I was scrolling Instagram the other day and found that I could not tell what was content from people I followed vs. suggested content vs. promoted content.

I put my phone down and realized I was frustrated but could not identify why. A few days went by and I kept mulling over this nagging feeling and think I have pinpointed two specific reasons:

I miss the community of early IG

Five or more years ago Instagram was a place where the overarching sense, at least of the people I followed, was not about self-promotion. People knew each other's names, were interested in each other's projects, and interacted on a more regular basis. Essentially we all shared the love of woodworking and it's like we were in each other's shops, without getting in the way!

Instagram has changed into something completely different now. It is more about garnering followers, so much so that I regularly get messages from experts promising to increase my follower count x-fold. The community aspect just isn't what it used to be.

As a person who has participated in a few different internet communities in their early stages, I've seen how it starts out small, dynamic, and personal but then can grow into a larger entity where individuals blend in to the shadows. While this is probably inevitable, I have enjoyed the early stages.

Please, no more advertisements... please.

I get it, people want to make money. It's a necessary evil. But... it... is.. exhausting. I don't need to describe this in detail because I'm sure you know what I mean.

What does the Sawdust Society offer?

First thing is that we will never fill the page with advertising. I promise. I will shut this down before going to that. I have a few ideas on how to cover costs, but at this point they are minimal and I will pay them myself.

Secondly, it may take some time (and it may not happen at all) but once our community starts growing, I'm hoping we can get some of that magic back, where we can enjoy woodworking and each other's company.

That's it.

Here's to the future of the Society!