Today marks three years that I've been foisting the house of cards that is TPRS upon an unsuspecting and unprepared world. I'm not usually big on anniversaries, but I feel like a veteran now, so I'm going to enjoy my new self-appointed eminence grise status before someone brings me up short.
If you had told me on 9.3.01 that my dark, dusty little corner of the Internet would become what it is today, I would have laughed and bought you another Shiner Bock. Maybe two. No, I may not be as big as Glenn Reynolds, who has yet to link to TPRS (Oh, Christ...in the name of all that is good and fair....), but I'm doing all right so far. I suppose obscurity can be it's own reward...not that I would object to being less obscure.
TPRS began as a way to kill time and teach myself HTML while I was working as a contract technical writer at Enron. My firm's contract was winding down, and there was literally nothing for me to do, since Enron was in the early stages of imploding. I had to do something to at least look busy. One fine morning I read a story in USA Today about this new thing called "weblogs". Hey, I thought, I can do that. And so I did. The rest, as they say, is history- or as close as one gets to history 'round these parts.
9.11, which occurred only eight days after I launched TPRS, turned this from a burgeoning hobby into something of a crusade. That day changed all of us, and I would be remiss not to acknowledge the impact that day had on my writing and my sense of purpose. I don't know that what I do here actually changes anything, but I've found a voice, and putting it to use at least helps me to feel as if I'm contributing something positive. I imagine that I will continue to hang around TPRS as long as I feel that I have something to say. When the day comes that I no longer feel that way, you'll see me riding off into the mataphorical sunset. For now, though, y'all are stuck with me. Dealwiddit, eh?? ;0)
Three years later, it's as much fun as it's ever been. Though I have my supporters as well as my detractors, and though I've managed to scare off more than a few folks (wherefore art thou, Mark Harden??), it still amazes me that I get readers from all over the world. Though I generally average "only" 250-350 visits a day- depending on how many people are looking for naked pictures of Ann Coulter, Katie Couric, or Jenna Bush- I am flattered that anyone pays attention to my rants for any length of time.
It's been fun having my own soapbox. Sometimes I have a good deal to say, sometimes not. I'd like to think that my writing has improved over these three years. Perhaps at some point I'll be able to lose my amateur status and make some money off my writing. Whether or not that ever happens, at least I'm writing. It's part therapy, part hobby, part soapbox, and all fun. Hey, it's keeps me off the streets and out of the bars....
There are still a few bugs to iron out- not the easiest task for a non-techie such as myself. I am fortunate to be using Movable Type, but only because of the kind assistance of Brian Kane, who first installed and then upgraded my copy of MT. Without him, I would still be hand-coding HTML tags on the technological equivalent of stone tablets.
Mandarin Design has proven to be an invaluable source for design tips and tricks, some of which are so simple even I can use them without difficulty. It's given me a few more options for making TPRS more aesthetically pleasing. My next problem to tackle is comment spam. Unfortunately, I do not have the technical chops to figure what I need to do in order to take advantage of MT-Blacklist. If any of y'all are in the mood to help a writer in need, I would be forever in your debt.
Most of all, I'm grateful to those of you who regularly read my often unfocused rants. It's nice having an audience, and I particularly value those folks who often (or always) disagree with me. While I have some strong opinions, I'm not arrogant enough to believe that I have the final answer on the issues I frequently riff on. Every now and then, I even manage to learn something from those who don't think like I do. I enjoy that immensely. I will never meet most of you, but I value your presence more than you could possibly know (now will someone please tell Glenn Reynolds what he's missing??).
I have absolutely no idea how long I'll keep doing this. I'm enjoying the heck out of it now, and I figure that if I keep it up long enough, maybe I'll manage to change a few minds AND make some money. Who knows? Thanks for coming along for the ride.
So sit down, strap yourselves in, and hold on. The ride could be a bit bumpy. Stay tuned, y'all....
