Why Blog?

Posted 9 Feb 2006.

Why Blog?

The short answer (and most likely the more accurate one) is: because I can. I have always loved that answer to tricky questions. In some cases the answer is spot on. Like why did one person get away with some bad behaviour in a relationship and often the truth is that did because they could - their partner/family let them. At other times it is just that - a trick. I think both apply in this case.

I am an engineer, and more importantly (to me at least) a software engineer. This has shaped me like the wind shapes trees in the high country - some are all bent and twisted more than others - but all are shaped in a some way. I like this shaping - it gives us depth and character. And it gives us a sense of belonging which I think is hard for some people. I am not one of the X or Y generation that are going to have various carees, I have always done this and will. I feel blessed. An aside: I love that word Blessed. To me it means that the universe is smiling on me. I like that.

I am at that stage in my life where the number of days I have left are less that the days I have left to live. Technology may change this and I am hoping to come back and edit this statement - but for the moment this appears true. Somehow this seems to me to give me the right to say things about life and about programming. I'm not saying that younger people cannot do this. It is just true for me.

What I write about is not really directed at anyone else but is a process for me. If it sounds egotistic or selfish I hope it isn't. I have to pretend that someone might read it so that I get to process of writing. I want to get to the process of discovery. If I can inspire others to do the same wouldn't that be a good thing? There is paradox again - it doesn't matter if anyone reads this and it does. Both are true at the same time.

What inspire me to do this was the direct flow on from reading an essay by Paul Graham titled The Age of the Essay. He stated that the purpose of writing essays should be to explorer your thinking and ideas and not to write down something that you already know. It really liked that. I though it was rather brilliant and wondered why I hadn't read or heard that before. Maybe because I hadn't heard of Paul Graham before.

So, that is why I started this blog - to find things out - to explore. And at the same time if it is of interest/help to someone else then that is cool too.