What Happened to You, Maniaca?

4 comments (closed), posted on september 13, 2005, tags: announcement, site

I've wanted to write here so many times in the past month or so, but I just haven't had it in me. It's not that I don't like writing—in fact, the new project I'm getting ready to launch is all about writing. I love writing. The problem is, I'm finding I have a lot less to say to the audience this site has. Way, way, way back in the day, this site was a place where I wrote semi-offensive, often funny things. Stories, short plays, rants, et cetera (hell, even poems), but over time, this place turned into mostly a site about technology and the internet. I love those things too, but so do forty bajillion other people who all have weblogs, 99% of whom are better writers.

Therefore, I find myself in a bit of a pickle.

I love this site, and I don't want to end it. But, at the same time, I don't think I can successfully run it the way it has been for the last few years. I just don't have enough compelling stuff to say about technology any more. It's mostly "I love this," and "I hate that." You don't really need to hear that. Don't get me wrong—no matter how I try to avoid it, technology and the web remain endlessly interesting to me and I will always sneak in commentary on the subject here and there.

But, for the most part, I think this site is going to go back to its roots a little. With the launch of my new project, and with a return to more fiction, this place will change. I hope you'll all stick around.

Maniacal Rage Gets a Tan

28 comments (closed), posted on july 1, 2005, tags: announcement, design, site

Well, here it is. The new and (hopefully) improved Maniacal Rage. I had hoped to have it ready when I announced my joining the 9rules network, but it wasn't quite ready. It's still technically not finished, in that the "USDA Approved" seal is really just a place-holder for something else in that area that I haven't finished yet. I dubbed this version "tan" in development (the previous version was "dark"), and I've really been enjoying the lighter look of it the past few days as I finished it up.

The most important thing about this version is the beefed up quick search, which now appears on every page and searches smarter, faster, and includes the see also links. Now you should be able to find just about anything on this site faster and easier than ever before. I also cut out as much of the useless meta content I could (all that crap in the sidebar was just too much) and simplified nearly everything. It feels a lot lighter (both visually and in your hand) and I hope you like it.

I've also changed from categories to tags, and I've included a fun tag "cloud" on the archives page. If you've been to Flickr or any other big site recently, you'll be used to this sort of thing. I really like the idea so I finally incorporated it.

There are a few things left to do, most of which won't be finished until next week. They include ajax comment posting, fixing the RSS/Atom feeds for tags archives, and some other little things here and there. In the mean time, look around the new site and tell me what you think.

9rules

3 comments (closed), posted on june 28, 2005, tags: 9rules, announcement, site

I've joined the 9rules network.

A month ago, when I was talking to Colin about 9rules, I was curious why anyone would want to create a network of weblogs. And, even more important, why would anyone want to join? I assumed it must have been about making money or world domination. But I watched the network over the last month and as they added some really great sites I started to realize what it was actually about: great content. A lot of great content.

That there is actually a cohesive network system in place (e.g. the 9rules website) is almost unimportant. What 9rules is, as far as I'm concerned, is just a formal way of linking to other people you find worth reading. It's a guide, if you will, to a group of great sites full of great content. And, in the 9rules network, content is king.

So I joined.

One extra benefit of joining for me is finally getting to meet Garrett Dimon who is, as far as I'm concerned, my internet doppelganger (although, based on his popularity, I'm definitely his). In the past few months, I've run across more and more instances of people talking about how great this guy Garrett is. Things like, "Garrett is great!" and "Yeah, wow, what a great guy that Garrett is," and "I'm in love with and want to marry Garrett." At first I assumed they were all talking about me. But they weren't—they were talking about Garrett Dimon. Now that we're both in the 9rules network, I'm pretty sure everyone will love me as much as they love him. I mean, for the love of god—two Garretts? This was truly meant to be.