1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:04,440 Welcome to the deep dive today. We're on a really fascinating mission 2 00:00:04,440 --> 00:00:07,840 We're gonna try and strip away all the noise of the modern internet 3 00:00:07,840 --> 00:00:13,840 To really understand what happens when you commit to something called naked blogging 4 00:00:13,840 --> 00:00:16,120 naked blogging. I like that 5 00:00:16,120 --> 00:00:21,140 Yeah, forget the endless scroll the tracking pixels all the pop-up ads. We are 6 00:00:21,140 --> 00:00:23,240 driving into a platform called Matarola 7 00:00:23,240 --> 00:00:27,090 It's built for the digital minimalist. That's right and Matarola. It's really a 8 00:00:27,090 --> 00:00:29,920 philosophical stand against the entire, you know 9 00:00:29,920 --> 00:00:34,940 Modern content ecosystem it really is and the listener has given us this perfect 10 00:00:34,940 --> 00:00:36,520 stack of sources on one hand 11 00:00:36,520 --> 00:00:41,540 You've got this high-minded manifesto about simplicity and on the other a really 12 00:00:41,540 --> 00:00:42,360 technical stuff 13 00:00:42,360 --> 00:00:46,170 Exactly the github documentation complex code that somehow makes all that 14 00:00:46,170 --> 00:00:47,560 simplicity possible 15 00:00:47,560 --> 00:00:52,120 So our mission today is to connect these two these two seemingly opposite worlds 16 00:00:52,120 --> 00:00:57,960 We want to show you the listener why a platform whose whole mantra is just right 17 00:00:58,040 --> 00:01:02,080 Yeah, why that demands such a transparent and frankly sophisticated open source 18 00:01:02,080 --> 00:01:05,080 backbone and we're gonna make this journey accessible 19 00:01:05,080 --> 00:01:10,720 Before we really unpack why Matarow as founders think modern blogging is so broken 20 00:01:10,720 --> 00:01:12,960 We do want to thank the supporter of this deep dive 21 00:01:12,960 --> 00:01:16,900 Absolutely, safe server takes care of hosting this software and supports you in 22 00:01:16,900 --> 00:01:18,580 your digital transformation 23 00:01:18,580 --> 00:01:20,580 You can find more information at 24 00:01:20,580 --> 00:01:25,600 WWW safe server dot DE. Okay. Let's start with the philosophy then the core 25 00:01:25,600 --> 00:01:27,640 identity of Matarow is just 26 00:01:28,080 --> 00:01:32,680 It's so clean a naked blogging platform for minimalists, right? 27 00:01:32,680 --> 00:01:37,150 But that term naked it implies that everything else out there is somehow, you know 28 00:01:37,150 --> 00:01:39,740 overdressed. What's the critique here? 29 00:01:39,740 --> 00:01:44,480 Oh, it's a blistering critique. Actually, the sources make it really clear. Matarow 30 00:01:44,480 --> 00:01:45,780 is a reaction against a web 31 00:01:45,780 --> 00:01:47,780 they see as visually congested and 32 00:01:47,780 --> 00:01:51,680 Well morally compromised. Yeah 33 00:01:51,680 --> 00:01:56,210 They say very directly that modern blogging is bedridden with trashy ads and barbaric 34 00:01:56,210 --> 00:01:57,920 tracking and ugly complexity 35 00:01:57,920 --> 00:02:00,880 That phrase barbaric tracking that really sticks with you 36 00:02:00,880 --> 00:02:06,160 It just highlights how invasive the typical web experience has become so matter 37 00:02:06,160 --> 00:02:10,180 Oh, his whole design is meant to fix this by focusing on just one thing the word 38 00:02:10,180 --> 00:02:11,080 precisely 39 00:02:11,080 --> 00:02:16,490 They champion text they care about words and meaning stories even the subtle stuff 40 00:02:16,490 --> 00:02:18,240 like typography and fonts 41 00:02:18,240 --> 00:02:23,330 So when you land on a matter row a blog the clarity is it's almost startling 42 00:02:23,330 --> 00:02:25,440 because of what's missing exactly 43 00:02:25,440 --> 00:02:29,080 It's what's not there. It's this absence that feels I don't know almost 44 00:02:29,080 --> 00:02:29,880 revolutionary 45 00:02:29,880 --> 00:02:34,160 You won't find any banner ads no social network buttons