Hello world!
So, I’m blogging. I’d be willing to place a small wager on that particular phrase turning up a few results when ‘googled’. Why then, has it taken me so long? When many of my peers have jumped in feet first?
Although blogging and keeping diaries are things that very much appeal to elements of my personality, there seems to have been something in the way. But what exactly?
The idea of keeping a diary appeals because the process always seems to provide personal catharsis. Unfortunately, any attempts made in the past have eventually ended up dog-eared, fragmented and abandoned to the back of a cupboard. So one theory is that perhaps this addled old brain hadn’t yet fully been able to make the cognitive leap required to re-route old synapse paths associating diaries with torn pages, bad hand-writing (mine obviously) and prying eyes. Laziness then? Cynicism that the effort wouldn’t be worth it?
Why does Blogging appeal? Well, the shameless self promotion of my services is the of course the main reason. Having ‘my say’ another. My fifteen minutes? Probably less so; but yes, if I’m honest to a certain extent that idea carries a degree of weight with the horny little chap sat on my right shoulder. Considering that every other web designer and his dog seems to have a blog these days; and that I’m more than used to putting in (and enjoying) long hours of design and coding. I’m single, motivated and have been dabbling with freelance work since 2006. What the hell have I been waiting for?
When the time finally came to write this customary ‘hello world’ post. There seemed to be a pressing need for me to answer this question. Why was I blogging? What’s changed? The short answer is that lots of things have changed, there are currently lots of little events firing left, right and centre of my mind. Change of circumstance, change of career direction. The resurgent need to keep a diary rearing it’s head. Perhaps it’s just timing?
The other (slightly scary considering I’m a relatively successful web-designer) theory is that perhaps I’ve been guilty of making a ‘mistake’ that I’ve noticed becoming increasingly common in our times. Maybe I’d begun to take the internet for granted? Maybe I had begun to perceive blogs only as means of self promotion? Failing to notice that this was of course (to the authors) their way of recording a slice of their personal histories as well as having their fifteen minutes. Whatever, the point is that I’d failed to notice that a blog could kill two birds with one stone.
With a blog I can write about things I love: design, art, music, video-games. I can communicate with potential friends, partners, employers. I can record my history from where ever I happen to be in the world. A blog won’t deteriorate with age, won’t get lost or dog-eared at the corners. Most importantly; it can be password protected where necessary.
Was my failure to spot this earlier really a mistake? Symptomatic of the expectant, throwaway nature of our culture? It could be that years of fiddling with layouts, menus and font-sizes has scrambled this thirty-something brain until it can’t see t’wood fer’metaphorical trees? Perhaps. At this point, you could be forgiven for cursing your arrival at ‘destination incoherent ramblings of the dumbest web designer on the planet’. But please, bear with me. There is a point.
Consider this; Maybe it’s not entirely my idiocy at fault. Perhaps my behaviour was best described; not as symptomatic of a mistake, of ignorance. But in fact reflective of what is most successful about the internet.
You see, from my lack of clarity; therein lies the beauty of t’old internet. At its best, the now ubiquitous world wide web becomes once again; as invisible as a twinkle in Tim Berners-Lee’s undies. It becomes an extension of your needs, your wants, even desires. Like the effects in a good action movie; the internet works best when you don’t notice it. When its benefits outweigh its features. When you need it, it will be there.
We hear all the time how ‘powerful’ blogging platforms are for ‘building communities’, ’self-publishing’ etc. Brilliant, but this hyperbole gets in the way of the simple ways in which the internet touches our lives. I’d like to believe this is why it took so long for me to summon the (minimal) effort required to get this blog up and running?
The internet provides the tools to potentially fulfill (yours and, if you as a user so wish; others) lives. With entertainment, with information; charity, aid. More recently (much to Tim’s upset) the stuff you need to get through the day, the toys we love to consume; and the ability to sate those desires.
Suddenly, as if by magic; and in proof of that point I promised you earlier. Once I’d finally made the decision to get stuck in: The world wide web, Mr Berners-Lee, and all the lovely people willing to give some free time and elbow grease to WordPress gave me a wink, doffed their caps and delivered the solution, the tools and more importantly the opportunity to answer a nagging question: To blog or not to blog?
So, here it is. Probably not the best design journal you’ve read today. Perhaps nothing more than the authors thoughts on pretty colours and fonts, melancholy music, video-games and other non-essential life matters. I did consider calling it a Blig; given that it’s likely to be more than a bit lazy, and potentially a bit dull. But hey. It’s mine.
