- Make it really really simple for people to contact you
- Make it really really simple for people to follow your work
- Make it really really simple to host any files, document your research ideas or plans or DIY hacks, or write up blog posts about stuff that excites you
- ... with maximum control over the content you share and how you it is presented, and without hiding it behind members-only platforms such as LinkedIn, and without being shackled by 2-page CVs!
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GitHub is amazing, because you it lets you host a website on the domain <GITHUB-USERNAME>.github.io for free! (Only one site per account)
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You can use frameworks like Jekyll or Hugo to setup pretty looking static webpages, which are extremely easy to code and customise. You can find existing themes that help you create flexible personal websites, which require a minimal amount of design changes.
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I prefer Hugo myself, and here's a really easy set of instructions to help you get going: Varun Patil's Guide to Setting Up Hugo
- You can also find a great collection of themes here : Hugo Themes
- Shameless plug for my own blog: Hugo Hacks to Get Your Site Working When it Just Refuses To
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If you'd like to use Jekyll, here's a wonderful starter guide: Barry Clark's Jekyll Repo
- You can find tons of other Jekyll themes all over GitHub as well!
- Another very cool Jekyll theme
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Once you've setup your site, you can create different types of pages with your experiences, your publications, blog posts etc.
- Here's how you can host your CV on your site: Display your Resume/CV PDF in website using GitHub
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If you'd like to set-up a custom domain, you can first build your site with GitHub Pages (or Wordpress or Wixsite - whatever you'd like), and then register your domain for the site. If you register for the GitHub Student Pack, you can get free domain name registration for a year with Namecheap. However, this is not really a vital step, it's just something you have the option to do if you'd like.
- A simple and elegant webpage by Kalpesh Krishna
- A more minimalistic site from Minsu Park
- A very scroll-able site from BPGC's own Nandan Thakur
- An ultra-slick-and-likely-to-intimidate-you website by Benjamin Fulton
- If you have zero interest in graphics of most kind, you can also try to pull off what Kevin Knight did
- ... or what Terry Koo set up
The point being: you can make lots of different kind of personal websites, with varying degrees of complexity. The trick is to just get started with a basic website, and then keep making changes and additions along the way, as and how your ambitions for the site change!