In case you hadn't noticed, things are looking a little different around here today! Depending on how long you've followed this blog, you may have seen me say something to that effect on several different occasions, but for 2017 the difference runs far more than skin deep. In fact, the site design hasn't really changed much at all. This year, much, much bigger things are happening.
First, say hello to a new format!
I'll own up to it: in the past I said that ThinkBoxly was a tech news portal and that would never change. Well, never say never. Starting today, ThinkBoxly has been converted into my personal developer blog, and all pre-2017 content has been migrated into the archives. You can still read it all, and it won't be going anywhere--not only so I can say I technically kept my promise, but because this site is now a record of my journey, and all the tech articles are completely a part of that.
Second, this now being a developer blog—you guessed it—I'm developing something!
Lots of things, in fact! And I've been working on them all behind-the-scenes for a very long time. Edge Engine is just the start, and from now on I look forward to being more up-front with updates and announcements on all my projects. I'm currently in the long transition process to creating an independent career for myself doing the things I love, and this devblog will be my place to share where all of that is going and what you can expect to see come out of my efforts. I've been a storyteller at heart for as long as I can remember, and the opportunity to create stories of my own for others to experience is the sort of passion that gets me out of bed every morning.
Third, social media is getting a new focus. On Twitter, specifically.
Since the early days, ThinkBoxly has been available on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook. For 2017, that sort of divided attention will no longer do. Social media isn't just about posts and getting content out there, it's about communities, and for me, building and keeping up with three communities is just too much to do any of them justice. As such, Google+ and Facebook will be going away (at least for the foreseeable future) and I'll be focusing all of my energy on Twitter instead. No more RSS auto-posts—what you see there will be directly from me, specifically for you. Please follow and interact with me there!
Fourth, content around here is about to get a lot more personal.
That means a different style of writing, more interaction with me as a person, and more. For example, at the start of 2015 I developed a (non-cancerous) growth on my large intestine which had to be surgically removed and has since left me with several permanent health complications. While I do not intend for this to be a focal point of my updates, because it is an aspect of my life that affects everything I do it is bound to affect my work at some point or another. In being transparent about these physical challenges I hope to not only provide explanation for why some things might not get done on-schedule but also to prove to others in similar situations that no matter the challenges life throws at you, you can still accomplish big things.
2017 is not going to be an easy year, but as a firm believer in good, hard work it is a year I look forward to facing head-on. I'll have more news for you soon, and I can't wait to share where the year is going!
