Journal J

Hello again webmates!

Hello again webmates!

Okay, turns out many of you liked those life updates from the previous Newsletter for friends sends so it’s now morphed and split into both Linkteresting and Life slices.

Hello webmates!

Inspired by NASA’s 404 page, and ESA’s 404 page too, I edited my space blog’s not found pages to show something nerdy and lunar themed: jatan.space/404/ 🕳️ I watched Project Hail Mary this week, partly because of all the hype surrounding it.

April is Global Poetry Writing Month.

Strip it down make no sound touch the truth feel its fruit Here brevity retorts on humanity with sobering clarity and bittersweet gravity Telling terse truths of our bare beings Here speaking skies and its lent hand and eyes make the Moon walk and its tid…

Original in Hindustani, as English transliteration and in देवनागरी, followed by an English translation (not as lyrical): Muskān Maa teri muskān Kaisi hain itni nādān?

Bent, not broken twisted, not turned upside down dragged down, not drowned Trembled, not tamed or tattered weathered, not withered hurt, but holding up Agonized, but alive traumatized, yet tender lingered on, yet loving Agitated, yet aspiring exhausted, b…

They care not because they have to but because they want to They converse not to reply but to listen They mediate not to tighten their connections but to save and foster existing ones They employ leverage not to be blatant but to be subtly considerate They

For every child that dares to dream and every spark of curiosity within For their bold endeavors in jest and that one kid’s flying quest Persist your passion to build their nest for the world rumbles them in unrest Swivel their failings with your empathy…

The Moon still exists dear, Earth’s still blue as rivers cry while the avians still fly.

Introduce people to RSS readers in an accessible way and link to such an explainer on your /feeds page.

This quarter I met an 👨🏽‍🚀, one whose flight I’ve previously written about. 🌏 I also gave a talk about lunar exploration at a concert space in BLR for Pint of View because let’s be frank the Moon rocks. 🪨 Audience tuned into Moonlight.

Note: This guide is NOT for fellow Mumbaikars.

Read for free at book.micro.blog or download the Epub (official link) This book is a good history of publishing and sharing on the Web, particularly through blogging, and how related web technologies evolved.

First published: March 2025 / Updated: Feb 2026 So you have decided to write a blog.

February is a sane time to set new year resolutions and goals instead of January.

After musing over having my social web presence on my own domain thanks to the book Indie Microblogging, I’ve decided to try having such a profile on the Fediverse for a year.

I’ve been reading the book Indie Microblogging by Manton Reece, and really enjoying it.

So Robb Knight started this trend wherein people list apps they use or prefer for various purposes.

Hello friends, I’m writing to you from my beloved home city Mumbai, where I’ve at long last come to rest and enjoy some time with my parents.

Hey you, like words, don’t you?

This week has been nice.

Hello friends, Reading at the beautiful Cubbon Park, my new weekly dose of sanity and serenity. ^_^ In the more than three months since I sent out the previous newsletter, life has changed.

Humans invent technology.

Go to a book club meet Gain inspiration and insight Add good reads to your list Realize you can’t read most of them, ever It then sinks in that it’s an amplifying loop Feel unproductive despite growth - Jatan on Journal J ☕️ Contact Support Space Thanks f…

Delete all social media apps Disable all like notifications at source Stop posting on every social network Make all social media profiles private Log out of all accounts I just turned 5. - Jatan on Journal J ☕️ Contact Support Space Thanks for using RSS t…

Between China’s rise in lunar exploration and my visit to the country last year, I’ve grown more curious about how the Chinese collectively think and work.

I love reading blogs, newsletters, and virtually anything else on the Web through RSS feeds.

I’ve been quite productive this month, chief of which has entailed publishing a spree of long articles.

Hi friends, It’s again been over three months since I sent out the previous newsletter for friends.

I recently read lyrical poems by Aurobindo, an Indian freedom fighter, philosopher, and writer.

Lately I’ve been watching Prehistoric Planet.

Here’s a depressing roundup of how the bottomless greed of AI companies is utterly destroying the Web all of us grew up with.

I recently researched and replaced many paid web app subscriptions I had with free alternatives that either perform the same function or come close enough.

Hi friends, It’s been over three months since I sent out the previous newsletter for friends.

I’ve had or re-had a few realizations lately that have helped me greatly: Crossposting to or across social media is counterproductive if doing so to avoid social media.

Something unexpected happened recently.

The other day I posed a question on the Web that has (gladly) initiated a string of responses from people.

I don’t care if you like or react to my posts on social media.

This was the question I asked on the Web yesterday, and people had interesting responses.

I’m the latest guest on the “People and Blogs” series by Manu.

Instagram (I): Stories are not posts.

Someone from a legacy Indian media outlet called me recently to ask me to write an article on Indian space within five days, and for free.

I’ve seen this recurring theme on Twitter, LinkedIn, and virtually every microblogging social platform I’ve used.

Hello friends, Continuing to embrace a calmer digital life instead of drowning in the slurp—and now slop—of social media, I’m sharing with you via this web letter some notable things I’ve been up to or enjoyed in October.

2024 is a national election year for both the US and India.

I love trains.

Hello friends, Here’s another web letter of notable things I’ve been up to or enjoyed recently.