writing
Blog writer for The Philosopher's Shirt
Sometime Goth Auntie
That is entirely fair. Those kinds of books are fun for people who want to know the basics, though, as you said. Sometimes, we are not the audience. Thanks for the review, though!
November 10, 2025 at 12:37 PM
That is entirely fair. Those kinds of books are fun for people who want to know the basics, though, as you said. Sometimes, we are not the audience. Thanks for the review, though!
That can be the difficulty with some of those kinds of books. They end up very sufacey, when you'd like to get into things that maybe you wouldn't know. I've stopped picking these up in philosophy, for instance.
November 10, 2025 at 2:46 AM
That can be the difficulty with some of those kinds of books. They end up very sufacey, when you'd like to get into things that maybe you wouldn't know. I've stopped picking these up in philosophy, for instance.
I love it, though it's disheartening that this isn't obvious to others.
November 10, 2025 at 2:42 AM
I love it, though it's disheartening that this isn't obvious to others.
That is what drew me to Marx all those years ago. At the end of the day, the ethics behind the early economic manuscripts solidified my identity as a Marxist. Thanks for sharing.
November 9, 2025 at 1:33 PM
That is what drew me to Marx all those years ago. At the end of the day, the ethics behind the early economic manuscripts solidified my identity as a Marxist. Thanks for sharing.
Yes. I am just a curmudgeon and tired. Everyone wants massive online presences and I just want to be a Luddite who occasionally responds to correspondence.
November 9, 2025 at 1:30 PM
Yes. I am just a curmudgeon and tired. Everyone wants massive online presences and I just want to be a Luddite who occasionally responds to correspondence.
I was going to say that what you listed are probably the most important. More important than just a site, in my opinion, because if you have articles for reputable journals, etc., you have more search likelihood. PhilPapers, etc. will be searched more frequently. Anyway, interesting conversation!
November 8, 2025 at 12:51 AM
I was going to say that what you listed are probably the most important. More important than just a site, in my opinion, because if you have articles for reputable journals, etc., you have more search likelihood. PhilPapers, etc. will be searched more frequently. Anyway, interesting conversation!
Good point! I literally never considered Google Sites, but I honestly have never used it as a web designer.
November 8, 2025 at 12:48 AM
Good point! I literally never considered Google Sites, but I honestly have never used it as a web designer.
I agree. I tried building mine from Wix, but I am too persnickety to get it to look the way I want, which is another reason I don't have another dedicated site. Thank you for the info and conversation.
November 7, 2025 at 10:14 PM
I agree. I tried building mine from Wix, but I am too persnickety to get it to look the way I want, which is another reason I don't have another dedicated site. Thank you for the info and conversation.
But I found yours right away. It's honestly kind of dumb. I've been trying to figure out SEO since grad school and it's still...insane.
November 7, 2025 at 10:13 PM
But I found yours right away. It's honestly kind of dumb. I've been trying to figure out SEO since grad school and it's still...insane.
On the other hand, the company for whom I work, The Philosopher's Shirt, ranks #2 when you search for Maria von Herbert, which is also a niche subject.
SEO has trust issues. I was able to pull up an article I wrote for SoT, but I had to input the whole title.
Does that make sense?
SEO has trust issues. I was able to pull up an article I wrote for SoT, but I had to input the whole title.
Does that make sense?
November 7, 2025 at 10:11 PM
On the other hand, the company for whom I work, The Philosopher's Shirt, ranks #2 when you search for Maria von Herbert, which is also a niche subject.
SEO has trust issues. I was able to pull up an article I wrote for SoT, but I had to input the whole title.
Does that make sense?
SEO has trust issues. I was able to pull up an article I wrote for SoT, but I had to input the whole title.
Does that make sense?
But then, you'd have to post your Linktree everywhere. It's a whole mess.
To share an example, I have a site I've been authoring for years. It doesn't even rank for any of the subjects of its articles. slicesofthought.wordpress.com
I understand you can manipulate this with other tools on WP. Meh.
To share an example, I have a site I've been authoring for years. It doesn't even rank for any of the subjects of its articles. slicesofthought.wordpress.com
I understand you can manipulate this with other tools on WP. Meh.
November 7, 2025 at 10:11 PM
But then, you'd have to post your Linktree everywhere. It's a whole mess.
To share an example, I have a site I've been authoring for years. It doesn't even rank for any of the subjects of its articles. slicesofthought.wordpress.com
I understand you can manipulate this with other tools on WP. Meh.
To share an example, I have a site I've been authoring for years. It doesn't even rank for any of the subjects of its articles. slicesofthought.wordpress.com
I understand you can manipulate this with other tools on WP. Meh.
There are a lot of things that they use when it comes to ratings, and keywords are one of them. But it's so fiddly.
I do not want to foist a domain on someone who wants to build a professional site, but for a CV or to host projects, I think something else like a Linktree might be more helpful.