begging you to share and 46 00:02:34,160 --> 00:02:36,800 definitely no annoying pop-ups sliding in from the corner 47 00:02:36,800 --> 00:02:41,720 None of that. It's just pure unadulterated thought in this commitment to purity 48 00:02:41,720 --> 00:02:46,430 It moves beyond just the interface and into the realm of writer psychology, which I 49 00:02:46,430 --> 00:02:47,400 find really fascinating 50 00:02:47,400 --> 00:02:52,720 Oh, so well the creators they offer this truly radical piece of advice to their 51 00:02:52,720 --> 00:02:53,180 users 52 00:02:53,320 --> 00:02:57,280 They strongly recommend that a writer does not look into analytics 53 00:02:57,280 --> 00:03:02,680 Oh, that is the ultimate digital detox isn't it? So why do they call our analytics 54 00:03:02,680 --> 00:03:04,060 specifically as a bad thing? 55 00:03:04,060 --> 00:03:08,410 They argue that tracking metrics, you know pays views comments all that is mostly 56 00:03:08,410 --> 00:03:10,600 fuel for ego. Okay, I can see that 57 00:03:10,600 --> 00:03:12,960 I mean think about the modern creator economy 58 00:03:12,960 --> 00:03:18,300 Every platform conditions you to chase the next click the next follower. It's an 59 00:03:18,300 --> 00:03:19,160 anxiety machine 60 00:03:19,160 --> 00:03:24,710 It is it forces that reactive that immediate part of your brain system one into 61 00:03:24,710 --> 00:03:25,340 your writing 62 00:03:25,340 --> 00:03:28,920 You start writing for the algorithm not for the thought itself 63 00:03:28,920 --> 00:03:33,080 And so material tries to free the writer from needing that external validation 64 00:03:33,080 --> 00:03:34,340 exactly 65 00:03:34,340 --> 00:03:39,360 Yeah by removing the metrics they force you to focus on the intrinsic value of the 66 00:03:39,360 --> 00:03:39,400 work 67 00:03:39,400 --> 00:03:44,840 It's writing as a practice not as a business right and this internal focus 68 00:03:45,080 --> 00:03:49,310 It's perfectly captured by this quote. They feature from Jorge Luis Borges. What's 69 00:03:49,310 --> 00:03:49,840 the quote? 70 00:03:49,840 --> 00:03:52,960 He says what I'm really concerned about is reaching one person and 71 00:03:52,960 --> 00:03:58,070 That person may be myself for all I know that challenges everything. I mean 72 00:03:58,070 --> 00:04:00,120 everything. We're taught about content creation today 73 00:04:00,120 --> 00:04:03,770 It's a rejection of growth hacking it is but you have to admit resisting that 74 00:04:03,770 --> 00:04:05,880 temptation to just peek at the stats 75 00:04:05,880 --> 00:04:09,840 That must be incredibly difficult. Oh for sure even if you agree with the 76 00:04:09,840 --> 00:04:11,920 philosophy, but that's the beauty of the design 77 00:04:12,440 --> 00:04:17,460 By not even offering analytics materoa supports your discipline. They've removed 78 00:04:17,460 --> 00:04:19,840 the temptation. It's designing for human weakness 79 00:04:19,840 --> 00:04:25,290 So we've talked about the philosophy this anti tracking idea, but how does a system 80 00:04:25,290 --> 00:04:26,560 built on text and? 81 00:04:26,560 --> 00:04:31,790 Intrinsic motivation actually work. Let's get into the core features. Okay for a 82 00:04:31,790 --> 00:04:33,760 beginner the ease of entry is 83 00:04:33,760 --> 00:04:39,440 It's critical and Materoa nails this they promise you can have your own simple blog 84 00:04:39,440 --> 00:04:41,300 up and running in one minute 85 00:04:41,300 --> 00:04:45,200 Right a minute and writing a post is super user-friendly. It's all done in markdown 86 00:04:45,200 --> 00:04:46,760 and for anyone who doesn't know markdown 87 00:04:46,760 --> 00:04:51,110 It's not complex code. It's just a really simple way to format text a hashtag for a 88 00:04:51,110 --> 00:04:51,640 headline 89 00:04:51,640 --> 00:04:54,960 asterisks for bold text that kind of thing 90 00:04:54,960 --> 00:04:55,080 Yeah 91 00:04:55,080 --> 00:04:58,700 It keeps you focused on the content not on fighting with some clunky interface and 92 00:04:58,700 --> 00:05:00,800 the hosting is straightforward your blog 93 00:05:00,800 --> 00:05:04,820 Just lives a clean sub domain like you know your username dot materoa dot blog 94 00:05:04,820 --> 00:05:05,400 simple 95 00:05:05,400 --> 00:05:09,670 No, and if you want to upgrade you can use a custom domain. Okay, let's dive deeper 96 00:05:09,670 --> 00:05:10,720 into the privacy stuff 97 00:05:10,720 --> 00:05:14,640 This is what really appeals to conscious users. It's more than just no ads, right? 