NoBlogs is shutting down – what now?

# NoBlogs is shutting down – what now? (approx. 13 min. reading time) **Deutsche Version:** https://pad.nixnet.services/s/-MNsjOMuk (We try to keep our documents as actual as possible, sometimes the german version will be more up-to-date. Sorry for it.) ## Contents - Foreword - Updates 20.09.2026 - Contact and information chanells - Setting up a new website - Ask activist collectives for web hosting - Register a domain and set up WordPress with a hosting provider - Register a domain anonymously - DIY: Uberspace and static site generators - Alternatives to traditional WordPress websites/blogs - Markdown / PrivateBin / HedgeDoc - Open-publishing websites - Systemli Ticker - Fediverse / Mastodon - Signal channel - DeltaChat Channel - Telegram channel - Supporting the movement (for nerds) :) - Your own WordPress Multisite farm - WriteFreely for community blogging - Archive - 1. official Backup with NoBlogs - 2. open archive with archive.org - 3. (static) copy with wget ## Foreword :::warning This document will be updated regularly and expanded as new information becomes available. We are a loosely assembled bunch of nerds trying to soften the blow of the NoBlogs crackdown a little. This whole structure is still very new, so if you ask us for support, please be a little patient with us here and there. ::: ::: info ## Updates 20.09.2026 On the night of 18 to 19 September, noblogs.org went offline as announced. Backups can no longer be made. We have therefore moved the relevant information to the end of this document. - Yay, there’s an archive: Word has it that a few keen nerds out there have archived all the NoBlogs pages under *.nublogs.org. See: https://de.indymedia.org/node/862106 However, the pages there can no longer be edited. - Restoring the backup from noblogs.org is now more complicated, but not impossible. You can find new, detailed instructions here: https://pad.nixnet.services/s/duQF3vluS# - This guide is updated from time to time whenever there are new options or developments. You can now find the latest updates from us on a ticker and via Signal. All the links can be found directly below this box here in the guide. ::: # Contact and information chanell ::: warning **if you need support at on of the steps, we describe in the next paragraphs, you can contact us. But please try it before youself:** E-Mail: allblogsarebeautiful@systemli.org PGP-Key: https://keys.openpgp.org/search?q=allblogsarebeautiful@systemli.org Fingerprint: 6B6C8877450AC6FCCA8483532785FCE38B9C1EEF you can also write us an encrypted message via DeltaChat schreiben: [Invite-Link](https://i.delta.chat/#878DD3B5B629E7FBBCDEBE53FE29AA765449B0FD&v=3&i=xbqvxlujH1eIbnfrIdM-EjWM&s=dSczI-gObIO42Qid9FtKFVI0&a=allblogsarebeautiful%40systemli.org&n=Team%3A+allblogsarebeautif_) => [More infos about delta chat](#DeltaChat-Kanal) ::: :::success **You can get more information about new developments around our network in our news ticker. Stay tuned, there will be happening a lot in the next weeks!** * News ticker: https://beautifulblogs.infoticker.org * Mastodon: https://fedifreu.de/@beautifulblogs * Signal: https://signal.group/#CjQKIH8Fj-DTMuopetB6nYcsf3oWWkEaLDv2XE6j9lIPlRlwEhA0IcGQpz0R1Wpc20bXyttL ::: # Setting up a new website :::info To get your blog online again, you basically need two things: 1. **somewhere for your website to live** – web space / hosting, 2. **an address where the website can be reached** – a domain or subdomain. ::: :::warning With NoBlogs, both of these were provided together: Your website ran on the NoBlogs infrastructure and was available at an address such as `name.noblogs.org`. WordPress was already set up there. ::: :::danger When you move elsewhere, these things do not necessarily have to come from the same provider. ::: You can either look for a similar all-in-one service or organise the domain and hosting yourself. If you want to continue running your blog using the official backup, you will also need a WordPress installation that you can import the backup into. :::danger Unfortunately, there is **no service at the moment that can replace NoBlogs one-to-one at short notice and take on several thousand blogs**. Many activist hosting collectives have limited capacity and will not be able to accept every request. ::: :::success **It therefore makes sense to look at several options in parallel:** 1. Ask an activist collective for web hosting 2. Register a domain and set up WordPress with a regular or more commercial hosting provider 3. Register the domain as anonymously as possible and organise hosting separately 4. Do more yourself: Uberspace, static site generators, etc. ::: ## 1. Ask activist collectives for web hosting :::warning **Note:** There are several activist collectives that provide web hosting. However, they have already said that they will not be able to absorb the expected wave of requests and will therefore probably have to turn down many hosting enquiries. That means, if you get a subdomain from us, it is unlikely, that you can host your website on other activist servers. ::: **That is why we are already working on an additional structure in parallel.