My First *Real* Post (About Me and About sdsalyer.com)
Introduction
Greetings! My name is Drew. I am S. D. Salyer. I’m 28 years old. I work full time and go to school full time (Computer Science). I develop websites in PHP, MySQL, JavaScript, XML, AJAX, etc., occasionally and on the side. I have a wonderful and beautiful soon-to-be-wife, Leah. I live in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains in the Southwestern corner of Virginia (so beautiful and geologically interesting). I am addicted to caffè mochas. I am a reluctant early riser, but I tend to do it anyway (it’s amazing how much more you accomplish in a day if you get up at 5am). I am in the early stages of a bit of a reinvention of myself, which I seem to undertake every few years (hopefully it is an upward spiral). I’m eating healthier and exercising every day and doing my best to be financially responsible (ie. spending less than I earn). I thrive on personal development and trying to be the best person and spirit that I can be. That’s me, in a nutshell.
I love to read, especially Fantasy and Science Fiction, though lately I am struggling to find the time to do so. The last novel I read for fun was Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card (for the 2nd time), quite a while ago. The last short story I read was Flowers for Algernon, by Daniel Keyes (also for the 2nd time – full text at the link), last week. I also read quite a bit of programming and personal development books, such as Learning PHP, MySQL, and Javascript by Robin Nixon and The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey (I actually listened to the audio book of this in my car). I’m eagerly awaiting George R. R. Martin’s next effort in the Song of Ice and Fire series (as well as the new HBO show based on the novels).
I enjoy writing quite a bit also. It may even be my passion — it’s hard to tell (and I’m still trying to figure it all out, just like the rest of humanity). I’m currently a member of an online critique group, so I spend a fair amount of time reading and critiquing other people’s work (critiquing is good writing practice, believe it or not). I have a medium-term goal of publishing a short story in a literary magazine such as Asimov’s or Fantasy & Science Fiction, but mostly I just want to write for me. [That’s one of the main purposes of this weblog experiment (more about that below).]
I’m a web developer at heart, I think. I really enjoy the whole process of figuring out a client’s needs, imagining the whole thing up, putting it on paper (and in PhotoShop), coding the markup and stylesheets, and then, best of all, performing all the behind the scenes magic with a clever bit of programming. It’s just very satisfying to me to set forth a list of instructions and watching the computer perform them. Very cool stuff.
About This Weblog
“This is Not a Blog”, as George R. R. Martin put it when he created and named his LiveJournal blog in 2005. I always hated the term “blog” and didn’t see why people made such a fuss about “blogging”. I couldn’t figure out why anyone would care what some random Joe’s opinion was about XYZ topic. Then I discovered some blogs I enjoyed (Not a Blog, of course, and The Simple Dollar to name a couple) and subscribed to their feeds, and I realized what all the buzz was about. I’ve changed my tune a bit about blogging, but I think I’ll still refer to this site as a weblog or a personal website rather than a “blog”. Hopefully that’s not too uppity. :)
The purpose of this weblog is primarily for me to have a writing outlet: a soapbox to stand on, a blackboard to teach from, an empty journal to write in… you get the idea. It’s a bit of an experiment and practice in writing, and sharing what’s on my mind or something I think might benefit those with similar interests.
Expect an eclectic array of posts. My interests are many and varied and I don’t intend to specialize in one topic at the present time. I know a “general purpose” blog won’t go so far as one with a more clever niche, but I’m doing this mainly for me. A small audience would be just fine. Right now, I am simply imagining I have one. :)
My goal is 1 or 2 posts a week. I’m just going to feel it out for now and see how things unfold. I’m about to begin a new semester at college and my time may be too limited for even 1 or 2 posts a week. Or I may find that I just have so much to say I make time to write several posts or more a week. We’ll just have to wait and see for now.
Read, Write, and Share
If you enjoy this site, please pass it on. Subscribe to my RSS feed (I use Google Reader myself). Tell your friends. Link to articles you enjoy on Facebook. Tweet about it.
I would love to hear from you! Feel free to comment on posts here on the website. I’ve not got a contact page up and running yet, but that will be my next priority. I’m still learning the ropes and trying to cultivate a following on Twitter, but feel free to follow me there also. I’d love to hear what you have to say.
Thank you for taking the time to read. If my weblog is not for you, do find another one to follow. If blogs don’t do it for you, then pick up a book or a magazine (or, if you must, an e-book). Just keep on reading, for “reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body. – Joseph Addison”
Regards,
S. D. Salyer