Code Delphi, Start Here

So it would appear, perhaps even to an impartial observer, that I now have my very own blog.  Trust me, I’m at least as surprised as you are.  Probably more.  Honestly, until about a week ago, those aren’t words that I’d ever thought I’d write.  I mean, sure, there’s Twitter and Facebook and even that LiveJournal account that I’ve neglected for years, but it feels a little different when you have your very own site.  I’d always imagined a blog as something you put together when you have Something To Say, and I’ve never really felt that I did.  With that in mind, perhaps you can imagine my own shock when, on the way home from work last Thursday, it struck me out of the blue that this was something that I should do.

What changed?  I’m not sure there was any one thing that got this ball rolling, but there are a few that come to mind.  The earliest, nerdiest, and probably saddest of these mental seeds was that I wanted to get my own domain name.  Specifically, I wanted it so that, no kidding, I could declare my own Java packages.  I’ll skip the technical details for those not interested in the software bits, so let’s just say that when you write a bit of Java code called, for example, “MyClass” you need something to differentiate it from every other “MyClass” that any Java programmer has ever written.  That something is called a package, and the generally accepted practice to ensure uniqueness is to base a package’s name on the website domain of its owner.  Think of it like an old-fashioned cattle brand for code-monkeys.  I don’t mean for us programmers ourselves of course, because that shit really hurts, but for our code.

I imagine you’d like a moment now to shake your head in disbelief and possibly pity.  Don’t worry, I’ll wait.

Done now?  Great.

To my credit, I did initially dismiss this idea as incredibly silly but by that point the idea had stuck in my head.  I would occasionally find myself trying to figure out just the right domain name for me.  I had no serious use for it, but at that point it was a conundrum for its own sake.  In the end, I settled on this one.  I like making things, or at least virtual things, and trees are neat.  There are other connotations, of course, but few that would make sense to anyone but me.  Really, all that matters is that I thought it sounded neat.  Once I realized that, the hook was set.

What finally sealed the deal, though, was that I realized that I missed writing.  The book I’ve wrestled with off and on for a good year and a half hasn’t seen much progress lately.  Every time I try to get words on its pages, I’m overwhelmed by the enormity of the task still before me.  I’ve also written a handful of short stories, but inspiration for those is both fleeting and fickle.  It’s taken me a while, but last week I finally realized that what I really need in order to get better about writing is to simply write more.  Shocking, I know.  Also a little circular, but there it is.

That’s really what this blog’s about: writing.  My goal in this ongoing project is simply to write, period.  In doing so publicly like this, my hope is that the accountability of having an audience will help me stick to it.  I don’t have any particular topic or theme in mind, largely to give me the flexibility needed to come up with topics on a regular basis.  But if your interests happen to overlap with mine, such as stories, games, software, or just my everyday life, then perhaps you’ll find something entertaining or even thought-provoking here once in a while.

It’s going to be a tall order, I know, especially at first.  I’d thought about going right for the jugular by decreeing that I would Write Every Day, but after further thought I’ve decided to back off from that.  That’s like promising that you’ll go to the gym every day: nobody ever manages it straight out of the gate, and that just leads to disappointment, frustration, and quitting.  I don’t want this to be something else that I quit.  Plus a goal that aggressive leaves me know real room to grow.  So for now my target is simply one post a week, with a stretch goal of two.  Assuming I manage to stick with this, which I intend to do, we’ll see where it goes from there.

So yeah, I have a blog now.  Blogs are cool.  So stop by and say hello, will ya?  I could sure use the encouragement.

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16 Responses to Code Delphi, Start Here

  1. Will says:

    An excellent an engaging opening read. That says something, too. Usually first posts are all of “Welp.”

    Now, of course, if you miss an update I’m going to make a fuss on twitter.

    • Michael says:

      Thanks, I’m glad you liked it. And by all means, make a fuss if I don’t meet my update quota. It’ll help make sure I actually follow through with it.

  2. Lorena says:

    Congrats! I look forward to reading and following along on your journey!

    • Michael says:

      And it’ll be good to have you along for the ride. I’ll try not to embarrass you too much if you promise to return the favor. 😉

  3. Scott Pedersen says:

    Hi

  4. Triss says:

    Writing! Writing’s a good idea!

    Well chosen domain, and toolset.

    Reminds me, I should probably log into mine and run patches.

    … or maybe write something. Yeah, breaking the drought’d be a good idea.

    Anycase, Welcome to WP! I’ll be interested to see writing and code both!

  5. Matt D. says:

    pretty

    • Michael says:

      Thanks! I’m actually likely to fiddle with the layout a fair amount as time goes on. This is a pretty stock theme, and I’m curious if I can find something even better. I’ve already got a feeler out for a new header image.

  6. triss says:

    So, I have to ask, because things like this niggle at me – is there a specific inspiration for the name? Google suggests it’s not remotely a common construction, which impresses me.

    • Michael says:

      Not a single inspiration, but a cluster of little ones. I had several possible terms that I liked and wanted to find a combination that I liked and felt worked well together. I hadn’t actually thought to check Google for it, apart from confirming that the domain didn’t already exist, but I’m similarly pleased at its uniqueness. Thanks for letting me know!

  7. Welcome to the blogoshpere. yeah i know i feel dirty having typed it.
    dont worry about embarrasing family members, thats kind of what blogs are for. I look forward to seeing the inner workings of your mind spill across my screen in the form of words.

    Great job coming up with a domain name that isnt 125 letters that is still unique and not taken. Everything i keep trying to get is taken. including my name (and its parked, and has been for the last 5 years). once i get around to getting said short, catchy, and unique domain i need to go about linking it with my WP.
    need to add you to my list of “go read these people” on my own said Web-Log (for those of you who dont know, thats what they were called before someone coined the term BLOG)

  8. oh yeah BTW congrats if you type in Verdant Artifice into google your site is the second listed result.

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