Thanks,
Gnorb

Let’s start with functionality: Gone is the massive RSS button, the endless list of bookmarking site options, and extra widgets like Blogrush. Instead, the sidebar now features the latest featured articles as well as the latest articles from all other categories. Depending on where on the site you are, you may also see the top 10 articles by number of visitors and my personal favorites. On the front page, under the featured article, you’ll also see an automatically updated list of links from my Google Reader Shared bookmarks. Honestly, if there’s one reason to check the front page it’s to check that right there, otherwise you can check out the page directly.

Now about that RSS button: you’ll notice that it’s been replaced by 2 (considerably smaller) RSS buttons, 2 mail buttons, and a link to my Twitter account. The link to Twitter is obvious if you know what Twitter is. The RSS feeds, on the other hand, are where some of the new changes in the site’s focus are seen. The site now features 2 types of articles, Featured and everyting else (general). Categories still exist, but mostly for organizational pruposes. The Featured posts will be the only ones that make it to the front page from now on. These will focus more on memories and personal observations. The other feed includes not only these articles, but also all other blog posts written, regardless of whether they make it to the front page or not. Here’s what this means for you RSS folks: If you’re happy with what you’ve been seeing, then you’re set. If you’re interested in memories and personal observations ONLY, and have no interest in anything else I write (like site updates) then grab the Featured Article stream [EDIT: THIS WAS INCORRECT BEFORE. LINK CORRECTED ON FEB 7, 10:45AM EST.] or sign up for the Featured Article stream via Email. Note that the Featured Articles feed will update less often than the regular feed, because not every article I write will be a “Feature”. (That means not every article I write will be seen on the front page, at least not the content. The titles will be there, under the section “Other Recent General Blog Entires”.)

On the navigation front, you’ll notice that the front page and the archive and categorie pages are completely different now. While there’s only one post on the front page, all archive pages have exerpts from a number of articles. That’s because, in my mind, if you’re looking at the archives, you’re probably scanning. Of course, the argument could be made that it’s better to just lay it all out there, but in cases where things like self-starting flash videos are included this can be a problem. Frankly, this right here’s my favorite part of the new design.

Other than that, the site’s pretty much the same. A couple of new textures, a simplified interface, new access to feeds, a new general focus, and a more useful navigation. Here’s hoping you keep enjoying (and recommending it to your friends.

By the way, in case you’re wondering why I’m doing this: Ive come to the realization that this site won’t ever be more than my personal blog. That’s how I like it! So I’ve stared to put together a plan for a more business-focused site, something I’ll be writing about later. That’ll mean some of the content from this site (not much) will be moved to that new site.

Now, the following poll isn’t about content: I’ve gotten great feedback on that already and know the direction I want to go (more personal, but still with some commentary and tutorials). I’m actually looking for help when it comes to design. Basically, I just want to know how you use this site. With that in mind, I’ve put together a multiple choice poll where you can tell me how it is you get your content: Do you get it via RSS? Email? Do you visit the site? Front page only or individual posts? Do you check out the links in the sidebar? Did you know there were two columns below the main content section? Do you check out the archives? What about individual categories, or pages?

Please take a minute and complete the multiple-choice poll. (Actually, it’ll probably take you less than 30 seconds). If you have anything you want to say not covered by the post, now’s the time to do it. While posts will be moderated (no need for someone to drop the F-bomb or be derogatory towards others), don’t be afraid to be honest, even if brutally so.

(If viewing this via email, go to http://www.polldaddy.com/p/1330258/ .)

[T]ypos will lurk and creep and scuttle on the edges of the text and, despite my best efforts, jump out and wave furiously at everyone as soon as I’m done…

from Neil Gaiman’s Journal.

You know, I should start a “quotes” miniblog or something.

Anyway, I’ve been thinking about what to write. I have the ideas, just not the time to bring them to fruition. Sorry ’bout that. You’ll have something new this week, I promise, even if it’s just a link post. (By the way, click here for good reading.)

Update: Time’s up on the 9Rules submissions. If you submitted, good luck.

First, if you’re reading this through an RSS reader, you’ll notice you now get the full post, instead of seeing the (more…) link. That’s because I’ve updated to the latest version of Wordpress. Fear me, or something. Better yet, enjoy never having to actually visit this site to get what you’d actually come here for in the first place. I mean, let’s face it, you’re not here for the design, right?

