Category: General

The topics covered here didn't fall into one of my usual categories.

Opie's Grist Mill

The Opie's Grist Mill in Bridgepoint Historic District, Montgomery Township during a rain storm in March.

It rained all day. I spent Saturday morning watching the Formula 1 Bahrain Grand Prix. Normally on a cold rainy day like this, I would just sit inside and stream a movie or engage in a photo editing session. I wanted a few more cans of the Mittelfrüh Pilsner by Source Brewing. I made a trip out to a package store in Libby's Liquors in Lawrenceville. The roadways in Lawrenceville were like streams and flooded in many areas. When I left the Libby’s I got water inside my sneaker from the puddle in the parking lot.

On the way home, I realised that the weather might provide some interesting opportunities for photography. On Hollow Road at the northwestern border of Montgomery Township, I stopped at Rock Brook near the bridge at Grandview Road. Without a tripod, it was challenging to get long-exposure photographs with my Fuji X-T3 or iPhone 11 Pro.

The Rock Brook runs southeast to Bessie Grover Park at Camp Meeting Road. My friend Chris once lived in a house across from Bessie Grover Park. I tried using some small rocks to balance the camera but without a tripod it was challenging. As I drove slowly along Camp Meeting Road back toward home I remembered Opie's Grist Mill on Dead Tree Run Road.

The photograph showcases Opie's Grist Mill, a historic structure perched by the side of Dead Tree Run Bridge in the Bridgepoint Historic District of Montgomery Township, Somerset County, New Jersey. The mill, clad in red panelling, stands out against a winter backdrop with its vibrant colour. It is a multi-story building featuring a prominent balcony overlooking the river. The foreground is dominated by the muddy waters of The Rock Brook, displaying a smooth texture with ripples and reflections that suggest a rapid flow. The bare trees surrounding the mill create a stark, almost solemn atmosphere. The sky is overcast, casting a diffuse light that softens the entire scene, enhancing the mill's prominence. This tranquil setting captures the essence of historic rural America, where such mills were once the heart of local communities.
Opie's Grist Mill in Bridgepoint Historic District · 2 March 2024 · FujiFilm X-T3 · XF27mmF2.8 R WR

Opie's Grist Mill is located on Dead Tree Run Road in the Bridgepoint Historic District in Montgomery Township. The mill and the one-lane stone bridge were built in the early 1800s. A prominent, richly coloured red structure, the mill has retained most of its historical architecture, with its traditional wooden build and gabled roof. With the deluge of water from the incessant rain, the water of the Rock Brook had expanded right up to the edge of the Dead Tree Run Road and the mill almost seemed surrounded by water.

I stood on the southern side of the bridge, using small rocks to steady and level the camera. The iPhone 11 Pro was wedged between two rocks for stability with a flat rock underneath to level the frame. I used the Reexpose app from Reeflex to make a 7-second simulated (stacked image) exposure. The app was made for use with their line of iPhone camera lenses, none of which I own. I used a 3-second timer to reduce the effects of any camera shake from pushing the shutter button in the app.

Goodbye Micro.blog

Micro.blog is a promising concept, but there is much room for improvement. I am tired of waiting.

micro.blog (µblog), has positioned itself as a platform aligning with the IndieWeb community. While its intentions are commendable, there are opportunities for improvement to enhance the overall user experience.

The platform has garnered recognition within the IndieWeb community and was featured prominently on the IndieWeb wiki, accompanied by informative content. Manton Reece, the creator of µblog, frequently emphasises its alignment with IndieWeb principles, portraying it as an Indie-friendly platform. Outbound webmentions are fully supported but only accepts incoming webmentions from sites which have registered on the service using their sending base URL.

However, there appears to be a discrepancy between the platform's perceived integration with IndieWeb architecture and its actual implementation. For instance, I've encountered challenges when trying to engage with µblog comments from my IndieWeb WordPress site, where my webmentions are sent and acknowledged but don't reflect on the timeline.

Micro.blog is not just an alternative silo. It’s worse than your average silo. It’s worse than Twitter. From the point of view of IndieWeb, it’s even worse than Facebook. Evgeny Kuznetsov

Certainly, µblog has many attributes of a traditional social media platform, which might lead to some confusion regarding its role in the IndieWeb ecosystem. While it makes strides towards IndieWeb principles, there's room for dialogue about how closely it adheres to the core tenets and how it can continue to evolve. This dialogue presents an opportunity for the platform to evolve and foster a more seamless experience for users.