98 00:05:14,640 --> 00:05:15,860 Oh way more 99 00:05:15,860 --> 00:05:19,940 It's a total commitment to what you could call data sanitation. We're talking never 100 00:05:19,940 --> 00:05:22,000 ads zero tracking and 101 00:05:22,000 --> 00:05:27,580 No cookies for analytics or tracking. So they're not even using like the benign 102 00:05:27,580 --> 00:05:30,320 cookies to see what's popular nothing and get this 103 00:05:30,320 --> 00:05:34,790 This is a massive trust builder. You don't even need an email address to sign up. 104 00:05:34,790 --> 00:05:35,880 That is radical 105 00:05:35,880 --> 00:05:38,840 If you don't have my email, you don't have my main digital ID 106 00:05:38,920 --> 00:05:42,800 There's nothing to sell nothing to lose in a data breach. Exactly 107 00:05:42,800 --> 00:05:46,510 It proves their business model has nothing to do with data collection, which you 108 00:05:46,510 --> 00:05:49,880 know brings us to the biggest fear for any writer 109 00:05:49,880 --> 00:05:53,960 Platform lock-in. Yes. We've all seen platforms just 110 00:05:53,960 --> 00:05:59,520 Disappear or change the rules leaving people stranded. How does Matarola handle 111 00:05:59,520 --> 00:06:01,600 that they seem hyper focused on? 112 00:06:01,600 --> 00:06:06,240 Guaranteeing you always have full control. They respect that. These are your words 113 00:06:06,760 --> 00:06:10,770 That phrase feels important here your words. It is they give you every tool you 114 00:06:10,770 --> 00:06:12,120 could need to just pack up and leave 115 00:06:12,120 --> 00:06:17,040 That's real digital freedom the ability to export your blog anytime is standard 116 00:06:17,040 --> 00:06:21,160 But they go further with the premium plan. They offer monthly auto exports sent 117 00:06:21,160 --> 00:06:22,240 right to your email 118 00:06:22,240 --> 00:06:25,560 It's like an automatic backup system designed to prevent anxiety 119 00:06:25,560 --> 00:06:29,560 And what if you want to take your content and host it yourself go completely 120 00:06:29,560 --> 00:06:30,340 independent? 121 00:06:30,340 --> 00:06:31,760 They have robust tools for that too 122 00:06:31,760 --> 00:06:36,800 You can export your files and formats that work perfectly with popular tools like Zola 123 00:06:36,800 --> 00:06:37,280 or Hugo 124 00:06:37,280 --> 00:06:41,440 Which is key because it means your writing isn't trapped in some proprietary 125 00:06:41,440 --> 00:06:43,500 database. It's portable 126 00:06:43,500 --> 00:06:47,020 Completely portable and they'll even help you with domain redirection 127 00:06:47,020 --> 00:06:50,730 So your old Mitaro address can point visitors to your new home that level of 128 00:06:50,730 --> 00:06:52,680 support is pretty exceptional 129 00:06:52,680 --> 00:06:56,520 This all sounds great, but it also sounds well expensive to run 130 00:06:56,520 --> 00:07:00,890 How does a platform with zero ads and zero tracking stay afloat? What's the 131 00:07:00,890 --> 00:07:01,600 business model? 132 00:07:01,600 --> 00:07:03,600 It's a model built on transparency 133 00:07:03,600 --> 00:07:07,020 First the code itself is totally open afro GPL 134 00:07:07,020 --> 00:07:11,290 Anyone can look at it verify the no tracking claims or even run their own version 135 00:07:11,290 --> 00:07:11,840 of it, right? 