Interesting confluence of events lately that has made me think a bit and also choose to share that thinking here.
I've been receiving a number of emails from an anonymous reader (don't know why he/she chooses not to leave a comment) lately who seems to have this blog's best interests at heart. He/she is concerned that:
- I haven't jumped on the video review bandwagon like some of the other Tablet PC bloggers and I'm falling behind.
- I haven't posted much original Tablet PC content lately, instead most of the Tablet PC and UMPC posts have been linking to other content from other bloggers.
- Wicked Stage has far too much political, cultural, and social commentary for his/her liking.
Fair enough. He/she is correct on the first two points and he/she is certainly entitled to his/her opinion on the third.
I also have a number of folks who choose to come here for news on Wayside Theatre and tell me they are disappointed when they don't seen new material about that topic. Again, those thoughts come mostly through email and not through comments.
This morning James Governor posted a comment regarding the post about Dancing Monkeys saying that he was thinking of pruning back on his RSS feeds and weeding out a Tablet PC blog or two, but the Dancing Monkeys post reminded him of why he subscribed in the first place, so I avoided his pruning shears. Cool.
So, in case you are new here or an old-timer who thinks things might be a bit funky, let me state (or rather re-state) a few things and offer a few new thoughts.
If you're wondering where this blog will take you, I hope you read the slug line in the header. Yeah, it's a bit vague perhaps, but I think it fits what you find here in the general sense. Although no one has expressed any concern about the lack of Emu sightings. If you need more of a thesis statement as to what you'll find here, check out the About Page link. (For the lazy here's the key passage:)
I choose to write about and share the things I enjoy. Tablet PCs and my life in the theatre. You'll also find things that amuse me, things that astound me, and occasionally things that tick me off in the occasional post here.
In many ways I think that sums things up nicely. But I acknowledge that folks come here for different reasons and I hope that they enjoy the scope as well as the specific attraction.
But to my prolific anonymous emailer and others who may be wondering, let me address his/her points.
No, I haven't jumped on the video bandwagon here on Wicked Stage for a couple of reasons. Not only are Rob and Dennis, jk, Craig, Hugo, and others who are pioneering the approach, doing an excellent job but there's a business reason why I haven't done much of that here to date. I have to be careful here because I'm under NDA on this project. Suffice it to say that if you purchase a certain line of Tablet PCs in the future and choose to buy an optional video instruction disc from the OEM, you'll see more of my video talents than you could ever want to in one place. There's a non-competition factor involved with that NDA.
Original Tablet PC content has indeed been down here of late as has Wayside Theatre content. Part of that is a busy schedule, and again part of that is a very hectic bit of activity going on behind the scenes at Wicked Stage and Wayside Theatre.
We've just recently launched a blog for our Wayside Theatre employees (sorry it is restricted to our employees only) that serves as a communication hub for current and new employees and as we begin our 45th Season and begin planning for our 50th we are hoping that blog will turn into a reconnection point for past employees and alumni.
We are also busy putting together a blog that we will launch this summer for our Wayside Theatre subscribers as an adjunct to our website. We plan to make this at first simply a behind the scenes look at life here as a benefit for our subscribers and then perhaps turn it into a more universal marketing tool. We've got quite a few Wayside Theatre bloggers out there and we hope to take advantage of that in a positive way.
Both of these efforts have eaten up quiet a bit of my "original content" blogging time for both Wayside Theatre and Tablet PCs. I'm sorry to say the fruits of those labors won't be publicly shared, but hey that's life and business.
Let me also address a tone that seemed to run through the anonymous emails and that I'm sniffing in some recent blog posts covering the Tablet/UMPC scape. That tone sounds a song about a competition factor. Sure it is fun to be first with the news, or a review of a new product. But, speaking for myself, and I think many of the bloggers I know and admire who cover the Tablet/UMPC scape, it is merely fun and not a knock-down drag out competition battle as to who got there first. In fact, I think the community is a very sharing and supportive one. By and large folks are equally thrilled when someone comes up with a new idea, review, or thought, as they would be if they came up with it themselves.
That spirit, if you will, is an extension in part from a similar spirit that existed (and largely still does) from a place where many in the Tablet PC/UMPC blogging community cut their teeth, Tablet PC Buzz. Personally, that spirit and sense of community is one of the things that keeps me hanging around and doing the evangelizing I do. So, whether I am creating gigabytes of Tablet PC original content or not, I'll always be sharing links to those who do the same and applauding their efforts. I'll also be kicking out my opinions when I disagree, as do others, but I think the mutual shared sense of respect that we seem to have for each other, and the particular technology we cover, drives a healthy and supportive competition and thirst, not a negative one. I, for one, hope it never evolves into that.
And as to more Wicked Stage "original Tablet PC" content, I think in the weeks and months ahead you'll see more here. I've dropped a few hints in recent posts, and I'll be dropping a few more as the days and weeks go on. But I think you'll like some of the things to come.
Of course not everyone will be happy with everything I blog and I'm certainly not aiming for that. Especially since this really is, for the moment, a labor of love. Remember, you get opinions here, and even linking is a form of opinion sharing. But I would hope those who disagree with an opinion feel free to leave a comment and continue the conversation. While I respect the right for you to send an email instead, discussions are what blogging is all about. I believe blogs are evolutionary and intelligently designed (that covers both camps, whew!) and comments help things continue to evolve.
Now, if those damn emus would only rear their heads again.