** ### German-speaking activist collectives - https://www.systemli.org/service/hosting/ Focus: Germany - https://systemausfall.org/dienste/hosting.html Focus: Rostock - https://so36.net/services/web Focus: Berlin - https://immerda.ch Focus: German-speaking Switzerland + southern Germany ### English-speaking activist collectives - https://www.shelter.is/services.html No particular regional focus known - https://nolog.cz/en/services/custom/ Focus: Czech Republic ## 2. Ask the structure that is currently being built A few nerds have been sitting together for the past few days, thinking about how we can collectively deal with NoBlogs shutting down. That is also why you are reading this guide right now. At the moment, we are mainly trying to figure out whether and how we can build a new structure for blogs and websites that could host at least a few hundred of the roughly 16,000 blogs. Please give us another day or two for this. If you already want to register your need for a blog migration, you can do that here. This is not yet a promise that we will actually be able to carry out the migration: https://cloud.systemli.org/apps/forms/s/ECCTKkb5XNF5eZxGzbzW2QDN If you only need a subdomain because you already have your own server, you can already get that here: https://cloud.systemli.org/apps/forms/s/SPwyrTn4XoddpfeWsZJ8jziw - another option could be to use the one-click-Wordpress-install bei Uberspace. You can read further in the guide at "4. DIY: do more by yourself" at the paragraph "uberspace.de" ## 3. Register a domain under a legal entity / individual's name :::info If you can or want to register a domain in your own name, in the name of an association, or in the name of a project. This is usually the easiest option. ::: This can make sense, for example, for a registered association or a project where people are able and willing to appear under their legal names and where the risk of repression is relatively low. If you also do not have your own IT people who feel like dealing with web hosting, the simplest option is often to organise both the domain and the WordPress instance with the same hosting provider. ### Left-wing German-speaking collectives / cooperative businesses **1) Datenkollektiv** https://www.datenkollektiv.net/angebote/webhosting - WordPress for €5/month - €30 one-off fee **2) Make IT Social** https://makeitsocial.net/webentwicklung-und-design/#hosting - local hosting on a farm - no price listed **3) Make Utopia** https://www.makeutopia.de/overview/products-woocommerce - well suited for web shops **4) Entwickeln und Gestalten** https://entwickelnundgestalten.de/webseiten - well suited for NGOs that want to outsource the entire website ### More commercial hosting providers **1) Hetzner** https://www.hetzner.com/ - hosting provider based in Germany => political pressure is possible - domain registration from €5.83/year - WordPress from €1.90/month - generous feature set compared with many other hosting providers **2) Gandi** https://www.gandi.net/en-US/solutions/create-website/blog-site - hosting provider based in France - payment by cash sent through the mail is possible (prepaid) - WordPress incl. domain for €4/month - [Gandi supports cool & important Projects](https://www.gandi.net/en-US/gandi-supports) **3) JPBerlin** https://jpberlin.de/webhosting - hosting provider based in Berlin - WordPress from €7/10 per month - politically decent left-green hosting provider - .org domains from €2.50/month *There are many other providers of this kind. At the moment, however, we would not explicitly recommend any of them.* If you need help setting up a WordPress website with a hosting provider, you can also contact us: :::success **Update 13.09. 12h:** You can also write us an encrypted message through DeltaChat: [Invite-Link](https://i.delta.chat/#878DD3B5B629E7FBBCDEBE53FE29AA765449B0FD&v=3&i=xbqvxlujH1eIbnfrIdM-EjWM&s=dSczI-gObIO42Qid9FtKFVI0&a=allblogsarebeautiful%40systemli.org&n=Team%3A+allblogsarebeautif_) => [More info on Delta-Chat here](#Delta-Chat-channel) ::: - Email: allblogsarebeautiful@systemli.org - PGP key: https://keys.openpgp.org/search?q=allblogsarebeautiful@systemli.org - Fingerprint: 6B6C8877450AC6FCCA8483532785FCE38B9C1EEF ## 3. Register a domain anonymously :::info **If you do not want to register your domain in the name of a person, an association, or a project**, you can also organise the domain and hosting separately. ::: :::warning njal.la registers domains in its own name on behalf of users. All you need is an email address. ::: Paying truly anonymously with Bitcoin or Monero is relatively complicated, though. PayPal is theoretically also possible, but of course that is not anonymous. Domains start at €15 per year. Recommendation: `.org` :::success **Update 12.09. 