136 00:07:11,840 --> 00:07:15,760 And second the pricing is just that simple most of the core features are free 137 00:07:15,760 --> 00:07:21,160 But they have a premium tier for custom domains and those auto exports. Okay, so 138 00:07:21,160 --> 00:07:22,520 what does that premium service cost? 139 00:07:22,520 --> 00:07:25,690 It must be pretty high you'd think so, but it's only nine dollars a year nine 140 00:07:25,690 --> 00:07:27,280 dollars a year per year 141 00:07:27,280 --> 00:07:31,090 It's all is nothing. It's a super low barrier that just covers enough to keep the 142 00:07:31,090 --> 00:07:32,900 lights on and keep improving things 143 00:07:32,900 --> 00:07:36,880 And I think I read there's an ethical component baked into that fee, right? 144 00:07:36,880 --> 00:07:37,200 Absolutely 145 00:07:37,200 --> 00:07:42,980 They dedicate five percent of all premium revenue to funding co euro removal 146 00:07:42,980 --> 00:07:48,360 So by subscribing you're not just supporting a healthy corner of the web 147 00:07:48,360 --> 00:07:53,520 You're also contributing to climate efforts. Exactly. It's idealism meets sensible 148 00:07:53,520 --> 00:07:53,920 sustainability 149 00:07:54,640 --> 00:07:58,640 That is a powerful combination. Okay, let's shift gears to the part that can feel 150 00:07:58,640 --> 00:07:59,780 like a contradiction 151 00:07:59,780 --> 00:08:05,230 The technical backbone the how behind the why yes, we've established this deep 152 00:08:05,230 --> 00:08:06,480 commitment to simplicity 153 00:08:06,480 --> 00:08:10,660 But freedom and stability they require some serious engineering 154 00:08:10,660 --> 00:08:15,120 This is where we bridge that gap the argument is if you want long-term freedom 155 00:08:15,120 --> 00:08:20,730 You need technology that is stable transparent proven. So Metarola uses a reliable 156 00:08:20,730 --> 00:08:22,480 almost enterprise grade stack 157 00:08:22,600 --> 00:08:27,620 So, can you walk us through that stack in simple terms for the beginner? It's built 158 00:08:27,620 --> 00:08:28,920 on Python and Django 159 00:08:28,920 --> 00:08:33,040 What does that actually mean? Okay, think of Django as the sophisticated powerful 160 00:08:33,040 --> 00:08:36,360 engine of a really reliable car. Okay 161 00:08:36,360 --> 00:08:41,380 It's a famous well tested framework that handles all the complex stuff user 162 00:08:41,380 --> 00:08:41,760 accounts 163 00:08:41,760 --> 00:08:46,760 Processing posts securing data all of that is neatly contained in one part of the 164 00:08:46,760 --> 00:08:46,760 code 165 00:08:46,880 --> 00:08:51,850 You need that power even if the result looks minimal and where does all the writing 166 00:08:51,850 --> 00:08:53,300 all the user data go? 167 00:08:53,300 --> 00:08:58,320 That goes into one reliable vault a postgres school database. It's known for 168 00:08:58,320 --> 00:08:59,060 stability and integrity 169 00:08:59,060 --> 00:09:02,080 You want to know your words are safe and won't just banish 170 00:09:02,080 --> 00:09:05,890 So stability is the name of the game and what about for developers who want to jump 171 00:09:05,890 --> 00:09:06,720 in and contribute? 172 00:09:06,720 --> 00:09:11,700 The sources mentioned modern tools like UV and Docker now don't worry about the 173 00:09:11,700 --> 00:09:11,700 names 174 00:09:11,700 --> 00:09:15,340 But what's important is that these tools make it incredibly easy for new people to 175 00:09:15,340 --> 00:09:16,480 set up the whole system 176 00:09:16,480 --> 00:09:19,380 Ah, so it lowers the barrier to entry for contributors 177 00:09:19,380 --> 00:09:24,090 Exactly, you can often get the entire thing database and all running on your laptop 178 00:09:24,090 --> 00:09:25,280 with a single command 179 00:09:25,280 --> 00:09:29,730 That's transparency in action and this brings us to a really unique technical 180 00:09:29,730 --> 00:09:32,120 detail that actually serves the philosophy 181 00:09:32,120 --> 00:09:36,060 The subdomain requirement. Yes. This is a great design detail 182 00:09:36,060 --> 00:09:39,800 The platform is designed to work with subdomains like your name 183 00:09:39,800 --> 00:09:44,820 Dot matter o dot