Main | Where is Old Orchard? »
April 14, 2005
What the heck is this?
So, I know what you are saying. "Steve, do you really need another website to worry about?" After all, I already have a blog over at SteveandAmySly.com. I already have a pretty active set of discussion forums at TannerWorld Junction. I already have a professional portfolio website. Not to mention some odd side projects. Oh, and I do have a real job keeping things running at Kidology.org. So what am I doing launching something new at Bounga.com?
The truth of the matter is that most of the above projects were experiments. Either with software platforms (vBulletin over in TannerWorld Junction), journalistic tests (personal weblogging), adding new ideas to an old process (integrating online elements into a wedding), or concepts in online interaction (pretty much any crazy contest or event from the forums). That's what I'm doing here.
The current buzz in both the online and offline world revolves around blogging. While Amy and I have been doing that for a few years with our makeshift publishing system on SteveandAmySly.com, I've never used a blog-specific tool. Interest in blogging has grown, whether it be with my employer, professional contacts, or friends. Many want to know about the ins-and-outs of this whole blogging thing. So, to familiarize myself with current online trends, I have installed Movable Type, a popular online publishing tool used often for weblogs and journals.
As is often the case with those who decide to start blogging, they often rant about their personal lives or comment about other items they see online. Eventually, they get bored with the concept and yet another publishing area is abandoned. Because guess what, it takes a lot of work to write! So as I was thinking about testing out this platform, I obviously needed something to write about. Something that wouldn't demand a lot of my time with daily updates, but something that would provide for frequent updates with unique content.
I decided to write about Old Orchard Shopping Center, a large open-air mall located in the Chicago suburbs. I was already writing about the center infrequently on SteveandAmySly.com with items such as Death at Old Orchard (12/19/03), Lights out at Illuminations (2/19/04), Photo Update (7/14/04), Photo Update (12/9/04), and well as covering nearby shopping centers. It was only natural to take this personal interest and adapt it to the content needs I have here.
Also, for those who don't know, I worked in the retail industry for a while, employed by an owner and manager of shopping centers across the country. Thus I have an established interest in this phenomena of American culture. Plus, given my interest in themed environments and how they relate to human experience, adapting to Old Orchard's outdoor, park-like setting made sense. Finally, Amy and I often spend our "date nights" at Old Orchard, so it's not like I'm going out of my way to visit.
So that's the plan. To discover more about Movable Type and how it relates to the world of online publishing while focusing content around a definable, updateable subject matter. Oh, and it finally gives me a reason to use that Bounga.com domain I've had sitting around for a while! :) This thing will be constantly evolving. We'll see what happens.
Thanks for reading!
- Steve
Posted by Tannerman at April 14, 2005 06:09 PM | Categories: Mall Info