Blaugust 2022 – Pillowfort’s Redesign - It Keeps Getting Better!
Posted on August 15, 2022 by Aywren
Those who know me probably know by now that I champion the free blogging site called Pillowfort. Not only does it just have a cozy name, but it’s somewhat the underdog in blogging platforms that continues to prove it has dedication and staying power.
Just recently, Pillowfort underwent a massive UI update. The previous UI, while completely serviceable, felt and looked – to be blunt – quite outdated. So this UI update was a move to bring the site along the lines of other social media platforms in terms of design. Interestingly enough, the colors the site echo back to the original Tumblr blue – I’m not sure if that’s on purpose or not.
I personally like the redesign. There were some bugs that needed fixing, but they’re taking care of those. I feel like the new UI is pretty sleek and generally gets things done. There’s talk in future customization options for individual blogs and site-wide themes. All very good things.
Keep in mind that Pillowfort does not display ads on blogs – though there are talks of possibly future advertisements to help the site pay running costs. Right now, Pillowfort is fully funded by user donations – myself being one of them.
I’ve supported Pillowfort simply because I like what they’re building. It’s a blogging platform that holds user-run communities at the heart instead of being fully focused on just hashtags. That’s sometimes a bit difficult for new users to figure out coming from places like Twitter or Tumblr.
There’s a smaller user base on Pillowfort compared to Tumblr. This can be good – your stuff actually gets seen instead of lost in the flood – and bad – some communities/topics don’t have enough people to keep them afloat it feels.
It seems like folks who are used to flooded timelines don’t always stick around because things move a bit more slowly on Pillowfort. This hearkens back to a quieter time – more of a LiveJournal mindset – and this doesn’t bother me at all. I just keep creating content and putting it out on Pillowfort to see what it does.
While I know that Pillowfort continues to grow slowly, I’d love to see more folks come on board and adopt the platform. Especially with all the work they’re putting towards improving the site over the years.
If you’re interested in giving Pillowfort a try, you will need an invite link from someone who already has an account. I can provide up to 6 links per week to anyone who wants to roll a new account. Just let me know that you’re interested and I’ll be happy to get you hooked up!
And once you’ve got an account, you’ll have invite codes you can share with your friends, too!
If you already have a Pillowfort, feel free to drop me a follow on my blog. I usually follow back!
Pillowfort is one of those places that will become what we make it. I think it could turn out to be something special, and I’m sticking around to see where it goes!