Speaking of design, I’ve added a little widget to the sidebar titled “This Came Across My RSS Reader And I Think You Should Read It”. Basically its a list of five recently “shared” posts from my own RSS reader (Google Reader), stuff I think you’d benefit from reading either because it’s important or interesting. The title links lead you to the site of origin, the name of the site leads you to the homepage of that site, and the link at the bottom that says “Read More…” takes you to my Google Reader Shared Items page. I’m starting to [Heart] Google Reader.

Finally, for those of you bloggers who read this (I’m guessing that’s the bulk of you), you may be interested to know that May 7 is the first of three scheduled submission dates for joining the 9Rules network. (As I write this it’s May 6, so tomorrow.) This is affectionately known as Round 6. (Gnorb.NET became a very proud member of the 9Rules network on December of 2006.) To quote one Kamigoroshi, of Footsteps in the Mirror:

Since this is pretty much a blink-and-you-miss event, try not to blink and try not to miss it. The last time they had it, out of 1190 blogs that applied to join 9rules, only about less than 10% made it through to become members. That’s something to think about should you decide to join the community, being the best of the independent web.

So there you have it, the news for the evening. Now, back to your regularly scheduled reading.

See, recently I noticed that there are between 130 and 170 readers checking the site out through the RSS feeds. Obviously, the number goes up and down on a daily basis, and while I’ve tried my hardest to spot a pattern, I haven’t seen one. This is probably because I’m not particularly consistent about my topics. One month I’ll be writing about writing, another about health, another about business and finance, and another about personal memories. That’s just the way I am. And that’s why I’m (again) in the 9Rules “Commentary” category. (I was in the “Writing” category for a little while.)

Although I write primarily because I enjoy writing, I also write to entertain, and to inform, and to share. Basically, I write for an audience (you), although I make sure to remember I’m in that audience. That hasn’t always been the case, of course, and many times I’ve written for myself, instead. That’s why at times you see stuff that is completely and utterly off topic (life updates about things I’ve never before talked about), and why at others you see instructional posts on how to do something.

But back to the point: I’d like to know what brought you here, what keeps you reading, and what you’d like to see more of? I’d like to keep that in mind as I move forward in order to… well, in order to not waste your time. Also, I’d like to have the site a bit more focused, since I’m exploring the possibility of branching out into a couple of other sites, some more business-oriented (in style, not necessarily in content), others more community oriented, and another more personal. If you could drop off a comment telling me what you think I’d really appreciate it. And be honest, too. If you think my recent content has been nothing short of deplorable, tell me so and tell me why. On the other hand, if you like what you’ve read, I’d like to know why also. As I said, in the end I’m writing for an audience, though I never forget I’m part of that audience. But the fact remains that I’m writing for an audience. And that audience is you.

I probably won’t have any internet access over the next week, so if you need to reach me and don’t have my phone number, you’re out of luck. Heck, even if you do have my phone number you’re probably still out of luck.

I’ll be back next week, refreshed and, hopefully, once again ready to tell tales. But for now, to put it simply, I’m spent.

If you’ve been reading for a while you know that my posting frequency has diminished from a high of five (and sometimes more) posts per week to a paltry weekly posting. The reason for this is multi-fold, but it really boils down to a few big reasons:

1. I’m looking for better quality. See, while I like writing and posting stories here, I’ve come to realize that in order for me to really be able to show the site off to others (potential clients and advertisers, for example) as something more than the basic ramblings of a self absorbed, pale faced fat man behind a keyboard, I have to do little things like proof read. Mind you, for the stuff I post here the first draft is usually the near-final: it’s not often I read through a post and reorganize thoughts, eliminate superfluous words, or look to create a better flow for the story. Still, I take care to re-read, at least once, what I have written so as to ensure that what comes out doesn’t make me sound like an ignorant jackass.

   But that’s one of the things that have recently started to change. I’ve actually started the habit of writing something, saving it, and reading it later. I’ve come to the frightening realization that most of my first drafts are, while not utter crap, sadly amateur at best. In short, one of the reasons for the lack of frequent updates is the direct result of my search for better quality.