I do not want to foist a domain on someone who wants to build a professional site, but for a CV or to host projects, I think something else like a Linktree might be more helpful.
November 7, 2025 at 10:11 PM
There are a lot of things that they use when it comes to ratings, and keywords are one of them. But it's so fiddly.
I do not want to foist a domain on someone who wants to build a professional site, but for a CV or to host projects, I think something else like a Linktree might be more helpful.
I do not want to foist a domain on someone who wants to build a professional site, but for a CV or to host projects, I think something else like a Linktree might be more helpful.
When you search via Google, for instance, there are a whole host of things that reflect your rating in the search (if you end up on the top of the list).
If you are under a site builder like Wix or WordPress (the blogging site, not the builder for sites), it's really hard to find you in searches.
If you are under a site builder like Wix or WordPress (the blogging site, not the builder for sites), it's really hard to find you in searches.
November 7, 2025 at 10:11 PM
When you search via Google, for instance, there are a whole host of things that reflect your rating in the search (if you end up on the top of the list).
If you are under a site builder like Wix or WordPress (the blogging site, not the builder for sites), it's really hard to find you in searches.
If you are under a site builder like Wix or WordPress (the blogging site, not the builder for sites), it's really hard to find you in searches.
I have one too, from a grad school project I did. But if you were to search the project, even with specifications, you can't find it on the search engine.
As I understand it, a domain really helps the site's performance in search results. I will expound.
As I understand it, a domain really helps the site's performance in search results. I will expound.
November 7, 2025 at 10:11 PM
I have one too, from a grad school project I did. But if you were to search the project, even with specifications, you can't find it on the search engine.
As I understand it, a domain really helps the site's performance in search results. I will expound.
As I understand it, a domain really helps the site's performance in search results. I will expound.
But again, since it is hosted elsewhere, the optimization is questionable. (I haven't tested mine yet.)
This is from my experience. I hate SEO and struggle with playing with it outside of a domain, even when writing things that are niche.
This is from my experience. I hate SEO and struggle with playing with it outside of a domain, even when writing things that are niche.
November 7, 2025 at 8:42 PM
But again, since it is hosted elsewhere, the optimization is questionable. (I haven't tested mine yet.)
This is from my experience. I hate SEO and struggle with playing with it outside of a domain, even when writing things that are niche.
This is from my experience. I hate SEO and struggle with playing with it outside of a domain, even when writing things that are niche.
I also should add that, unless you are running a domain, your SEO is not going to have the O (optimization), unless you add additional features. I have had a WordPress (blog host) site for over a decade and no one can find anything.
They could try Substack if they want to grow an audience.
They could try Substack if they want to grow an audience.
November 7, 2025 at 8:42 PM
I also should add that, unless you are running a domain, your SEO is not going to have the O (optimization), unless you add additional features. I have had a WordPress (blog host) site for over a decade and no one can find anything.
They could try Substack if they want to grow an audience.
They could try Substack if they want to grow an audience.
It might be worth it to get a Linktree, which is a one stop shop for everything a person does. I do have one of those, and you can get very basic ones for free.
The costs and anxieties with creating and hosting a site have been a huge hurdle for me, even though I need to do it. Hope this helps.
The costs and anxieties with creating and hosting a site have been a huge hurdle for me, even though I need to do it. Hope this helps.
November 7, 2025 at 8:36 PM
It might be worth it to get a Linktree, which is a one stop shop for everything a person does. I do have one of those, and you can get very basic ones for free.
The costs and anxieties with creating and hosting a site have been a huge hurdle for me, even though I need to do it. Hope this helps.
The costs and anxieties with creating and hosting a site have been a huge hurdle for me, even though I need to do it. Hope this helps.
My reservations for a grad student would be that, unless you want a vanity site, I am not sure a personal professional site is going to promote your work better than the journals in which you are publishing. SEO is not simple.
November 7, 2025 at 8:36 PM
My reservations for a grad student would be that, unless you want a vanity site, I am not sure a personal professional site is going to promote your work better than the journals in which you are publishing. SEO is not simple.
I believe Wix is simple to set up. You can purchase a domain from them or outside of them.
As a professional writer, I haven't yet set up a site because of the cost to maintain and protect it. I also went through WordPress hell in grad school.
As a professional writer, I haven't yet set up a site because of the cost to maintain and protect it. I also went through WordPress hell in grad school.
November 7, 2025 at 8:36 PM
I believe Wix is simple to set up. You can purchase a domain from them or outside of them.
As a professional writer, I haven't yet set up a site because of the cost to maintain and protect it. I also went through WordPress hell in grad school.
As a professional writer, I haven't yet set up a site because of the cost to maintain and protect it. I also went through WordPress hell in grad school.
Oooh, this is going to be a good read!
November 5, 2025 at 10:53 PM
Oooh, this is going to be a good read!