I had a relatively easy time setting up my website once I got passed the initial struggle. I think the familiarity with WordPress on the discussion posts as well as for the class itself made this experience easier. Creating the website itself is very similar to simply adding to this page. I wrote my first page on the website which is incredibly similar to a post. Here is the link to my website http://stepanskiw.sites.carleton.edu,
With this website, I can blog about my experience with this class as well as my life at school in general. I think that this would also be a useful platform to discuss the relevant events and entertainment that I find interesting. Another use could be to just learn to design a website and all the aspects that go into so in the future I am more equipped to build more complex websites.
Benefits to using my own website instead of simply posting on social media are that I am able to post whatever I want and in whatever format I chose. There are no community guidelines that I have to follow if I am simply posting on my own website. In creating your own website, it is also possible to design the website in any format. However, there are some downsides. One potential downside is that it is harder to get recognition when creating your own website instead of posting on social media because social media already has millions of people visiting the website. Another downside about creating your own website is that it puts yourself out there to more public scrutiny. If people were to search your name on Google they would certainly find the website that you created under your name. Social media allows one to retain anonymity if they choose by making their account private so only friends or other trusted individuals can view the account. Overall, social media is a more safe route but there is definitely more freedom in creating your own website.
