Hello World

"Hello World"

A short, happy message, usually echoed from my first program in a new language, or my first test of a new system, heralding the start of a learning process. Seems appropriate for my first blog entry, especially since I think I will write mostly about software development (though I reserve the right to ramble into investing, home improvement, lawn maintenance, science fiction, kids and sports, and possibly other stuff that affects my little corner of the universe).

There have been many instances of "Hello World" (HW) in my journey. Sometimes they were inspired, like my first HW on a Commodore 64 when I was about fifteen years old. Sometimes they were reactive, like my 1996 transition from Macintosh to Windows to avoid relocation or unemployment. Until this HW, however, they were all merely symbolic - the silent daring of an introvert. Of course, the world could not actually recognize my greetings, but this time it can, at least in the small fraction of the world represented by you and other readers.

Until now I have been content reading the blogs of colleagues and other interesting characters, but reluctant, and perhaps lazy, at the prospect of writing one myself. What changed my mind? For one thing, as a person who purports to make a living helping other utilize technology, it has occurred to me that relying on word of mouth and resumes for personal marketing and networking is like bringing the proverbial knife to a gun fight.

Another thing I have realized is that the noise level in society will increase regardless of my participation, so I might as well stop that line of rationalization and just have my say. In the age of Facebook and Twitter, noise is the norm. Blogs and social networking have stripped another protective layer from the complexity of the world. If you want to keep up with the Jetsons, you are going to have to change the way you think about communication and information.

So here I am, effectively poking this blog thing with a stick. What will it look like when I post? Will anyone comment? How will I handle comments? I hope to use this blog as a vehicle to organize, distill, share and test my thinking. I hope you keep reading and testing along with me. I promise to be less self-indulgent after this post. Thanks for reading, and "Hello World."

P.S. If you have a good "Hello World" story, I would love to hear it.