I’m the original host of this system and have been tinkering with web design and the internet in general since I was about 5. I’ve been running WordPress since 2008, and since about that time, I’ve noticed what this article talks about more and more frequently. Namely, homogeneity, not just in terms of WordPress blogs, but across the entire Internet.

We already run a very lean and mean version of a preexisting WordPress theme on this site, one that several of us have lovingly tweaked over several months to suit our needs and provide users with as little clutter and bullshit as possible when they land the site from the jump so that they can just dive right in.

However, my system can be described with the word weird. And while I like what Open Sorcery looks like now, as we post more, explore ourselves, I want to modify the site to reflect us more. I’m reluctant to use phrasing like “reflect our brand” or anything like that, because we don’t really sell things on here, and on the rare occasions we do hawk our wares, the “brand” and the way we live are one and the same.

Because yes, I absolutely love accessible, clean design. But the Open Sorcery site is missing the strange artistic side of our self expression, which is a huge part of the way we do things.

This will likely be rolled out over time, require iterative tweaking and experimentation, and may change a lot aesthetically. Because we don’t fit one “look” and never have. And nothing will come of this tonight because I need more rest. I just wanted to put my thoughts down on paper for y’all before I lose them.

One thing I don’t want to change, though? A clean interface, free of unnecessary bullshit visual clutter. So while it may look fucking cool and striking, I want no detail to impede the actual function of the site.

✨oooo shiny website✨

-Castor