Well, This Looks Different

If you've been paying attention to the website, you might have noticed a shiny new "Blog" link in the navigation. If you haven't been paying attention, fair enough, I barely have either.

But here it is. Foxy's Lab has a blog now.

I know what you're thinking. "Foxy, you already make videos. Why on earth would you start writing things down as well?" And look, that's a reasonable question. But I've actually been blogging since about 2010 (back when I ran a personal blog called Foxy's Tale), so this is less of a new venture and more of a homecoming. I've just been away for a bit. Give me a break, I was busy!

Why a blog?

Videos are brilliant for a lot of things. Walking you through a setup, showing you a product in action, rambling at a camera about why voice assistants are overrated - all great. But some stuff just doesn't fit the format.

Sometimes I want to go deeper on a topic than a video allows. Sometimes I want to share something quick that doesn't justify pulling out the camera, setting up the lights, and spending hours editing (and another two procrastinating over the thumbnail). And sometimes I just want to write. I've been a writer a lot longer than I've been a YouTuber, and typing words into a text editor still feels like home.

So this blog is going to be a companion to the channel. Expect deeper dives into topics I've covered in videos, standalone pieces about smart home, homelab, and self-hosting stuff, the occasional tutorial that works better as text you can actually copy commands from, and whatever else feels worth putting on a page.

I might also go a little off-topic here on occasion, maybe even posting links to some videos that you would not see appear in your feed. YouTube tends to be a bit strict about out-of-niche videos, it has a strong "stay in your damn lane, boi" attitude. This is MY blog though, I get to decide what goes on here.

Don't worry, I won't go completely off-piste, I've still got Foxy's Tale for that (I plan to start posting there again too soon), but I may do a couple of things here that don't quite fit the vibe of the channel.

What to expect

I'm not going to pretend I'm above chasing ad revenue. I'll post whatever is likely to get eyeballs on the page. The only promise I'm willing to make is that everything here will be entertaining and informative. Or at least informative.

This is a different format but it's made by the same person, so the values I apply to the channel also apply here: If I recommend something, I've used it. If something is cloud-only, I'll tell you upfront. If I don't know what I'm talking about, I'll say that too.

I might occasionally point you towards something I've not personally used but it will be something that I know is popular in the community and I'll flag it as not being a personal recommendation.

Here's a quick history

For those who don't know (which is most of you, and that's fine), I used to run a personal blog for years. It covered everything from tech automation to party planning tips to deeply self-indulgent life updates. I wrote about losing my cat, becoming a contractor, moving across the country, and why I thought cloud storage would save civilisation (the jury's still out on that one).

That blog eventually went quiet, as personal blogs tend to do when life gets in the way, but I never stopped missing the act of writing. YouTube scratches a similar itch, but there's something about sitting down with a cup of coffee and just typing that a camera can't replicate. Writing a script is fun but it's a very different medium with a very different tone of voice and I know it sounds a little self-indulgent but I actually love the way I write and I want to put more of it out there.

So here we are. New blog, new platform, same mad bugger wittering about technology.

What's next?

I've got a few articles in the works already and some videos will now come with a companion article where I am able to find the time - my home assistant article is the first. Beyond that, I'm keeping it loose. If you want to keep up with new posts, the best way is probably to join the Discord where I'll share new articles as they go live, or just check back here occasionally like it's 2012 and RSS feeds are still cool.

(Actually, RSS feeds might be cool again, I bet AI loves them!)

If there's anything you'd like me to write about, something that would work better as an article than a video, or a topic you'd like me to go deeper on, let me know in the Discord or drop a comment on my next YouTube video. I read everything. Sorry there isn't a comments section here yet, I'm gonna work on that but one thing at a time.

Right then. That's the introductions done. Off to go grab a coffee.

T'raa!