2. Often, I feel like interacting with others, so I post on other sites, like 9Rules, Pownce, and other social services. (The results of that can be seen on the sidebar, in the “Random Thoughts” section.) I guess I’ve never been self involved enough to hold a one-way conversation with the ether, especially without allowing it the courtesy of an answer, which is why I leave comments on. Lucky for me, this feature is finally getting used on a fairly regular basis by about three or four people, and a few others somewhat sparingly. Still, sometimes, more often than not, it feels like a one way conversation. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not here begging for comments: the fact is that many of my posts just don’t lend themselves to commentary. Also, there are few blogs that really get a lot of comments. Nevertheless, I appreciate the readership all the same. (On the bright side, my AdSense numbers aren’t all that bad, but frankly I’ll take a good conversation over a penny from ads any day.)
3. I’m spreading my writer’s wings. Or fingers. Or… whatever. With my foray into the world of literary fiction, I’m starting to make it a point to write stuff that I intend to either sell or give away as advertisement. Unfortunately, this means that a lot of what I write — namely, a lot of the short stories — don’t make their way here, since a clause for publication is usually that these stories not be published anywhere else. Of course, that’s had me thinking about using this site as a place where I put my stuff I either can’t sell or don’t consider marketable, but doesn’t that then defeat the purpose of #1? True, it probably doesn’t, and I’m probably just being a chicken about posting fiction. But the fact remains that I’m not all that comfortable with it.

So that’s the short of it: looking for higher quality, lower stuff quality going somewhere else, and looking to write in other places.

You know, considering I’ve been writing professionally since around 2000, it’s a bit surprising I’m still thinking like this. Then again, maybe this is all part of the continual improvement cycle. Or maybe it just has to do with my life’s focus changing from what I had to do to what I’m supposed to do.

A story about a young Puerto Rican boy growing up in the city of Tampa and overcoming cultural differences.

And here’s a clip:

Like everyone else that comes to the States, I thought that people here spoke only English, lived in either Disney World and New York, wore jeans and denim jackets and sunglasses, break danced, and ate nothing but hamburgers and pizza. Well, heck, except for the English, the Disney World/New York thing, I was pretty much an American-by-proxy: I watched all the movies, wore all the clothes, and ate all the deliciously fattening McFood. I even tried my hand at break dancing, though that failed rather miserably. And I, like the rest of the world, got my chance to make fun of Americans for being… well, Americans.

The site’s run by fellow 9Rules member Andrew Eglinton, who also runs the London Theatre Blog, and his brother, Alan. Both wanted to create a site where Americans could share stories about the US in their own words, stories which the mass media wouldn’t cover because they may not be flashy, and to show the 90% of America overshadowed by Hollywood and foreign policy.

The idea for the site came after their first visit across the pond. From their About page:

American without ever having been to the United States. American without ever having met an American person face to face. More intimate with America than perhaps with our own native England. But soon came the New Millennium, and with it a great shock. We had reached maturity and had begun to think for ourselves. And in analyzing our youth, we had grown critical of America: it was all a construct, a figment of some wealthy Hollywood director’s imagination, a lie greater than the myth of Santa Claus! – And indeed the source of our malaise. We had built the foundations of our youth on an imaginary land and the cracks were beginning to show.

In 2004 I was fortunate to travel to the US for the first time. It was all too brief a visit that took me to a few cities along the North-East coast: New York, Philadelphia and Washington DC. But in the space of that week and as writer and friend, Patrick Judd, has described it, “all the clichés were at once confirmed and rejected”.

(By the way, Andrew, I just realized that I borrowed that “American by proxy” line from you. Great descriptor, though.)

The site is open to submissions, so if you feel like you have a story to share, drop them a line. You don’t need to be a professional writer. You don’t need to invent or embroider, just tell it like it is. And you certainly don’t need to write a novel, since most of the entires they look for should be between 500 and 1500 words, with videos and pictures also accepted. (I must confess that, in my verbosity, I sinned and wrote a 2500 word monster. Mia culpa, mia culpa, mia big time culpa.)

Again the site’s CallingAmerica.co.uk. Check it out. And read my article. You’ll like it.

Edit: I just realized how well timed this is. In the article, I talk about Tampa’s pirate history. Turns out that today is (once again) International Talk Like A Pirate Day. Hurray!

True, I haven’t been in college since 2002. Yet the rituals of dead week — lack of shaving, burying myself inside my headphones, staying up and working until the whites of my eyes have gone pink — are apparently still there for me to turn to during times of great pressure. At work, we’re getting towards the end of a software release. At home, I’ve been feeling the pressure to finish up my novel. My family’s been requiring more time from me for technical reasons. And of course my blog needs updating.