Designed with Considerable Friction

µblog's approach often introduces significant friction. For users aiming to host a comprehensive photo blog, navigating µblog's interface can prove challenging. Unlike WordPress, where adding media is straightforward with the "Add Media" button, µblog requires managing two browser tabs simultaneously—one for editing and another for uploading. The upload page lacks search functionality, necessitating manual copying and pasting of HTML (or markdown) from the uploads page into the editor.

Additionally, µblog's themes do not support header images, resulting in limited visual customization. Upon post publication, only a title, link, and thumbnail image, often minuscule in size, are displayed publicly on the timeline.

The Micro.blog userbase seems actually pretty good at putting the effort into leaving real comments, but on some other sites (or if I had a blog that wasn’t integrated into a social media platform like this), this lack can result in people making post after post that gets no apparent response, and feeling like they’re shouting into the void. Jayeless.net

µblog users can see and managed whom they follow but are not privy to who follows them. This creates the possibility that a user might be following a number of people but no one is reading that users posts.

Challenges with Customer Support

Customer support, unfortunately, can be slow, especially for a paid service like µblog. Despite having an active subscription expiring on April 4, 2024, I've faced ongoing difficulties with posting to the timeline. Despite reaching out multiple times to support for assistance, I'm still awaiting a permanent resolution.

micro.blog annual invoice
micro.blog does not recognise that I have a subscription.

µblog's Social and Community Dynamics and Platform Limitations

The diversity of participants and resulting conversations are somewhat limited and are likely to remain so. This might suit some people just fine, but I appreciate people of different races, creeds, colors, economic backgrounds, and even those with differing political opinions. The kind of people you might find on a more mainstream social media service or the right Mastodon instance.PhoneBoy

µblog's simplicity is commendable, offering a clutter-free experience devoid of ads. However, this streamlined approach also translates into limitations, such as the absence of features like direct messaging, group chats, and advanced search functionalities.

Discoverability remains a challenge due to µblog's design choices aimed at curbing abuse and harassment. The lack of hashtag support and topic searches hinders users' ability to find content and connect based on shared interests.

The platform's emphasis on content ownership within the IndieWeb community is evident, yet it struggles with balancing freedom of expression with community safety. The cautious approach to user directories and content curation has implications for visibility and collaboration.

I always think appreciation, likes, reactions, and follower count should be made available privately to the content owner. Making them public should be an opt-in decision, if at all possible.Havn

Despite these challenges, µblog's community continues to offer valuable insights and suggestions for improvement, reflecting a shared desire for a more inclusive and feature-rich platform experience.

There seems to be a lot of community push back when anyone advocates for incorporating standard social media features in a manner that benefits all.

While some users may opt to disable "Likes" on their timeline, others, like myself, find value in having this feature available.numericcitizen

Evaluating µblog

Reflecting on my journey with µblog, I appreciate its vision but find the execution somewhat constrained by an emphasis on preventing harassment, which at times hampers community growth and user interaction. Throughout this discussion, the concept of "community" has emerged repeatedly, highlighting the significance of shared connections and interactions that contribute to a sense of belonging—an aspect that µblog could enhance.

The diversity of participants and resulting conversations are somewhat limited and are likely to remain so. This might suit some people just fine, but I appreciate people of different races, creeds, colors, economic backgrounds, and even those with differing political opinions. The kind of people you might find on a more mainstream social media service or the right Mastodon instance.PhoneBoy

In conclusion, there are several factors leading me to withhold a full recommendation for the current iteration of micro.blog. While acknowledging the challenges, it's worth noting that platform governance, akin to Twitter, rests with the owner. Despite this, I maintain a positive view of Manton's character, even if we haven't met in person. However, the platform's responsiveness to change requests could benefit from improvement.

Wishing for a future where µblog strikes a better balance between fostering a safe environment and encouraging vibrant community engagement, I bid farewell.

Zion Crossing Park

After checking out the barn on Mountain View Road, I made my way to Zion Crossing Park on Hollow Road. The entrance and the gravel road were still covered in snow. My Acura had a bit of a dance on the snow as I tried to find a spot to park. Stepping out of the car, my sneakers plunged into the snow, which was so deep it came halfway up my calves. The pristine state of the snow hinted that I was the first to come this way.

I walked along the snow-covered bank of the Rock Brook, its waters moving gently beneath the canopy of barren trees towards the wading pool. The bright sunlight danced on the water’s surface, creating a sparkle that contrasted with the shadows of the trees.

The banks of the brook were lined with stones and rocks, some peeking out from their snowy blankets, while others lay hidden, waiting for the thaw. The snow seemed to glow, reflecting the light of the afternoon sun. The tall trees reached towards a clear winter blue sky.

Feeling the cold breeze I framed the shot. Time to go.