What is a Digital Garden
Building your own website or blog can be an exciting and joyful process - but sometimes also cause a lot of stress and guilt too. In my case anyway. And the reason is me being too enthusiastic compared to time/recourses available, so the result is a bunch of pages with "UNDER CONSTRUCTION!"-signs, and lot of almost-finished (read: never-going-to-be-finished) articles piling up and waiting on you computer.
The process with building a Digital Garden is probably about the same, but with one decisive difference: it's meant to stay in "work in process" mode endlessly. No stress, no guilt - just pure joy of creating new stuff when you feel like it... Or maybe not quite though. As in case of a real garden, a digital one also requires some determination and commitment.
But what is a Digital Garden exactly, and how to describe the concept? I asked Microsoft Copilot and got this succinct definition:
A Digital Garden is a unique online space that blends elements of a notebook and a blog. Unlike traditional blogs, which are often chronological and static, digital gardens are dynamic and ever-evolving. They allow individuals to cultivate and share their thoughts, ideas, and knowledge in a more organic and interconnected way.
Here are some key characteristics of digital gardens:
- Evergreen Content: Unlike blog posts that decay over time, digital gardens are continuously updated and refined.
- Bi-directional Linking: Notes and ideas are interconnected, creating a web of related content that readers can explore.
- Personal Expression: Digital gardens reflect the creator's personality and interests, often featuring a mix of text, images, and other media.
- Work in Progress: They are often seen as perpetual works in progress, where ideas can be short, incomplete, or evolving.
Digital gardens are a great way to organize and share your thoughts in a more flexible and creative manner. If you're interested in setting up your own, there are various platforms and tools available to help you get started.
PS. If you understand Danish, check out also: Hvad er en 'digital have'