Notice something about that list? Blogging’s at the bottom of the list. That’s because by the time I’m done with the first three items, I feel like I’m out of words. The funny part is that I have a few posts here with wonderful ideas in them, I just can’t seem to find the drive to finish them. There’s the one about Bookwise in Boca Raton; one about buying hurricane supplies in preparation of Hurricane Dean, or “H. Dean (D-estruction), as I so mockingly named it (you politicos should get that one); one about Dell’s adoption of Linux and the development cycles of Ubuntu; one about how sci-fi killed sci-fi; one about parallel cashless economies, a story challenge titled “Instant Cowboy: Just Add Water”, for which I’ve yet to develop a good plot (I have a notion which I’ll eventually turn into a concept which I might just turn into an idea), etc. I keep viewing and reviewing them, making notes of things to add, deleting superfluous passages… and yet there they sit, in the queue, waiting to see the light of day. All 27 of them

Am I being too picky? Probably. But then, I guess putting a self-imposed limit on the number of words in my articles (I don’t like to make them under 500 or over 4,000) and my increasingly stringent eye towards substantive quality (if not editorial) has been a two edged sword. On the one hand, I’m much happier with the quality of posts I put out. On the other, I’m increasingly dissatisfied with the amount of posting I’ve been doing. Here, at least. If you go to 9Rules Notes you’ll see I put up a lot of stuff there, mostly because I tend not to get as many comments here as I do there. (That, I suppose, is simply a function of the sites’ differing readership numbers.) Of course, that content is of generally lower quality, probably because I’m more comfortable posting a one paragraph note there than I am in doing the same here. (Honestly, can you remember the last time I put up a one paragraph note?)

But back to the main point: I haven’t been posting a lot because I’ve been busy with work, family, and “outside commitments” (a term encompassing everything about my writing life not related to my job or this blog, like other blogs I write on but don’t tell you about). Sorry about that. I’ll start posting more again soon, I promise. I’ll even start posting some of the short stories I’ve been writing, about the instant cowboys and killer hurricanes, and some of the writing analysis I’ve been working on. For now, it’s just this, which I promise I won’t save to post later (because I’ll then likely just forget it). As for the rest… I blame dead week.

Now, I know what I’m about to say will sound self-aggrandizing, possibly even a bit snooty, but I’d like to make a request: I’d like to know where are you from. Now, I don’t want any personal information or anything, so please don’t leave your mailing address as I will use to send you a packet full of Anthrax, I’d just like to know whose from where, so if you read this note, could you be so kind as to drop a comment telling us (me and anyone else who read this note) where you’re from? Doesn’t matter whether you’re in Tampa or Timbuktu, Medellin or Manitoba, Chicago, Chennai, or Chelsea, I’d love for you say “hello!”

Note: No, I’m not whoring for comments, I swear. I’m just really… still amazed that people other than a few friends and my parents read this.

Before I start I’d like to give a special thank you to the folks without whose assistance this project would have both taken longer and not been anywhere nearly as successful. (These are listed in no particular order other than maybe when they chirped in. Maybe. In any case, note that all of these are people who I highly respect, making the process all the better.)

• Derek Punsalan: The Gnorb.NET 4.0 theme is based off of Derek’s “Grid Focus” theme, which not only offered an extremely flexible layout to workwith, but also allowed for the introduction of a few key features (most notably the new “Categories” listing).
• Ronald Heft: A couple of times throughout this process I had somewhat in depth, Wordpress/PHP related questions which Ronald answered both quickly and completely, by showing me not only what I should do but why I should do it. The cool thing was that he did this more than once. (The “Best of the Best” list at the bottom and the Pownce plugin used in the “Random Thoughts” section are both direct results of his help).
• Hrafn Thórisson: When I put up the Sandbox post (where I first announced the new theme) Hrafn (a.k.a. hthth) was the first person to jump in and tell me what he saw as the strengths and weaknesses of the theme, and it was his comment that gave me the confidence to know that I wasn’t doing something stupid.
• Joe Lencioni: Joe was the first to offer his thoughts when I asked for opinions in the super secret 9Rules Member forums, answering one very specific question about how to avoid having the theme look like total crap in Internet Explorer versions 6 and previous. (Really, you people using that should be using at least IE 7, if not Opera or Firefox.)
• Ben Gillbanks: Honestly, I was actually really surprised to get Ben’s help. For years I’ve been reading his blog, Binary Moon, but I make it a point to go to his page instead of using the RSS feed. Why? The guy’s such a good designer that every time I go to his page I just about lick my screen so I can taste the design. I actually remember thinking “Oh my God, this is so cool!” when he offered his comments. Yeah, I know: fanboyish. Everyone’s a fan of someone, right? By the way, Ben’s responsible for the “Regulus” WordPress theme.
• Abi Jones: Abi came at this from the angle of the blatantly obvious, stuff I totally missed and am still wondering how the hell I did. It’s because of her that you can now increase the font size one notch up without making the site look like total crap. As someone who uses that functionality all the time, I’m still wondering why I didn’t think of that.

