Data ownership and the journey to Homelab

Have you ever wondered what would happen if you were to suddenly lose access to your online accounts? Perhaps you forgot your password, or maybe the service provider decided to suspend or delete your account without any warning. Maybe you live in a country that is facing sanctions or censorship, and you can no longer access the websites and services that you rely on. How would you feel if you were to lose all your photos, videos, documents, messages, contacts, and other data that you stored online?

These scenarios are not hypothetical. They happen every day to millions of people around the world. And they show the importance of data ownership: the ability to control your own data and decide how it is used, shared, and stored. Data ownership does not mean that you have to distrust or avoid online services. It just means that you have a backup plan in case something goes wrong.

One way to achieve data ownership is to set up a homelab: a personal network of devices that can run various applications and services for your own use. A homelab can be as simple or as complex as you want it to be. You can start with a single computer, a Raspberry Pi or even an old laptop, and then add more devices and capabilities as you learn and experiment. A homelab can help you store your data locally, access it from anywhere, run your own minecraft server, host your own website, monitor resources around the house, stream your own media, secure your network and much more.

Setting up a homelab can be challenging but rewarding. You will need some basic hardware, software, and networking skills, as well as a willingness to learn and troubleshoot. You will also need to consider the costs, security, and maintenance of your homelab. But once you have it up and running, you will enjoy the benefits of data ownership and the freedom to customize your own digital environment.

If you are interested in setting up a homelab, there are many resources and communities online that can help you get started. You can find tutorials, guides, tips, and inspiration from other homelab enthusiasts. You can also join forums and chat groups where you can ask questions and share your experiences. A homelab is not only a practical solution for data ownership, but also a fun hobby and a learning opportunity.

Data ownership and the journey to Homelab is a topic that deserves more attention and discussion. I hope to bring you the learnings and insights from my own experiements and my journey to data ownership.