Why I’m Building My Own Home Server

A developer reflects on growing dependence on cloud services and explains the motivation for building a home server. Key concerns include lack of control over data, AI training clauses in service terms, unpredictable streaming catalogues, and the opacity of outsourced infrastructure. The plan starts small: network-level ad/tracker blocking, local file storage and backups, and a self-hosted media server. The goal is not total independence but making tradeoffs explicit and intentional rather than inherited by default.