Web on Alex Hamelink

Comments

Thu, 22 Oct 2026 17:36:00 +0200

This site now has comments, right below this post. I didn’t want trackers, ads or cookie banners so I’m running Remark42, a small open-source, self-hosted comment engine.

How it’s hosted

The whole thing runs as a small Docker container on Render’s free tier. Free comes with a catch though: the container’s disk is wiped every time it restarts (which happens automatically after ~15 minutes without traffic). So the comment data can’t just live there.

Unicode Snowman

Fri, 26 Sep 2025 21:09:09 +0200

Ever since someone showed me the unicode snowman I keep thinking about the unicode snowman. It’s pretty cool how different devices and fonts render this character very differently, and how much more fun noticable it is compared to other characters.

Creating a Website

Wed, 01 Nov 2023 21:58:46 +0100

Freedom has taken on a new dimension in the information age. The internet has transformed the way we interact, share information, and express our thoughts. It’s a powerful tool that has the potential to connect us with a global audience, yet the concept of freedom in this digital world is not as straightforward as it may seem.

In the early days of the internet, often called Web 1.0, access to the digital realm was confined by one’s technical prowess. In contrast, today’s Web 2.0 era is marked by influential platforms making the internet accessible to a wider audience. However, this newfound accessibility brings its own set of constraints. These platforms, evolving over time, have adopted stricter content moderation and community guidelines. Though aimed at preserving order and safety, they have inadvertently curbed freedom of speech. These platforms, once synonymous with free expression, now dictate what’s acceptable to say, prompting concerns about stifled diversity of opinion and the openness of digital discourse.