22h: We have registered the domain beautifulblogs.org and can provide you with a subdomain. Here you can request one: https://cloud.systemli.org/apps/forms/s/SPwyrTn4XoddpfeWsZJ8jziw.** ::: #### Pay with Monero: :::info Monero is a Cryptocurrency, that works with a Blockchain. This means, there is no Bank, that surveils all the payments - just a list with anonymous transactions - which is replicated among many servers worldwide - so called nodes. ::: The easiest ist to just download the App here: https://www.getmonero.org/downloads/ There you have to create a Wallet. It is Best to use the Advanced Mode for that. This Wallet only exists locally on your device. In the Wallet you can create as many Accounts (like Bank Accounts) as you like. Each Account has its own ID from which you can send money. If you want to receive money, there are Adresses - also IDs - of which you can also create as many as you like in the same Wallet. :::success All labels that you enter in your Wallet are fully local on your device. Only the IDs get sent to the Nodes and end up on the BlockChain. ::: :::danger It is good practice to create an Account for each payment you make. And an Adress for each payment you receive. ::: Before you can start paying with Monero, you need a few more things: 1) The Blockchaein - or a Node that you trust to some extend. The GUI automatically connects with a Node of the Developers of Monero which is somewhat trustworthy. Most Nodes are not going to Scam you (but they could) If they do, they get reported pretty fast. The most secure way is to download the full Blockchain (and thus be your own Node) but that takes a lot of disk space and time. => If you are using a Node it can see your IP-Adress. So it makes sense to use a VPN or Tor/Tails. 2) An Exchange - that is a place where you can buy Monero from Fiat Money (thats what "normal" money is called, e.g. €). This you can do here, for example: https://www.kraken.com/buy (No recommendation, just information) 3) The money can then be split between your Accounts so you can pay with them. It makes sense to not split by the exact amounts you are going to pay (but random ones), because otherwise it is going to be somewhat clear that both payments have something to do with each other and thus your accounts are not securely separated anymore. ## 4. DIY: Do more yourself From here on, things get a little more interesting for DIY enthusiasts :) :::info Still, **we warmly recommend reading on**. Since there probably will not be an immediate full replacement for NoBlogs, it may be worth at least taking a look at what you can do yourself without too much effort. ::: ## Uberspace.de :::info Uberspace is a hosting provider for people who want to learn more about Linux, servers and the terminal. ::: You get your own user account on a Linux system. An email address is enough to register, and you can pay anonymously by sending cash through the mail. There are also very good guides for all kinds of things. :::success **Update 14.09.:** Uberspace built a possibility for you to install WordPress with a single click: https://blog.uberspace.de/2026/09/yesblogs-wordpress-per-click-auf-uberspace.de/ The corresponding How-To is here: https://u8manual.uberspace.de/apps_wordpress/ ::: WordPress guide: https://lab.uberspace.de/guide_wordpress/#wordpress - 1-month trial period (free) - after that, you choose the price yourself; Uberspace asks for at least €6/month - `manual.uberspace.de` => manual for the platform itself - `lab.uberspace.de` => guides explaining how to install specific services - `user.uber.space` => subdomain included Alongside WordPress, you can also host other things there, for example: - a Nextcloud instance - a Matrix server - a pad server - and plenty more ## Static site generators :::info Static site generators create websites that ultimately consist mostly of HTML and CSS. ::: Those files then just need to be placed somewhere publicly accessible. It is basically self-hosting light and works with almost any web space. :::success A major **advantage** is that you have to worry **much less about security vulnerabilities**, because no dynamic code is being executed on the server itself. ::: One easy recommendation is the desktop app: https://getpublii.com/ The learning curve is much gentler than with many command-line alternatives that are aimed more at developers. # Alternatives to traditional WordPress websites/blogs :::info Not every kind of content actually needs a traditional