While I have been a little less active this week than the last week, anyone visiting the site will notice that the two most recent articles, one on the sinking of the Titanic and the other on the recent fire at Notre-Dame, are on rather serious subjects – this on a blog which normally covers old games and computer technology and related media, no matter how serious or absurd.
One might well ask the simple question of why? Why would I write about something so serious just days after talking about something as pointless as a video game review series online?
The reason is simple, but still complex – because I can, and because I care about all of those things.
The nature of the internet is that things should generally be “focused” on something – be it socialization, a given television series, the works of a given creative talent, some old facet of society, anything. You want a site devoted to teapots? There’s thousands of them. Plastic horses from the 1980’s? Tons of them to. Obscure early television broadcasts? Yep. Want to chat with others about the hunting habits of the natives of northern Siberia? I’m sure there’s some kind of discussion forum for that!
My point is, people like all kinds of things.
Now, this site, as should be obvious, is a blog. It’s a blog where I write about subjects that I take interest in. I, like most people, have a complex set of interests — some of these just don’t match up very well, but that doesn’t mean I don’t find each of them interesting or have strong opinions about them.
Now, I could make a site devoted to each general category, and have considered such, but that would be more effort than it’s worth. As such, I have to treat the site as a general, personal blog. If I feel like writing about it, well, I’ll write about it. It doesn’t matter if it’s relatively pointless, or if it is something I feel incredibly deeply about, if I feel I can turn it into something worthwhile, I’ll write about it.
Hell, I don’t even touch on many subjects I’m deeply involved in or are otherwise “into” as I feel they just don’t fit the scope of even this site – I have to draw a line somewhere, of course. Still, I feel something more high class, like space and history, can at least somewhat co exist with the more mundane gaming and tech, which can bring along with them some absurdities which are good for their comedic value – everyone loves a bit of laughter in their day, right?
I miss the days of personal websites, of people owning their own content and controlling it. Even if those days never return (I feel they will in a small way but certainly not in the grand scheme) then at least I know I have what I wish to have here for those who may appreciate it for what it is. If that means the site, when you look at it purely as a blog, is a little chaotic, then so be it. It’s something to enjoy, serious where it needs to be but relaxed and jovial at other times.
There is one more factor which should be considered – am I having fun with this? If I am, then good, go with it. If not, it’s time to abandon that idea and look towards something else for a writing subject.
After all, if you aren’t enjoying yourself, then what’s the point?
