Hello

So, I've finally set up my own blog. (Cue sound of crickets chirping.)

I've been thinking about doing this for a while, but I've never really been motivated enough to actually do anything. I've come real close a number of times over the past few months, but each time I've been thwarted by my inability to come up with a name that I like (seems I struggle with naming even outside the software world). So today, in an effort to avoid doing something else that I really should be doing, I managed to come up with a name and finally get myself my very own blog.


Why

So why am I doing this? I'm not completely sure. I've thought of any number of reasons why I should do a blog, but in the end, I think there are only two that really matter.


Writing Practice

I've never been very happy with my writing skills. For one thing, my mastery of grammar and punctuation leaves more than a little to be desired - I really wish I'd paid much more attention in my high school English classes. But that's minor stuff. What really bugs me is the fact that I always seem to have so much trouble getting the thoughts in my head into words on the screen. It's not that I sit and stare at the screen with writer's block - I can generate plenty of words. The problem is coming up with the right words and getting them in the right order so that when someone else reads what I've written, they have half of chance of understanding what I'm trying to say.

I suppose I could take a writing class - and I might well do that eventually, but it seems like the simpler thing to do is to just start writing more. Practice makes perfect and all that.


Seeing What Happens

Beyond the writing practice, the only other reason for doing this blog is to see what happens. I dont necessarily think I have a whole lot to say. I don't consider myself exceptionally smart, nor do I think I'm a deep thinker. And I'm certainly not an expert on anything in particular (I'm more a jack-of-all-trades kind of guy). But that doesnt seem to stop most people. And I'm not going to let it stop me either.

Maybe, if I'm really lucky, I'll manage to start a conversation or two of my own and actually get some feedback. Maybe I'll find out that I'm pretty normal and that my approach to doing software fits in with the way most other people do it. Or, maybe I'll find out that I'm way out in left field making mountains out of molehills and my writing really does suck as bad as I think it does. Either way is fine by me - at least I've learned something.