WordPress website. ::: Depending on what you want to publish, simpler options may work just as well. ## Learn Markdown Markdown is a very useful tool for formatting text. Here is a Cheat-Sheet: https://www.markdownguide.org/cheat-sheet/ Among other things, it can be used to create simply formatted web pages and documents – just like the website you are reading right now. ### Tools you can use with Markdown: #### For calls to action / short or short-lived texts: PrivateBin For example: - paste.systemli.org - bin.disroot.org - paste.nolog.cz - https://privatebin.info/directory/ #### For guides / zines / presentations: HedgeDoc After logging in, HedgeDoc can be configured so that pads can only be edited by you or only by other logged-in users. Just as the guide you are reading right now. It also includes a publishing feature and a presentation mode that lets you create simple presentations very quickly. For example: - https://pad.nixnet.services - https://pad.kanthaus.online - hack.allmende.io - pad.degrowth.net - md.darmstadt.ccc.de - … Or add your knowledge directly to the MovementWiki (which also supports MarkDown): wiki.aktivismus.org :-) ## Open-publishing websites :::info **If** you only want to publish a statement or upload images **once or only occasionally**, you can also use **open-publishing platforms**. ::: There are definitely more than the ones listed here: - https://anarchyplanet.org/ Focus: USA + worldwide - https://de.indymedia.org Focus: Germany - https://barrikade.info/ Focus: German-speaking Switzerland - https://emrawi.org/ Focus: Austria - https://renverse.co/ Focus: western Switzerland – French ## Systemli Ticker With the Systemli Ticker, you can publish content on a subdomain under one of the following domains: - `*.aktionsticker.org` - `*.prozessticker.org` - `*.demoticker.org` - `*.infoticker.org` :::info This basically gives you a small website of your own. It can also be connected with social media accounts such as Mastodon or Bluesky and with channels such as Signal or Telegram so the things you post get automatically spread to all these platforms. ::: Here you can find the Systemli-Ticker: https://www.systemli.org/en/service/ticker/ ## Fediverse :::info The Fediverse – a portmanteau of "federation" and "universe" – is a network of interconnected but independent web services. ::: Examples include: - **Pixelfed** – an alternative to Instagram - **Mastodon** – an alternative to Twitter/X - **WriteFreely** – an alternative to WordPress More information: https://jointhefediverse.net/learn/?lang=de-de ## Mastodon (microblogging) :::info Mastodon is particularly useful if you are looking for something that can replace the community side of a blog. ::: You can find an introduction to Mastodon, including recommendations for cool servers, here: https://wiki.aktivismus.org/books/digitale-tools-it-wissen/page/mastodon# ## Delta Chat channel DeltaChat is a messenger with similar features like signal (winding messages, end-to-end encryption, etc.), but offers the decisive advantage that you do not need a phone number. You can even click any number of profiles and manage them on the same device & on multiple devices at the same time. Here you get DeltaChat: https://delta.chat/en/ DeltaChat has also recently started to support channels: https://delta.chat/de/help#channels These are comparable to signal channels, so it is also visible who is in the channel - but you can simply create an extra profile for this :) The same applies to the people who post into the channel - simply create a separate profile. :::success **Update 13.09. 12h:** You can also write us an encrypted message through DeltaChat: [Invite-Link](https://i.delta.chat/#878DD3B5B629E7FBBCDEBE53FE29AA765449B0FD&v=3&i=xbqvxlujH1eIbnfrIdM-EjWM&s=dSczI-gObIO42Qid9FtKFVI0&a=allblogsarebeautiful%40systemli.org&n=Team%3A+allblogsarebeautif_) => [More info on Delta-Chat here](#Delta-Chat-channel) ::: :::success DeltaChat is a very cool project that is very important for people to communicate safely and resiliently - despite state repression and censorship. The decisive advantage over signal is that it does not use a central server in the USA - but decentralized servers that are distributed everywhere and that are easy to host themselves. If you can support DeltaChat with a [donation](https://delta.chat/de/donate), please do this:) ::: ## Signal channel :::info Signal does not have an official channel feature. However, you can create a group where only admins are allowed to post. People can then join using an invitation link. ::: Signal channels do have a few disadvantages: - All group members are visible to all other group members. - In some cases, this also applies to phone numbers, unless the respective users have hidden them. - If an invitation link is shared very widely, there