Justin - again, and again, and ...

I first linked to Justin in one of the first of these columns. Whenever my thoughts seem to wander to questions of a life lived on the web I click over to see what he's up to. And though I find his latest exploits interesting (and his ability to tell about them extraordinary), I find myself attracted to the basics. Years ago (at least five) Justin posted some pages on web-publishing. It was very basic common sense material on what to do if you want to maintain a personal web site, but common sense only seems to improve with time. After so much web excess, a couple of pages of the basics is actually quite refreshing. Among other things Justin write:

work on it every day.
put in just a half an hour
and see if you can keep yourself to just that.

I admit that I don't write every day, though of course a report of my life isn't the central purpose of these columns (even if often it ends up that way). Still, that solid, logical advice.

Interestingly, however, it raises questions of the cart and the horse (if not the chicken and the egg) variety: Do I write because these columns have become a part of me, or have they become a part of me because I write? I suppose that it doesn't make a difference, though sometimes it definitely can. When these columns started I didn't have a picture in my mind of how long this project might continue, nor to what an extent they would become such a defining aspect of my life. At some point, however, it simply happened.

Go to: Almost a part of me, or
Go to: Get a Life!