Tag Archives: Discord

Why DreamHost is Superior to Squarespace (and Why Creators Need to Stop Promoting It)

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The Irony of the “Privacy” Sponsor

Last Friday, I was doing some hardware maintenance—dropping my Wii U off for a 64GB NAND upgrade to protect it from factory “rot.” While I was out, I watched the latest from The Linux Experiment.

Nick did a great job explaining why Discord is a privacy nightmare. But then came the sponsor: Squarespace. It’s the ultimate irony. Why are we warning people about Discord “owning” their data while simultaneously telling them to pay $150/month to be “tenants” in the Squarespace hotel?

Proprietary Rot vs. Open Sovereignty

Squarespace is a black box. You don’t own the code, you don’t own the database, and you can’t leave without losing everything you built. Promoting it is promoting digital dependency.

DreamHost (specifically DreamPress) is superior because it respects the Admin:

  • Portability: If I ever want to leave DreamHost, I can. I own my WordPress database. I can pack my “house” and move it to any server on earth.
  • The “Condo” Model: I’m technically a tenant of DreamHost’s servers, but I own everything inside the walls. They handle the “plumbing” (security and updates), while I keep the keys to my data.
  • Integrity: When a creator like Nick promotes Squarespace, they’re promoting a “Vibe” over actual tech freedom. We need to stop giving them a pass on this.

The Discipline of Choice

This isn’t just a tech debate for me; it’s a lifestyle of integrity. This week marks the start of my 46-day Lenten journey (no dining out, no exceptions). It takes discipline to walk past the “easy” fast-food options, just like it takes discipline to build a real website instead of a “black-box” rental.

My Dukes and Knights deserve a platform built on sovereignty, not a “Vibe” built on a proprietary lie.

I personally use and recommend DreamPress from DreamHost for hosting your website. WordPress is the most powerful way to build your site, and DreamPress is specifically engineered to make it run at its best!

(Note: The link above is an affiliate URL. If you choose to make a purchase through it, you’ll be supporting my work here at no extra cost to you—thank you!)

Levelling Up My Hobbies (and My Content!)

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Hi everyone,

I’m getting ready for the weekend and thinking about something that’s a big part of my life: my hobbies. From reading a good book to making art, these are the things that recharge me and spark a lot of the creativity you see in my content.

You might know that a lot of my time goes into Creative Engineering and A Few Moments with God. But what you might not see as often are the moments in between—the ones where I’m just enjoying a passion project. For me, these are things like getting lost in a good book, writing new ideas down, or getting my hands dirty with some pottery. I’ve also been getting back into playing some old favourites, like modded Minecraft and Factorio on my PC, and even dusting off some classic Wii or GameCube games using the Dolphin Emulator for the latter. These aren’t just ways to pass the time; they’re ways for me to learn and experiment. Reading, for example, has taught me a lot about storytelling, which has been super helpful for my own video series. Gaming has helped me see things from new perspectives and has trained my eye to notice small details that can make a big difference.

I often think about how cool it would be to share more of these things with you. Imagine a series of posts about the new pots I’m making or a deep dive into the latest mods I’m playing with. Right now, it’s a challenge to find the time and resources to do that justice. That’s where you come in.

Your support through Swagnilla Ice helps me turn these small passion projects into something more. It helps me invest in things like art supplies or new equipment. More importantly, it gives me the freedom to dedicate more of my time to these creative outlets. By becoming a member, you’re not just supporting a blog; you’re helping me grow as a creator and bring even better content to you.

So, if you enjoy what I do and you’re excited about the idea of seeing more, please consider joining one of our membership tiers. Even the Peasant membership is a great way to show your support, or if you want full access, the Squire tier is a fantastic option. The more paid members we have, the more time I can dedicate to hosting events on the Discord server. For example, once we hit five paid members, I’ll host a bi-weekly voice chat, with each session focusing on a different topic. At ten paid members, I’ll start a weekly live stream on Discord. And if we can hit fifty paid members, I’ll host a monthly community gaming night with games like Jackbox and Golf with Your Friends. I’m certain that I can also continue to find ways to provide even more content for higher numbers, so please consider becoming a Squire or higher today!

Thank you for being here and for helping me make all of this possible.

