Alternate title: What I did at Summer Domain Camp. A new activity for Domain Camp for 2019 was to interview your domain. Here is my response:
- What is your domain name and what is the story, meaning behind your choice of that as a name?
My domain is procaffination.ca and it comes from the idea that I have difficulty doing anything before I have my first coffee. Instead of procrastination, I suffer from procaffination. I am also pro-coffee! I like coffee. I basically drink coffee and water. So procaffination is a good fit for my domain.
- What was your understanding, experience with domains before you got one? Where were you publishing online before having one of your own?
I have some past experience with basic HTML and many years ago, I had a faculty page at St. Clair College. This was basically before CSS became a thing so that was quite some time ago. More recently, the thought of having a domain of my own was not on my radar.
- What was a compelling feature, reason, motivation for you to get and use a domain? When you started what did you think you would put there?
When I got started with Ontario Extend in May of 2018, I started a free WordPress blog. At that time, I was not sure I had anything to say but I was willing to give it a whirl if only to participate more fully in the Extend activities. When I start with the Domain of my Own in July 2018, I thought I would like to have some more control and ability to play, basically, my domain would be my sandbox to try out new things. I wanted a place to work out some of my own thoughts about teaching and learning but also to explore accessibility issues.
- What kinds of sites have you set up one your domain since then? How are you using them? Please share URLs!
You can find all my subdomains by visiting procaffination.ca
At the moment, I have my personal blog under Largecoffeewfourcreams, a collection of blog posts from our Tutor Team for the Fall 2018 9x9x25 Challenge, a gallery of faux inspirational posters I created from quotes from posts for the 9x9x25 Challenge and a SPLOT about cats.
- What helped you or would have helped you more when you started using your domain? What do you still struggle with?
Ontario Extend Domain Camp activities was my main guide for getting set up with support from @Cogdog and the Reclaim Hosting Community. I don’t know that I needed more help than that. I struggle with finding my own voice and I think that is something I have to figure out on my own.
- What kind of future plans to you have for your domain?
World domination?? Okay, probably not. But I want to find a focus and a rhythm so that there is regular activity. For the 2019 Domain Camp, I am taking the opportunity to review the past activities and trying my hand at the new one. I have explored the first four weeks and have done some clean up of my domain and refreshed my knowledge of how I set up the domain and subdomains last year. I have found this to be a valuable activity which is motivating me to continue.
- What would you say to other educators about the value, reason why to have a domain of your own?
The value for me has been around having a space that I control where I can express myself, where I can work out ideas about teaching and learning out loud. We talk about reflective practice with our students but how much do we do ourselves. This is a space for that.
- What will it take them to get going with their own domain?
You got to get over the fear – fear of making a mistake, fear of being judged, fear of looking “fill in the blank” in front of peers, fear of being found out as being lacking, fear of this all being too technical for you. Grab on to the idea that you have something unique to offer, your perspective is valueable and the technical stuff is a challenge you can take on and there will be folks who will help, all you have to do is ask.
