Happy Belated Birthday : I HAS PC turns(ed) 10

Well, this is awkward. I forgot my own Blog Anniversary day. (Blog Birthday? Blogiversary? Whatevs…). August 27, 2008 I wrote my first post. It was short. Here is the full content to save you the link clicking.

We are all Experts! (notice the clever use of capitalization for emphasis). Surely we all are, are we not? We have blogs and a voice to share our “expert” (notice clever use of quotations) knowledge and profound experiences!

I have always been interested in blogging yet never really motivated. I scour message boards and blogs – a fervent fan – but never an author.  Something about having a single place to share personal opinions, instead of having to post all over the place, is attractive. Wondering if anyone will actually read the posts, is terrifying. I refused to read any guides or posts on how to start your own blog taking my preferred approach of jumping right in. Feet first mind you, as I am still not quite sure how deep the pool is in this end.

I HAS PC – Silly name, I know. Part of it is a play on how internet society has shaped our own language, the jokes between gamers and PC enthusiasts (all ur base are belong to us – anyone? Bueller?) but the truth is, I do have a PC, and I am an avid gamer. Currently I am entrenched in MMO’s and FPS’s. Fortunately for me, I have been in many a beta test since the late 1990’s and have enjoyed an insider view on game development. A lot of what I post here will surround the games I am involved in, the groups and organizations that are built around those same games, and the friends (and enemies) that post their opinions about both. Add in a dash of general interest topics, life as a gamer with family, professional, and child raising responsibilites (and funnies when they pop up now and again – who can live without the funnies?) – and we should have a fun little rounded blog here.

We all consider our own opinions important. Heck, it is one of the few things we have that that isn’t taxed (regularly) by the government. We have an abundance of them, an endless resupply, and many outlets to distribute them. Opinions are a chicken-or-the-egg conundrum. Do our opinions shape who we are, or is it who we are that forms our opinions? Regardless, I encourage everyone to add theirs on topics brought up. One thing I have learned, is that I have grown the most from other people who enjoy discussion and have opinions very different from mine.

The look and feel of the site will evolve as I figure it out. Special thanks to GTB for setting up the initial stage for me. Comments on the look and feel are very much welcome.

Well, there we go. First post done, and in the books.

I suppose I should buy myself flowers, or a new SSD, or something, since it is supposed to be tin or aluminum (are SSDs made of either of those?). As always, I credit Kill Ten Rats for me starting to blog as I was jamming up their comments section back then with so many thoughts and opinions. I still half expect them to apologise for that to the community at large at some point.

Last year I made fun of the fact that nine years isn’t a big deal, but ten – the big decade – definitely is. I am not so sure that I feel that way still. Moreso happy to be alive I think. Both in a human, literal sense and also from a “I write stuff and some people read it – still” sense. I’m lucky to have a platform and a voice and it is something I have managed to balance the enjoyment of, and the quasi responsibility, for.

I still use too many commas. It’s my calling card I think.

Some years, on this day, I reflect if I still do enjoy it and if I should continue to write. I had taken extended breaks in the past. I don’t really feel like I am ready to be done here, despite the less than cutting edge coverage I provide, and the same, comforting games I fall back into frequently. Back when I started I felt like I had so much to say about gaming, the industry, how things should be. Now I just write on what my whims are, and am just happy to be part of a strange, mostly anonymous community that still gives that comforting feeling of belonging.  Truth be told if options presented themselves I’d love a meet and greet to share stories in person, or at bare minimum, beer, but with life as busy as it is I will settle for comments, replies to comments, “likes”, and the like. It works.

Thank you for being a small but important part of my world here. It means more than you know.

Chris / Isey