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I did a lot of train riding today because I had an early morning meeting in Yokohama (1.5hr away). I used to hate such far away meetings... I would torment over the lost hours which I could be dedicating to a project due a few days later. Now however I look forward to riding the train... it's sketch-blog time!

Your daily fix.

I spent the night hanging out with a bunch of dorks like me who like to post stuff on the web. Despite the inherent creepiness that goes along with all of us interested in this, I came away with good results from the evening.

1) Although there was not a whole lot of super-technical talk (it was not supposed to be the main topic) there was some and you would not believe how nice it feels to be face to face with someone who would be able to have a conversation relating to what I do everyday for my job. I can think of only two other people that I have met in the past 2.5 years that that applies to. It's not that I am so "into" tech topics that I crave such conversations, in fact I find that as the days go on, I am less and less interested in it, but that doesn't change the fact that I know about it, and it is nice to meet other people who know about it too.

2) For the past 2.5 years, since I first learned how to turn on a computer, and at the same time became the head techie at an Internet company, I have often felt inferior, or that I don't know enough to really do the job. This is undoubtedly due to the fact that I know no one to compare myself to.

While this has it's advantages, in that I probably spent more time trying to catch up to the imagined standards, and in doing so learned much more than I would have if I thought I knew enough... It has also been a constant source of stress.

As it turns out, while I'm sure the guys I met tonight (who have been at it for much longer than I) know a lot of things that I don't, they also had similar problems as I do, and in some cases problems that I used to, but no longer have... not that I'm smarter or anything, but I guess there is so much information, and things are changing so fast, that in some matters, a person with 10 years experience is on equal footing as someone with 2.5.

3) There was talk about peoples web-sites of course, Although I see all kinds of sites, Although not a personal rule or anything, I have always tended to steer clear of the sites about other sites. It just seemed to happen. Talking to others about their sites, therefore helped me to more clearly define what it is about my site that I am trying to do... without having actually consciously planned it out.

Much of web-logging seems to be, in part, a popularity contest, to see who gets linked to more, and who has the coolest link, etc. This is fun and addicting. One great thing about these sites is that people with real humor can be heard, and we don't have to rely on the humeri that TV executives like for ratings. Without sites like this, there is a lot of worthless information, and not-so worthless information that I have picked up that I would never have known about before, and in fact, never even thought to look it up.

One of the big "revolutions" made possible with web-logging is evident in more "serious" sites that focus on current events, and news. Often these sites are written by professional journalists, and often by armature journalists. Again, it allows us to have access to opinions and news that is not good enough for the networks ratings, or a newspapers sales.

At times in the past, I really wondered why the heck my site should even exist. I don't really have time to write any humerus pieces, and certainly not to research and write news stories... so then why even waste bandwidth as our friendly commenter stated a few days ago?

I never really realized it, but my site is almost entirely made up of the content I read first from other peoples sites. Sometimes a funny link catches my eye, and sometimes the reason I make it to someone's site is because they have an interesting article, but always the very first page I go to is the "about" page. The most important thing to me, is "who he heck is this, what is this persons history, and how can I apply anything about this person to my own life and path?

In a way, although it's probably not interesting to anyone other than mom and myself, I try when I have time to write not about the latest model of Apple computer, or a cool new game, but about what has built me to what I am, and what is building me to what I will be. Maybe it will help someone someday who identifies with me and can use any little thought I had on some crappy or happy day.

I realized the other day, after searching for many of my old High-school classmates on google, that despite having been somewhat of a "cold loner" (which many people have said of me as recently as two years ago) I may very well be the most transparent person in my class. Just by reading my site people can learn more about me than they would surely ever know through normal conversation with me. They also know a lot about my birds. And I guess that's the real purpose of my site... to make my life open to anyone who cares to look... because why not?

I have to be up for a 8:15 conference call with the US again tomorrow.

I'm glad you had a good time, and hopefully it was not too, ehrm, creepy for you. I think we all have a degree of self-conciousness going into these kinds of meetings. Meeting people you don't know who merely share a passing interest with you makes you feel a little sketchy. But, growth in social networks doesn't happen without risks right? And the internet and blogging is about connecting people.

"Much of web-logging seems to be, in part, a popularity contest, to see who gets linked to more, and who has the coolest link, etc."

I think popularity contests are natural. People want to feel special, gain recognition by their peers. It's all about getting the cool kids to like you, just like highschool. But there's more to blogging then just dating the prom queen. People advance their causes, provide technical information and support, express their feelings, and even collabroatively create new things together through blogs. Granted there may be popularity loops within these circles, but to gain fame is certainly not the point. Still, Egoblogging is out there.

As for me and the cool kids; my mom reads my blog. Maybe I should rename my blog 'Blog for my mommy and like three other people from Tokyo who may or may notread my crappy post once a week.com'. Mom, bless your heart though. You read my blog all the time, but damned if I can get you to explain to me what exactly a "weblog" is.

Not that I really thought you are creepy, or dorky (to an abnormal degree) I just like promoting myths and steriotypes, especially those that would apply to myself.

Relax, I understood the context it was said in. I was quoting you as a springboard to discussion. I wasn't trying to defend an imagined insult ;P

Being one of the dorks who showed up, I agreee, the whole concept is a bit creepy. But only a bit at first, or until the first round of beers is gone.
The problem, I think, is the meetup site itself, which tries hard to prevent any sort of direct communication between its members.
I've gone to a lot of 'User Group' meetings over the years and they have a distinct difference - you actually know a bit about the people who are coming, if not their face.
I really don't know why Meetup.com insists on insulating people from eachother, when the whole point seems to be about getting people together.
Still, I think the things are worth going to - I really agreed with your comment "how nice it feels to be face to face with someone who would be able to have a conversation relating to what I do everyday for my job." That's such a rare thing, especially for foreigners in Tokyo and worth taking a few risks for.

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