From v1 to v5, www.housestationlive.com was entirely focused on music. v5 was close to perfection. Then, I expanded the website to include more topics, which felt like starting over from scratch. v6 was a disaster—its design choices were poorly suited for the project. Now, with the current v7, we’ve achieved the best of both worlds: a sleek interface promoting social posts and discussions on a variety of topics. This shift was driven by the need for complete independence, including from social networks.
It’s a natural evolution of the concept. Rather than scattering my thoughts across multiple platforms like Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube, everything is now centralized on the website. Another key consideration: our visibility on social media was abysmally low, while our website, even when underutilized, generated substantial traffic. We tried everything to grow our social presence, but the reality is harsh—algorithms don’t favor small profiles.
We invested years, and we paid for visibility. What did we get? Our community constantly distracted by suggested content from rivals in the sidebar of our social pages, sabotaging our efforts. Each time we built a small circle of followers, the platforms recommended everything but our content. It felt like working for the benefit of others. Meanwhile, our website, with over 10 years of presence on the Internet, has solid search engine rankings.
This is the inevitable consequence of social media’s abuse of power and algorithmic discrimination. Now, our website offers more than just music. Visitors discovering our newly expanded content section are potential future customers. No rival content will be suggested, no ads will be shown—everything serves our purposes. We are 100% independent.
Moreover, we’re now focusing on ad-free platforms like Mastodon and Odysee. Alternatives exist, always. You just need to open your eyes and stop being just another WordPress, YouTube, or Twitter member.
Quick comparison: number of articles on screen when opening the website:
- housestationlive.com: 18 + 2 buttons
This is the achievement of 10 years of constant thinking and evolution. Happy Birthday, House Station Live .com ■
