Runester

Why a Blog? (Web Log)

Hmm, well for several good reasons. First, I have maintained a personal website for years, and the greatest problem I’ve always had was keeping it current and making it useful. A Blog addresses the first if not always the last! Second, many, many people are using Blog’s and they seem to be a meaningful and useful tool for millions … who am I to disagree out-of-hand? So, I’ll use this tool as long as it serves it’s purpose.

OK, then why use Blogger.com?

Well, I first looked at client-side software like Metateque, which has lot’s of really nice features. Unfortunately, I use three different computers during any week. My home computer, my work computer (one of several), and my girlfriends computer. I’d like a solution that did not rely on me using one particular computer. I’d also like to be able to update my Blog while traveling or visiting friends. These requirements rule out any client-side software.

Next, I looked at Grey Matter, which is an open source web log tool, written in PERL (my favorite language)! The problem with Grey Matter, is it needs to be loaded onto your website, it runs as a CGI program on the server. I would have been able to do that on my old web host … but, I’ve moved over to Yahoo! Geocities who do not allow server-side scripts (at least for my account level).

Finally, I settled on Blogger.com because it has enough traits from all of the above to make it the most attractive choice. Like Grey Matter, it runs on an easily accessible server and not on one specific computer (like Metateque). Unlike Grey Matter, it runs on Blogger’s server and not on mine! I have no software to load, I just log onto their website and add (or edit) an entry and then publish it to my website (via FTP).

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

• Here is Amazon.com’s Entry

• Here is a Barnes & Noble Entry
• Here is (what I believe to be) the "Official" Harry Potter Website
• Here is a Harry Potter Blog with a special FAQ on this book.

I’ve been asked why I like the Harry Potter books, and why I would read a book written for children. Hmm, strange questions! First, if the books are good, who cares who they were written for? J. R. R. Tolkien’s "The Hobbit" and the "Lord of the Rings" series were originally positioned as "young adult" fiction. History has, apparently, disagreed.

The truth is, what first drew me to the books was the effect they were having on children and young adults. I kept on seeing them sitting quietly and reading. They wanted to read! In an era of big budget movies, 100+ channels on cable TV, 128 bit video games, and the internet … these kids were avidly reading. That sounds like a good thing, to me, and I wanted to know what was holding their attention. When I realized how imaginative and fantasy filled these books are - I was even happier with the interest they generated.

I stand by my position: Anything that gets kids to read, learn, and use their imagination is a good thing!