blog and that creates a little hurdle for developers setting it up 184 00:09:44,820 --> 00:09:45,100 locally 185 00:09:45,100 --> 00:09:47,500 It does because if you're developing on your own machine 186 00:09:47,500 --> 00:09:52,840 You can't just use the standard local address like 127 got a otat one 187 00:09:52,840 --> 00:09:57,870 If you did the system wouldn't know which users blog to show because it's expecting 188 00:09:57,870 --> 00:09:59,760 that user specific subdomain 189 00:09:59,760 --> 00:10:03,940 So developers have to what trick their own computer essentially. Yes 190 00:10:03,940 --> 00:10:06,820 They had to modify a file in their machine called echoes 191 00:10:06,820 --> 00:10:12,250 They add lines that map those fake domain names like Paul dot matter o local dot 192 00:10:12,250 --> 00:10:14,320 blog dash back to their own computer 193 00:10:14,320 --> 00:10:18,620 Ah, so it makes the local setup mirror the real world set up perfectly exactly 194 00:10:18,620 --> 00:10:22,580 It's a small necessary bit of complexity to maintain the integrity of the design. 195 00:10:22,580 --> 00:10:25,660 And what about the operational side keeping things running smoothly? 196 00:10:25,660 --> 00:10:27,160 Well, the platform is modular 197 00:10:27,160 --> 00:10:30,600 you can deploy it without even turning on the billing features which use stripe and 198 00:10:30,600 --> 00:10:33,300 then there are a couple of special commands that handle the 199 00:10:33,300 --> 00:10:37,560 Automated upkeep like what there's one called process notifications 200 00:10:37,560 --> 00:10:42,880 Which sends out emails for new posts and another mail exports which handles sending 201 00:10:42,880 --> 00:10:44,160 users their monthly blog 202 00:10:44,320 --> 00:10:47,800 backups the automated gears that keep the minimalist machine running 203 00:10:47,800 --> 00:10:52,340 You got it the tools that make it a reliable low-maintenance home for writers 204 00:10:52,340 --> 00:10:56,630 So what does this all mean for you the listener material offers a truly radical 205 00:10:56,630 --> 00:10:57,120 choice? 206 00:10:57,120 --> 00:11:02,880 total almost monastic focus on text a deep commitment to zero tracking and and real 207 00:11:02,880 --> 00:11:06,000 freedom freedom from an open source code base and 208 00:11:06,000 --> 00:11:11,050 Robust export tools. It's a platform that values what you write not how many people 209 00:11:11,050 --> 00:11:11,400 read it 210 00:11:11,400 --> 00:11:15,760 Which brings us back to our initial paradox and a final thought Matura champions 211 00:11:15,760 --> 00:11:17,300 absolute minimalism 212 00:11:17,300 --> 00:11:22,120 Simplicity, right the naked experience yet. They rely on these heavyweight 213 00:11:22,120 --> 00:11:24,400 enterprise grade tools 214 00:11:24,400 --> 00:11:28,560 Django post-gresql docker. So the question for you to think about is 215 00:11:28,560 --> 00:11:32,360 Given this philosophical commitment to simplicity 216 00:11:32,360 --> 00:11:38,200 Why might a robust even complex technical stack be absolutely necessary for a naked 217 00:11:38,200 --> 00:11:39,300 blogging platform? 218 00:11:39,300 --> 00:11:44,320 It seems the answer is that true long-term freedom requires an incredibly stable 219 00:11:44,320 --> 00:11:44,700 foundation 220 00:11:44,700 --> 00:11:48,480 You need a fortress to protect your words from the chaos of the commercial internet 221 00:11:48,480 --> 00:11:52,200 Indeed freedom often requires a robust infrastructure to support it 222 00:11:52,200 --> 00:11:55,880 And as we wrap up we want to thank the supporter of this deep dive one last time 223 00:11:55,880 --> 00:12:00,240 Safe server helps with hosting and supports you in your digital transformation. You 224 00:12:00,240 --> 00:12:01,340 can find out more at 225 00:12:01,340 --> 00:12:03,780 www.safeserver.de 226 00:12:03,780 --> 00:12:07,390 Thank you for joining us as we explored the meaning of naked blogging until next 227 00:12:07,390 --> 00:12:07,640 time