I'm Sean. I Build Stuff on the Internet.

My name's Sean. Online, I go by SAMX. I'm a veteran, a Gen Xer, and I live in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia.

I've spent more than 30 years building websites, running online communities, designing things, writing things, and generally finding new ways to keep myself busy on the internet.

And after all these years, I still love building stuff.

I've been around long enough to remember when the internet was a place where people made things because they wanted to. Weird little websites, forums, free tools, personal pages. You didn't need a business plan or a subscription to everything. Sometimes you built something simply because you thought somebody else might enjoy it.

I miss that internet.

So, in my own little corner of the web, I'm trying to keep some of it alive.

And that's pretty much what this place is about.

So, What's This Blog About?

Well, a little bit of everything I do online.

I build a lot of stuff. Some of it I give away. Some of it I sell. Some of it starts as a perfectly reasonable idea and turns into three days of me staring at a computer wondering why I ever started.

But I usually finish it anyway.

This blog is where I'll share what I'm working on, why I'm building it, what worked, what didn't, and what I'd do differently if I had any sense.

I'll also share what I've learned over the years, especially for folks who want to build something of their own but have absolutely no idea where to start.

Websites, online businesses, digital products, marketing, making a little extra money online. All of it.

And I want to explain things in plain English. No assuming you already know what hosting is, no throwing around technical terms to sound smarter than I am.

If you're starting from absolutely nothing, that's fine. Everybody starts somewhere.

One Thing You Won't Find Here

I'm not going to tell you how to make $10,000 next Tuesday while sitting on your couch in your underwear.

Well, the underwear part is entirely possible. I work from home.

But I'm not selling dreams.

I've been doing this long enough to know that making money online takes work. Sometimes you build something and people love it. Sometimes you build something and the only person who visits is you, checking to see if anybody else showed up.

I've experienced both.

I'll share what I know, what I've done, and what I've learned from screwing things up along the way.

No fake earnings screenshots. No manufactured urgency. No countdown timers that mysteriously restart every time you visit.

If something works, I'll tell you. If something flops, I'll probably tell you that too.

You might even get a good laugh out of it.

What Am I Working On?

Quite a bit, actually. Here's some of what's going on around here.

GenX Alliance

This one's personal. I'm building an online home for Gen X. A place to hang out, talk, play games, attend events, and enjoy the internet without algorithms deciding what everybody gets to see. It's free, and I intend to keep it that way.

The Detention Slip

My Gen X newsletter. Stories, observations, opinions, and whatever else happens to be rattling around in my head. No algorithm standing between us.

The Lost Money Scout

A free resource to help people find official places to search for forgotten or unclaimed money. Because finding twenty bucks in an old coat pocket is great. Finding a few hundred dollars you didn't know you had would be even better.

Tagged Memories

This one's a little different. Printable QR stickers that let you attach stories to family keepsakes and heirlooms. So someday, when somebody inherits that old toolbox, photograph, or mysterious box in the attic, they'll know why somebody kept it all those years.

Wizbang Sites and VetWebDev

This is where I put my decades of website experience to work building sites for other people. Real websites for real people who need to get something online without making the whole process unnecessarily complicated.

Napkin to Online

Coming soon. This is for the person who's got an idea scribbled on a napkin and absolutely no clue what to do next. I want to help people take those ideas and turn them into something real on the internet.

And yes, there are more projects.

There are always more projects.

I've accepted this about myself.

The Workshop

I'm also putting together something called The Workshop.

It's a free, private members area where I'll help people learn how to build things online.

Maybe you want to make a little extra money. Maybe you've got a business idea. Maybe you're retired, bored, and want to learn something new. Or maybe you simply want to build something because you think it'd be fun.

All good reasons as far as I'm concerned.

Membership is by application, and I personally read every one.

Not because I'm trying to make it some exclusive club. Quite the opposite.

I want people who genuinely want to learn, try things, ask questions, and actually build something.

You don't need experience. You don't need money. You don't even need a good idea yet.

You do need to be willing to put in some effort.

That's the only price of admission.

Yeah, There's a Shop Too

I also sell some merchandise.

Shirts, designs, and other stuff I come up with.

Purchases help me cover the costs of running GenX Alliance, maintaining free tools, and spending time teaching in The Workshop.

If you see something you like, great. I appreciate the support.

If not, that's perfectly fine too.

I'm not going to chase you around the internet with a shopping cart.

The free stuff is still free.

So, Where Do You Start?

If you're completely new to building things online, check out the Field Manual. I'm putting together lessons for absolute beginners, starting with the basics and working our way up.

If you're more interested in following along with whatever I'm building next, sign up for The Detention Slip.

Or poke around the site. See what interests you.

I'm not trying to build some giant corporate empire here. I'm a guy in West Virginia who's been making things on the internet for most of his adult life, and I still get a kick out of seeing an idea turn into something people actually use.

And if I help a few other people do the same thing along the way, even better.

Anyway, welcome to my little corner of the internet.

Come on in. Look around.

And wipe your feet. I just cleaned the damn place.