I foolishly build my own email or CDN services.... I know it probably won't work but I just like doing these things.... and I waste my time on them....
Own services vs ready-made services
AdamM Nothing foolish about doing what you enjoy doing. I am actually really intrigued about how you're using Cloudflare's DNS software, making your own geo aware global DNS or CDN is a skill!. If I had a little more bandwidth I'd want to get involved in all honestly. I also wouldn't call that wasted time, especially if you enjoyed working on it.
Rich As much as my purist heart says no I will deliver email from my own servers, I am already having to start using services like mail.baby just to improve deliverability. Doesn't matter if you can run your service clean, you're generally locked out as a small player from ever entering the market, unless you sold out at the start to a VC and are already owned with mega advertising bucks to blast off with.
Same with Wordpress honestly. Wordpress is garbage but it has sooo many plugins and such a big market that even though many people can and have made much better alternatives, they don't get off the ground. People don't appreciate quality, they want shiny and everything to magically work or at least be promised it will magically work. No "nerd" stuff.
Perfect example is the modular laptops and phones. They have a ton of advantages over the average Acer crap. But they cost more and aren't stylish, and require just a tiny bit of thinking. So people buy the acer crap, it breaks, they complain about the crap quality and then... they buy it again.
Rich I don't even want to think about how ai will be replacing me. It's like thinking about which dystopian future we're gonna get, doesn't really matter since they're all equally bad lol
I used to think I would pass my business down to my kids, but nowadays I just hope to get an exit sale before becoming obsolete. 5 year outlook seems fine, but 20 years from now idk. The megacorps seem to be condensing and absorbing competitors at an exponential rate, racing to beat the singularity that will dominate us all in the end.
twest Aye you've pretty much called it. I am hoping for a more positive timeline in the end. 
AdamM Words are honest and fairly given. Credit were it's due. You'll be surprised at what you've learned in one project translates into others. Hit me up on discord we can share other details. @spiritualone.
JohnB The masses know no better, that's the usual problem. I am all for modular laptops, I miss how we can't replace upgrade anything. I literally rebuilt a 2012 MacBook pro from bust motherboard and swollen battery. Forget trying that now, literally impossible with their biometric chip. I'd consider a Framework laptop, it's just I use a MacBook pro as my only apple device. It has it's productivity bonuses and reminds me regularly why I will never switch fully to Apple. (so unintuitive at times) Using all the OS's keeps me able to help others.
Totally agree with WordPress, there definitely better ways of doing things, but it fills a useful void. We're in an era of good enough and patch it together until it's flogged to death. Quality craftsmanship has mostly died, and AI will only kill that off more sad to say. White goods these days barely have a 5 year lifespan and that's considered acceptable?! (My 26 year old fridge is as good today as it was 26 years ago, having never skipped a beat and suffered close to 100 power cuts over the years.)
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Rich We're in an era of good enough and patch it together until it's flogged to death. Quality craftsmanship has mostly died, and AI will only kill that off more sad to say.
So true about this era but I hope AI makes it go the other. Go ahead paste the code from chatGPT and then when things fall apart maybe they realize that you need a human? Maybe that's hopeful thinking.
Rich White goods these days barely have a 5 year lifespan and that's considered acceptable?!
Oh, also more expensive but don't worry you can finance it! And maybe finish payments by the time it fails just in time for a new model lol. They absolutely COULD make appliances last 10-20 years but they intentionally use parts and designs that will fail after warranty is over.
Honda cars used to be very reliable and trustworthy. They literally have been caught using thinner/worse metal in parts and dennying it. Their engines and transmissions are failing more often lately AND their price is HIGHER than before!!! Brands that are known for quality are now coasting so that their shareholders can make a quick profit.
Maybe its also the culture of always needing something new and companies realizing people don't care as much about quality. People want a new car every few years so why bother making a car that lasts 10 years? People want a new fridge with a screen so why bother making a compressor that lasts 20 years.
