Blogs and Bugs

I started this blog 7 years ago.

Contrary to the snarky definition on Urban Dictionary, my blog is not a "meandering, blatantly uninteresting online diary". I spend quite a bit of time researching, composing, and editing my online journal entries.

The posts wax and wane depending on how buried I am with work, but even then: it's lovely to have a place to write that has nothing whatsoever to do with getting paid. I consciously chose not to monetize my blog; there are no ads, no click-thrus... 

I went completely private a couple of years ago after a) getting hit with spam comments from vendors and, b) receiving a few nasty emails from someone that I didn't know who was pissed off about getting updates about new posts.

I didn't have time to deal with the blog settings - but I kept on writing. 

I recently enabled public access as part of my job search with the intent of providing a portfolio piece that demonstrates ability to communicate effectively in a casual voice, a requirement in the age of social media. This led to spinning up a [failed] second blog dedicated to tech - and a few realizations inspired by the thoughtful posts by [published] writers on Twitter:

• Writing is a practice. Like playing music or dancing, you have to do "it" regularly or the skills atrophy.
• Writers need to write. Even though writing is time-consuming, and not necessarily fun, regardless of whether or not anyone reads what you have to say: writers needs to push the words out like birds need to fly and fish need to swim.
• Working on my resume resulted in being plagued by trite clichés.
• I terribly miss having an albeit limited captive audience, people who want to, and need to, read what I write.
• Muzzling what you write about for whatever reason - legal, political, or social - spills over and impacts the ability to write in general.

Words matter - and can have more than one meaning. Since a "bug" is an insect, or a concealed microphone, or something annoying - I feel fully justified folding the single post from the failed tech blog into boninthegarden.

Besides: it's my blog, and I'll write what I want to ;-)