I think I’ve been importing my YouTube content for about two months now. I obviously should have taken the time to have ChatGPT write a script to automate the process. I would have to learn what they are and how to use API’s though. Well at this point the finish line is approaching. I’ve gone from 2009 to 2021 pulling in vlogs, tutorials, practice sessions, unboxings/reviews, art timelapses, and so much more. It’s crazy now to review what I’ve made over the years.
While importing the content manually may have been a mistake, in doing so I’ve been able to categorize and organize the content using WordPress’ built in systems for doing so and will soon be swapping the existing navigation menu destinations (static pages) for the category pages. This will automate the process for new content of those categories getting added to the main directory for that topic rather than me having to add it to my task checklist when publishing content.
I have been tempted to do this early, since I’ve got most of the content imported at this point, but haven’t quite yet. Once I do it creates additional work for me to address. While it is optional I would like to go through the posts and add thumbnails to them. Additionally I would like to flesh out the sub-categories so that when a user visits the tutorial category they can dive into specific skill levels, trick types, etc. And each category automatically has an archive generated of the posts within it, so I would want to go and customize those pages as needed. Mostly adding some descriptive text and the sub category menus.
Aside from working on the website I’ve been playing Minecraft survival while taking my breaks. It’s been fun to come up with projects like automated plant and animal farms and then attempt to make one that works. Periodically I’ll look up working farms to get the general idea but this way I’ve been slowly acquiring an understanding of the redstone system and how to create various types of contraptions that automate the loading and dispatching of mine carts.
Basically when I feel like I’ve worked too much I relax by doing more work. But it’s fun because it feels like I should be doing something else the whole time.
Speaking of which my kids and I traded rooms. I’m back in the room I grew up in and they’re in their Aunt’s old room now. It’s a little bigger so it made sense to me to move them in. I’m reminded of hermit crabs switching shells for some reason. I would pretend it was creative avoidance but it was more or less done in four hours. Now they have a few extra square footage to play and craft in, closet access for their toys, and the excitement of something changing. I also prefer looking out this side of the house. It’s more green on this side. Something they don’t seem to mind or have even mentioned.
The only other thing I can think about is I have been going through the process of deleted all my social media accounts. I may take the time to write out rationalizations for this later. The gist of it is: a lot of books and podcasts I’ve been listening to lately reminded me of how the internet used to feel before the algorithms took over.
Focusing on my own internet property (of sorts) feels like the best way to both honor that sentiment as well as encourage myself to focus more on the daily act of creating the work and less on the attention seeking that is cultivated and encouraged by the platforms. The act of attention seeking feels all important and justifiable on those networks. But if you ever get a taste of it and have it go away you realize how liken to sugar it is, and how the cavities it leaves behind map to “has been” in the psyche.