is an increased risk of spam bots directly messaging group members. - New members can only see content published after they joined. You also need a phone number for a new account. There are now ways to create accounts without a smartphone. The account can be used on multiple devices, and recently on multiple smartphones as well. However, the device on which the account was originally created needs to come online regularly. The Signal Account Switcher can help you use several accounts at the same time on a computer: https://github.com/kmille/signal-account-switcher Molly as an app and GrapheneOS profiles can help you use several accounts on one smartphone: https://molly.im/ https://grapheneos.org/ => More information and guides for Signal: https://wiki.aktivismus.org/books/digitale-tools-it-wissen/chapter/signal-messenger ## Telegram channel :::warning We do not want to explicitly recommend Telegram channels. That said, Telegram can still be a workable option for some purposes. ::: A channel lets you publish messages. Channels can be found via search or through a direct link. The content is also visible to people who have not yet joined the channel. To register a new account, you need a phone number and a smartphone. After that, the account can be used on any number of devices. There is now a one-off €1 fee when registering. Apparently this can be bypassed with VPNs; there are guides online. We do not have any first-hand experience with how to make this payment anonymously. Channels can also be created using private or already existing accounts. Multiple people can be made admins and publish content there. Telegram also now displays advertising in channels. # Supporting the movement (for nerds) :) :::info This section is for people who feel like building some infrastructure in their own area. If you are up for that, please get in touch with us so we can connect and coordinate. ::: *If you need support setting something up, you can also contact us:* :::success **Update 13.09. 12h:** You can also write us an encrypted message through DeltaChat: [Invite-Link](https://i.delta.chat/#878DD3B5B629E7FBBCDEBE53FE29AA765449B0FD&v=3&i=xbqvxlujH1eIbnfrIdM-EjWM&s=dSczI-gObIO42Qid9FtKFVI0&a=allblogsarebeautiful%40systemli.org&n=Team%3A+allblogsarebeautif_) => [More info on Delta-Chat here](#Delta-Chat-channel) ::: - Email: allblogsarebeautiful@systemli.org - PGP key: https://keys.openpgp.org/search?q=allblogsarebeautiful@systemli.org - Fingerprint: 6B6C8877450AC6FCCA8483532785FCE38B9C1EEF :::danger **If** you **do not have much experience yet**, we would recommend starting **small and local** – maybe for a few friends and people you know – partly for repression/security reasons. ::: :::info <u>Here you can find the Orange Book</u> by Autistici/Inventati – basically a how-to for building a server collective if things ever do grow bigger: - https://cloud.systemli.org/s/BTTc6C63cMEtdS8 ::: ## Your own WordPress Multisite farm :::info In principle, setting up a WordPress farm similar to NoBlogs is not that much more complicated than hosting a single WordPress website. ::: Guide: https://www.wpbeginner.com/de/wp-tutorials/how-to-install-and-setup-wordpress-multisite-network/ Video: https://youtu.be/Vbcijw2E7nE :::warning WordPress is pretty old software at this point, is increasingly integrating AI features, and has a reputation for recurring security vulnerabilities. So this may also be a good moment to think about whether we want to move towards something else in the long term. ::: For example: ## WriteFreely for community blogging WriteFreely is free and open-source software: https://writefreely.org/instances :::info There are community instances that you can join through invite links. Many of them can also be connected to the Fediverse, for example by communicating with Mastodon via ActivityPub. ::: :::warning One downside of WriteFreely is that image uploads are not built in by default. You need a separate image-hosting service for that. ::: That is a little awkward, but it can be added using tools such as: https://github.com/andrii-kryvoviaz/slink or: https://framagit.org/fiat-tux/hat-softwares/lutim # Backing up your blog :::success There are three ways to back up your blog: 1. the **official NoBlogs backup**, 2. a **public archive via archive.org**, 3. a **static copy using wget**. If at all possible, we recommend using **all three methods**. That way, you have several different kinds of backups, and we will also be in a better position to help if something goes wrong during the migration. If that is too much, you can choose the methods that best fit your goal: ::: ### I want to save a copy of the blog for myself Definitely use the **official NoBlogs backup**. If possible, we also recommend making a static copy using **wget**. ### I want to archive