220 lines
6.9 KiB
Markdown
220 lines
6.9 KiB
Markdown
---
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version: "1.0"
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date: "2025-01-15"
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author: "DWS Foldsite Team"
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title: "About Foldsite"
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description: "The philosophy and story behind Foldsite"
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summary: "Learn why Foldsite was created and how it empowers you to reclaim your corner of the internet with simple, file-based content management."
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quick_tips:
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- "Foldsite is part of the DWS mission to help people own their web presence"
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- "Your content stays as simple files and folders - no database lock-in"
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- "Built for people who want to focus on content, not configuration"
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---
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# About Foldsite
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## The Vision
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**Foldsite** exists to make creating and hosting your own website as simple as organizing files on your computer. It's part of the broader [DWS (Dubey Web Services)](https://dws.rip) mission: **"It's your Internet. Take it back."**
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In an era where social media platforms control your content and complex CMSs require constant maintenance, Foldsite offers a refreshing alternative: your website is just folders and files on your filesystem.
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## Why Foldsite Was Created
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### The Problem
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Modern web development has become unnecessarily complex:
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- **Content Management Systems** require databases, constant updates, and security patches
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- **Static Site Generators** force you to learn specific frameworks and build processes
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- **Social Media Platforms** own your content and can remove it at any time
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- **Blog Platforms** lock you into their ecosystem with proprietary formats
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### The Solution
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Foldsite strips away the complexity:
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1. **Your content is just files** - Markdown, images, PDFs - organize them however makes sense
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2. **Your structure is your site** - Folders become URLs automatically
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3. **Templates are optional** - Start with defaults, customize when you need
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4. **No build step required** - Dynamic server or export to static files
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## Core Principles
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### 1. Content Ownership
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Your content lives in simple text files using standard markdown format. No proprietary databases, no vendor lock-in. Take your files anywhere - they'll work with any markdown tool.
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### 2. Convention Over Configuration
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Foldsite uses sensible defaults based on file types and folder structure:
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- Markdown files become pages
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- Image folders become galleries
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- Folder names become navigation
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- No routing configuration needed
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### 3. Progressive Enhancement
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Start with the simplest possible setup:
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```
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content/
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└── index.md
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```
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Add complexity only when you need it:
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```
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content/
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├── index.md
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├── blog/
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│ └── post.md
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templates/
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├── base.html
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└── __file.md.html
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styles/
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└── base.css
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```
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### 4. Developer Friendly
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When things don't work as expected:
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- Clear error messages explain what went wrong
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- Debug mode shows template discovery process
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- File-based structure makes troubleshooting intuitive
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## Who Foldsite Is For
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### Content Creators
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Writers, photographers, artists who want to share their work without fighting with technology. Focus on creating, not configuring.
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### Personal Website Owners
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People who want a simple blog, portfolio, or personal site without the overhead of WordPress or the limitations of site builders.
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### Documentation Writers
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Technical writers and project maintainers who need clean, navigable documentation that mirrors their mental model.
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### Privacy-Conscious Individuals
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Anyone who wants to control their web presence without relying on platforms that monetize user data.
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### Hobbyist Developers
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Developers who appreciate simple, understandable tools and want to hack on their personal sites without complex build pipelines.
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## What Foldsite Is NOT
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To set clear expectations:
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- **Not a CMS replacement** - No admin UI for non-technical users (though an optional file manager exists)
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- **Not optimized for huge sites** - Works best with hundreds to thousands of pages, not millions
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- **Not a full application framework** - It renders content, doesn't handle complex application logic
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- **Not trying to replace everything** - It's a focused tool for a specific use case
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## The Technology
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Foldsite is built with:
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- **Python & Flask** - Proven, stable web framework
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- **Jinja2** - Powerful templating with familiar syntax
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- **Markdown** - Universal content format
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- **No JavaScript required** - Works with JS disabled (progressive enhancement)
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It can run as:
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- **Dynamic server** - Live rendering with Python
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- **Static site** - Export to HTML files
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- **Docker container** - Easy deployment anywhere
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## The DWS Philosophy
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DWS (Dubey Web Services) believes the internet should be:
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### Decentralized
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Not controlled by a handful of mega-platforms. Everyone should be able to host their own corner of the web.
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### Simple
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Technology should serve users, not the other way around. Complexity is often unnecessary.
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### Yours
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You should own your content, your presentation, and your digital presence.
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### Open
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Open source tools, open standards, open community. No lock-in, no secrets.
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## Use Cases
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### Personal Blog
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Write in markdown, organize by topic or date, let Foldsite handle the rest. Built-in helpers for recent posts, tags, and related content.
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### Photography Portfolio
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Upload images to folders, automatic EXIF extraction, thumbnail generation, and gallery views. Organize by project, date, or theme.
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### Documentation Site
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Mirror your project structure in folders, automatic navigation and breadcrumbs, searchable content hierarchy.
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### Digital Garden
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Non-linear, interconnected notes and thoughts. Flexible organization, easy linking between pages.
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### Project Showcase
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Portfolio of work with custom templates per project. Mix markdown descriptions with galleries and downloads.
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## The Name
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**Foldsite** = **Fold**er + Web**site**
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Your folders become your site. Simple as that.
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## Community & Contribution
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Foldsite is open source and welcomes contributions:
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- **Use it** - Build your site and share what you create
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- **Improve it** - Submit bug fixes and features
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- **Extend it** - Create themes and templates
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- **Share it** - Tell others about the project
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See the [Develop Section](develop/) for contribution guidelines.
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## Getting Help
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- **Documentation** - You're reading it! Check other sections for specific topics
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- **Examples** - See [Explore Foldsites](explore.md) for real-world sites
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- **Support** - Visit [Support](support.md) for help channels
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- **Source Code** - [GitHub Repository](https://github.com/DWSresearch/foldsite)
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## Future Vision
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Foldsite aims to remain focused and simple while adding:
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- More template helpers for common use cases
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- Better performance optimization
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- Enhanced developer tooling
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- Growing library of themes and recipes
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- Strong community of Foldsite users
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The goal is never to become a monolithic CMS, but to remain a focused tool that does one thing well: turns folders into websites.
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## Start Building
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Ready to create your own site?
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- [Quick Start Guide](index.md#quick-start)
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- [Directory Structure](directory-structure.md)
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- [Deployment Options](deployment/)
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- [Template Recipes](recipes/)
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**It's your internet. Take it back.**
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