SDF

The SDF Public Access UNIX System dates back to 1990 as a node on the lonestar.org UUCP network right here in North Texas. Today, it provides free shell services and more.

SDF is a 501(c)(7) social club which derives its income from dues-paying members. I find that this makes for a very welcoming environment, and the services SDF provides are very well aligned with what I’m looking for. Could I host my own website? Sure. What about a shell server? Of course. I have lots of internet-connected devices I could SSH into. The list goes on, including federated services like Mastodon and Lemmy.

I can’t self-host community.

By chipping in together, the members of SDF built more than just a cheap webhost or a free shell server. SDF is home to a small but thriving community of creatives including students, programmers, musicians, artists, and those who are interested in retro or federated internet technology.

That’s why my website is at sdf.org/~c5n/ instead of c5n.me or any of the other domains registered to me. If any of this sounds interesting to you, read more at sdf.org or Wikipedia.