Talk soon,
Nathan Pinno (aka Swagnilla Ice)

Welcome to the New Swagnilla Ice!

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Hark, loyal subjects of Swagnilla Ice!

I come before you today with a royal decree! While I shall continue to create my tales of adventure on YouTube, both through my gaming series and the A Few Moments with God podcast, I have decided to return to the hallowed halls of the blog. This will be a place for me to share my thoughts, plans, and even a few sneak peeks of what I’m working on.

In a show of my gratitude for your continued support, I have also decided to restructure the kingdom of Swagnilla Ice. Our new membership tiers will now reflect the journey of a true hero. Starting from humble beginnings and growing to a position of great power.

  • The Peasant tier is for all who wish to follow my journey. It is free and gives you basic access to all the goings on in my kingdom.
  • The Squire tier is a small pledge of $1 per month. For this, you get full access to the kingdom and a sign in my Minecraft worlds.
  • The Knight tier is a more substantial pledge of $5 a month, which also grants you full access and a sign in my Minecraft worlds.
  • The Lord/Lady tier is for those who are ready to take on a leadership role for a pledge of $25 a month. You will have full access and a sign in my Minecraft worlds.
  • The Duke/Duchess tier is for my greatest benefactors, a pledge of $150 a month. In addition to full access and a sign in my Minecraft worlds, you will also be granted permission to post go-live announcements in our Discord.

Yes, that is right! I have also created a new Discord server. All subjects, no matter their station, are welcome to join. Let us build a community, a great empire if you will, where we can share our common interests.

I am greatly looking forward to this new era of Swagnilla Ice. Your support, no matter the level, is what allows me to continue building this kingdom. Thank you for being a part of this community. I am proud to be your content creating king, but I am even more proud to be a loyal subject of the King of Kings, Jesus Christ.

Level Up Your Status: How VIPs Will Shape Our Community’s Future

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Greetings everyone! I have something quite exciting to introduce to you today: a new rank on Discord that will later transition to the community website when I shut down the Discord server and Fourthwall store in favor of the community website’s features. This rank is called VIP and you should know what that stands for already, but for those new to the acronym it means Very Important Person. Later in this post, I’ll explain how you can get this rank for yourself (but it’s not easy!).

On the Discord server, VIP status lets you stand out with a colored nickname and an exclusive VIP tag when online. But the true power of VIP comes from free access to the Supporters Area—a space packed with exciting perks! Inside, VIPs can enjoy private chats, behind-the-scenes livestreams (once I have enough Full Members consistently), interactive Q&A sessions via Stages, exclusive images, and polls. And if you’re a gamer, there’s something extra: early access to beta versions of the Minecraft modpacks I’m developing—giving you the chance to explore new content before anyone else.

One of the goals for the community website is to expand the VIP experience, offering even more perks—including exclusive discounts. While the Fourthwall store doesn’t currently support free ranks, moving to our own platform will unlock new possibilities!

When the transition happens, VIPs will retain all their existing benefits—but to keep your status, you’ll need to verify your identity on your new community website profile. On top of the previous perks, VIPs will receive special discounts on most shop items (except memberships—sorry, no one gets a discount on those, even as gifts!). The VIP discount will be slightly higher than Full Members’, giving you even more savings.

But that’s not all! VIPs will also get exclusive arcade tournaments to compete in, along with other future perks still in the works. Keep an eye on the community website’s blog section (which this blog will transition into) for updates as new benefits roll out!

You might be eager to grab VIP status for yourself—but hold your horses! This isn’t just handed out—it’s earned. If you want the prestige and perks that come with VIP, you’ll need to actively contribute to the community.

For now, I’ll personally be awarding this rank on Discord to those who consistently engage—whether it’s posting regularly, participating in discussions, or interacting with my YouTube channel through comments and community posts (yes, I do check if you’re subscribed!).

Once we transition to the community website, a dedicated committee within the company I’m founding will take over the process, granting VIP status once a year while revoking it for serious violations of community standards.

So what does being active really mean? It’s all about consistent participation—whether it’s chatting on Discord, commenting on videos, engaging with blog posts, or making meaningful contributions to discussions.

So if you really want VIP status and all the perks that come with it, start engaging now—earn it through genuine participation and become part of something exclusive!