You know, I have a problem with non-artists. You know the people of whom I’m thinking; maybe you even admire them. They’re bands like KISS. They’re storytellers like Stan Lee. They’re the artists who create immensely popular stuff, perhaps for niche audiences, knowing that it’s perhaps not “high art” but it still appeals to innumerable [...]
Repost: Writing prompt: a greeting card and a response
So I’m trying to write more often than I have, and by golly, I’m going to try to use writing prompts if necessary to make it happen. So here’s today’s: Write a poem in the disguise of a postcard message. Continue by writing a reply postcard message. Thinking of you with words so trite They're [...]
Repost: DavidRM’s The Journal
I’ve recently decided to try – really try – journaling. It’s like blogging, but private. Why private, when I have a blog? For a few reasons, really. One reason is that it requires a lot less thought to construct decent posts. When I’m writing for a general audience (I.e., more than myself) I want the [...]
Repost: Actor and object
In drama, every character has two roles in the drama itself, outside of the dramatic role in and of itself: these roles are “actor” and “object.” There’s a lot of term confusion, because in drama an actor is one who plays a role, and in context here it’s the same term but a different interpretation. [...]
Repost: What framework authors are doing wrong
This is a repost, from an old blog of mine. Originally posted on 9 March, 2006. I finally figured it out. I’ve been struggling to work out how to explain to various framework authors and supporters why I think what they are telling people is not right, or why the frameworks are flawed, with very [...]
Repost: Tips on writing articles
As editor of TheServerSide.com in the past, I had a lot of opportunity to see what worked in online writing and what didn’t. Since it was a core part of my job to be efficient online, I also did a lot of research into various techniques, and while I certainly can’t claim to be an [...]
Repost: I miss email.
I miss asynchronous conversation. I miss the ability to have an actual thread of thought preserved in something less ephemeral than memory, or in some chat log somewhere on one of my systems’ hard drives. I miss the ability to not be there if someone has an observation I’m interested in. I don’t want to [...]
Repost: Caches, an unpopular opinion, explained
I have an unpopular opinion: caches indicate a general failure, when used for live data. This statement tends to ruffle feathers, because caches are very common, accepted as a standard salve for a very common problem; I’ve been told that cloud-based vendors say that caches are the key to scaling well in the cloud. They’re [...]
Repost: I love new words
I love words. I love them a lot. I could cuddle them and hug them and call them “George.” I have read dictionaries and encyclopedias, in search not only of new knowledge, but in search of wonderful, new, intriguing words. I have favorite words, and I rejoice when I find new words. Reigning champions on [...]
Repost: Vulnerability
What do I want to say? Well, here’s a stab at it: vulnerability is hard. I know I’m not as well-known as I could be. In part, that’s because my talents just aren’t that good. I’m not some world-beating artist, or an author whose name sells books (or generates millions of hits). I think I’m [...]