I believe that’s about it. If you helped and I missed you, my apologies: please know I am super grateful.

Now, about those extra features. Aside from the fact that the site is now much cleaner, it is also somewhat more dynamic.

• On the front page there are now only five (5) articles. This was done in order to keep the scrolling to a minimum. A big “Older Posts” link can be found directly below the front page posts, allowing you to read as far back as your heart desires.
• The two regions at the bottom of the front page list a bunch of links — for friends, for articles, for my own other sites, for visitors. Again, these only appear on the front page because, frankly, do you really have to see these everywhere?
• Likewise, the sidebar has a few pieces of content that only appear in pages. These are designed to draw your attention to recent and related content. Also, there’s the Random Thoughts section, which is actually an RSS feed of my public Pownce messages (thanks again to Ronald Heft for that plugin). Additionally, there are a few networking links on the side of stories (no longer will there be a garish line of icons at the bottom of articles), and I’ve gotten rid of all the sloppy looking RSS icons. (Frankly, I wish these people would use a standard icon for their “Add to your RSS reader” link. W3C where are you? Are you still relevant?) The only outside links there are the random 9Rules links at the bottom of the sidebar. Go ahead, hit “Refresh” a few times and discover some great blogs.
• Finally, you’ll also see a slightly more muted advertisement scheme. This may change, though, once I start actually selling advertisement, including trading it in exchange for site customizations (like, say, a new banner or RSS button). Of course, if you want to advertise here money works just fine, too.

Anyway that’s about it. enjoy the theme, go visit some awesome blogs by clicking on the links above (or the 9Rules links in the sidebars) and enjoy some content. I’d really be interested in hearing what you think, and if you find any weirdness, please tell me (as well as the browser and operating system you were using when you saw the weirdness).

I know I haven’t been writing much as of late. That’s about to change, though, since after all this time I’ve finally been able to bring a number of things under control. I’ll share my experiences and observations later on, but for now head over to the Sandbox and tell me what you think. Remember, the theme is currently in Alpha, which means it works, but just barely, so excuse all the dead links. It’s based on the Grid Focus theme by fellow 9Rules member Derek Punsalan, although I’ve mutated it beyond most recognition. Any comments about the theme, suggestions, and requests can be made either here or there. Just remember that comments made there will eventually be wiped out. Finally, if you’re supposed to be in the “Friends & More” list, don’t worry: you’ll be back, and have a fairly prominent position. Dunno what’s going on with this theme right now, but there’s supposed to be a list populating on the sidebar with your names and links. I’m guessing it has to do with the recent upgrade to WordPress 2.2.

Anyway, go there. Now. Tell me what you think. As a bonus, the most helpful folk(s) will get a “special thanks” link at the footer of this page. Think of it as free advertisement on a PR 5 webpage. Alright, now stop reading and go check it out.

For the record, currently my brain is being filled with financial information, how to increase my asset base, how to evaluate a business (as well as my own finances better), and whether or not The Wife and I will be moving out of town, whether we’ll be buying a house soon, and whether that house will be in Florida or somewhere else. (We know we’re moving — our apartment complex is giving us the runaround, we have a squatter living below us in a complete pig sty, mold is in the walls, and these people are moving no faster than slugs on pot — the question is where. Another apartment? A house? Tampa? North Carolina? Texas? The dark side of the moon? Ten feet to the right? Two steps forward, one step back?)

I actually have a couple of incomplete stories in the back end, and since I’ve been working on fiction recently, I may publish some short stories here (between 4,000 and 10,000 words), but for the moment, I’m pooped. In the mean time, go out to 9Rules and check out the Commentary section. Lots of good reading there. (You can go to 9Rules by clicking on the leaf image on the sidebar.)