I was a little slow to pick up on the blogging thing. I have been writing in this particular forum for less than six months. Prior to that, I had a taste of blogging, through my connections with various friends on the LiveJournal site. Creating an ID at first just to post non-anonymous comments to friends’ blogs, I eventually started using the site as a podium for my occasionally funny and/or provocative observations on the world. It was nice to have a place to put humorous or sarcastic writing, where I knew I didn’t really have to own up to it. It’s just a LiveJournal ID, after all.

When I decided to start a technical blog, it was mainly because I wanted an outlet to share the results of my curiosity about the Mac. I’ve also learned a few things over the years, and a lot of the tricks and techniques might be put to even better use inside the minds of other people. It was clear to me, however, that my small but loyal group of LiveJournal readers was going to be utterly disappointed by a post like “Nerd Out with GDB” (my first entry on this site). Likewise, a Mac developer might think twice about subscribing to this blog if their first encounter with the site was reading about my foul-mouthed tuxedo tailor, or the fact that a highly esteemed restaurant in San Francisco has a name that is phonetically profane when read backwards.

I know some blogs try to get away with the “rounded personality” thing, but I’m just not into it. If I like your blog because you post really insightful things about programming or using the Mac, I am probably not that interested in hearing about your breakup with your girlfriend, or that you think you’re getting fat, or how the test at the proctologist turned out. I’m not even interested in reading that kind of crap from my close friends’ blogs! A lack of focus on a blog is a real killer for me. Some smart Mac users out there have blogs where half the postings are about the Mac, and half of the postings are about what CD they just bought, or something I don’t care about. I don’t subscribe to many blogs like that.

So I went the “split personality” route. I assume anybody who reads Red Sweater Blog does so because they’re interested in the aspect of my life that directly relates to using and programming computers. The downside to this decision is it presents a completely one-sided view of who I am. Sure, I’m a complicated person! Believe it! From time to time I try to inject a little more personality into my technical postings, occasionally going so far as to include something barely qualified for the blog like “Kool and the Nano Gang” (happily republished in the November 2005 About This Particular Macintosh). But mostly I just accept the fact that I’m going to be the “boring programmer” to this part of the universe. Heck, it’s my software business, so a certain lack of flair is probably appropriate!

Which is why it came as a surprise when Tim Gaden, whose prolific writings about Mail.app appear in his blog Hawk Wings, and who knows me purely through this “technical side” of my personality, sent me an email with the following question:

I nearly fell out of my chair with a mix of surprise and laughter. They’ve broken the code! Not that it’s too difficult to make this connection, but it doesn’t fall in your lap. My latest ego-googling on my own name reveals this funny truth about me in the first page of results. Still, I was wearing my “programmer hat” when this email came in, so I felt a little culturally displaced responding to this question. Umm, yes. Well, I suppose I am, aren’t I? Of course I am! Apparently one of Tim’s readers is an avid Trekkie and had recognized my name on Tim’s blog and made the connection.

The incident was amusing and reminded me that I’m a little jealous of the people who have their complete personality blogs on display for all to see. Thoughts on the world. Favorite music. Cool programming tricks. Last bowel movement. Etc. All wrapped up in a tidy, customized home page. When you come to Red Sweater Blog, all you get is “nerd this” and “nerd that.” And while the momentary jealousy did prompt me to write this entry, and to make an effort in the future to bring at least a bit more of “Daniel Jalkut: Cultural Superhero” to the blogging table, you’ll be happy to know that I will not be posting any updates from or relating to the restroom or devices contained therein. For that, you’ll have to find your way to my other blog.

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