the blog for the public For this, you can use the **Internet Archive's Wayback Machine**. It is a non-profit web archive that allows saved versions of websites to remain publicly accessible later on. Guide: https://wiki.aktivismus.org/books/digitale-tools-it-wissen/page/archiveorg Important: This does **not** replace the official WordPress backup if you want to keep running your blog later. ### I want to keep the blog running and need an alternative to my current NoBlogs website Download your data using the **official NoBlogs method** and, if possible, make an additional static copy using **wget**. After that, continue with the section **"Setting up a new website"**. # 1. Official backup :::info **All NoBlogs accounts will receive an email containing a link that lets you download a backup copy of the blog.** This refers to the email address stored in the individual blog. It does not necessarily have to be the address that was used to create the NoBlogs account (@anche.no). **The link lets you download all posts and uploaded media.** The backup comes in a format that allows migration to another WordPress platform. (Source: https://keepitfree.ai/technical-updates/technical-howto-to-back-up-your-data-on-a/i-services/) ::: :::danger **Important:** Of the backup methods listed here, this is the only one that lets you actually continue running your blog as a WordPress blog – meaning you can keep adding new content later. ::: :::warning **Deadline:** Once you have downloaded your backup, you need to import it into a new WordPress instance by **18 September** so that all images are transferred correctly. After that, there are still a few things you will need to adjust. After 18 September, migration will probably still be possible, but only with additional work. ::: After importing the backup, you should check the following in particular: - **Internal links:** Links within your website need to be rewritten so that they point to the new domain. You can use this plugin, for example: https://de.wordpress.org/plugins/better-search-replace/ - **Menu structure:** You will need to recreate the menu structure. It is therefore a good idea to write it down before NoBlogs is shut down. - **Theme / layout:** If you were not using one of the standard NoBlogs themes but had your own theme or a custom setup, the layout will need to be recreated accordingly. *If you need help with this, you can contact us – but please give it a try yourself first*: :::success **Update 13.09. 12h:** You can also write us an encrypted message through DeltaChat: [Invite-Link](https://i.delta.chat/#878DD3B5B629E7FBBCDEBE53FE29AA765449B0FD&v=3&i=xbqvxlujH1eIbnfrIdM-EjWM&s=dSczI-gObIO42Qid9FtKFVI0&a=allblogsarebeautiful%40systemli.org&n=Team%3A+allblogsarebeautif_) => [More info on Delta-Chat here](#Delta-Chat-channel) ::: Email: allblogsarebeautiful@systemli.org PGP key: https://keys.openpgp.org/search?q=allblogsarebeautiful@systemli.org Fingerprint: 6B6C8877450AC6FCCA8483532785FCE38B9C1EEF # 2. Public archive via archive.org :::info If your main goal is to **preserve your blog for the public**, you can try archiving it using the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine. ::: The Internet Archive is a non-profit project that, among other things, makes archived versions of websites publicly accessible. :::warning This is especially useful if you want the content to remain findable even after the original website is no longer online. ::: Guide: https://wiki.aktivismus.org/books/digitale-tools-it-wissen/page/archiveorg :::danger **Again, this is important:** An archive on archive.org is **not a replacement for the official WordPress backup** if you want to continue editing the blog and publishing new posts later. ::: # 3. wget in the terminal :::info wget lets you download content from the internet. You do not need admin access to your website for this. ::: :::warning **And don't worry:** Even if you do not usually work with the terminal, <u>you cannot "break" anything</u> just by entering a command incorrectly. ::: The following command downloads a static copy of your website. This may be very useful later. ```bash wget --mirror --convert-links --adjust-extension --page-requisites --no-parent https://www.[Name].noblogs.org ``` :::danger You only need to replace the URL at the end with the address of your own blog – in other words, replace `[Name]` with the name of your website. ::: More explanations of wget can be found here: https://gist.github.com/crittermike/fe02c59fed1aeebd0a9697cf7e9f5c0c https://dev.to/rijultp/how-to-use-wget-to-mirror-websites-for-offline-browsing-48l4 Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oe40pxcjPpM (11 min., English with a fairly light accent, automatic English subtitles only; you really do not need any prior knowledge for the video.)