Yesterday I attended my second Micro Camp. If you don’t know what Micro Camp is, I forgive you. Actually, in its own way, that’s a good thing. It’s like a small get-together with a couple of friends and neighbors you know in your backyard for a little BBQ, not a big block party kind of thing. There are too many block parties on the web already.

Compared to last year’s camp, this year’s camp was smaller and quieter but still contained the same unique energy that makes me feel it really is one of those special places on the web: “a virtual gathering of the Micro.blog community to share knowledge and make new connections,” as the official description goes.

If I zoom out and look at my blogging journey, I can see that Micro.blog took my blogging to the next stage. I’m not saying “better” because it’s not about that. Better conveys quality and an improvement on the previous form, and while I believe that’s true in general, I feel it’s more about being in another stage in life, having a different perspective, and looking at things a bit differently. In order to see things differently, I needed to try different things, and this is where Micro.blog excels.

When I wanted to take more photos, Micro.blog was there with its photos plugins and community photo challenges. When I was toying around with the idea of recording what I do on the blog, Micro.blog offered podcasting. When I recently wanted to re-design my blog and customize its parts, Mico.blog introduced me to Matt Langford and his Tiny Theme. And yet, I’m not done. The camp introduced me to new things I hadn’t considered before, which are now cooking in my head.

The reason Micro.blog is so good at developing and adjusting is because it puts people at its core. The technology is there, yes, and as a whole, it’s pretty unique (though it’s built on well-known tools), but it’s that backyard BBQ that makes it truly yours, a place you really like and care about.

And that’s also what worries me about Micro.blog.

I’ve long learned that anything good on the web grows out of its goodness. Small companies are eaten, good ideas are stolen, and people you trust are bought or step down. I know this is inevitable, and I know this is coming; it’s only a matter of time. Micro.blog is strong and (as far as I know) does not face any financial hardships or any other immediate problems, but the clock’s ticking.

The best insurance Micro.blog offers is its exporting features. It’s easy to export your stuff out of Micro.blog and save everything, whether for yourself or in order to go somewhere else. This doesn’t replace Micro.blog, but at least I know my stuff will move with me whenever and wherever I go to a new home when the time comes. The knowledge I gained from the community will aid me in building that new home when I need to.

Still, there’s something missing. While Micro.blog has its community guidelines in place, it does not have a clear direction. Given the nature of this unique place, it makes sense: this is not the place for a mission statement or some goal, for the same reasons that make it good at what it is. But when you go on a journey, it’s good to have a map, and when you feel safe and secure, it’s a good time to start thinking of the what-ifs. I’m just sayin', you know? I worry because you tend to worry about things you care about.