Yesterday was Cardboard Nu’s first birthday as a blog. Happy birthday, Cardboard!
I’ve thoroughly enjoyed blogging – both the reading and the writing. With the practice that I have had blogging, my writing is now quicker, clearer and more accurate. Having a forum to express my opinions has meant my long-suffering cow-orkers don’t have to hear them as often. It has also helped me grow a thicker skin.
I’ve also enjoyed reading blogs. Aside from some local boys, (more on them in a minute) the world-beating, stand-out blog for me has been Simon Brunning’s Small Values of Cool. With its sharp style and consistent posting, I find Small Values addictive.
Cardboard.nu is listed in a few public aggregators, Javablogs and pyblagg being the main ones. I must admit to finding the childish behaviour of some Javablogs denizens frustrating. Maybe I’m just an old fart. Or maybe I’m just not macho enough to program in Java.
pyblagg, on the other hand, is a delight. In general, the Python blogging community is full of interesting people, who are capable of expressing themselves clearly, who are polite and who can respect alternative points of view. Does the language rub off on the people or do the people rub off on the language?
Blogging has also brought Google-fame, albeit in very tiny amounts. As I write, cardboard.nu is the number one Google result for:
Bizarrely, one of my blog entries rates the number two Google result for crime scene cleanup, and the comments to that blog entry served as a forum for the crime scene cleanup industry until earlier this month.
Blogging has been a great hobby, but I never would have gotten anywhere without the help and encouragement of Charles Miller. After reading his blog for a few months, I decided to dip my toe into the blogging ocean. Charles not only took the time to clue me into the various technologies, personalities and styles of the blogging world, his blog donated large chunks of html and css to cardboard.nu. More recently, Charles also gave me a login to the Fishbowl Quicklinks blog, and I post there regularly too. Thanks heaps, Charles!
Two other colleagues have also encouraged me this past year: David Pinn and Keith Pitty. Both these gentlemen write clear, concise entries on topics they are passionate about. Charles, David and Keith each spur me on to higher quality in my writing.
And finally, to everybody out there – to those who read this blog, and especially to those who write blogs for me to read – a big “Thanks!” too.