Fitz Thiar: Thinking For The Impatient

Babies utter their first words to smiling faces, and the parental “oohs”, “aahs” and “omg honey, did you hear that?” of family.

Programmers typically type their first words of a new language (or even their very first programming language) by having the computer announce “Hello World” to the ether.

It’s an achievement rarely seen or recognised by anybody other than themselves, and is always accompanied by a satisfied little grin because “That worked!”.

This post is my “hello world”. It’s the first post on a new blog, and I know nobody will see it.

I’ve been “online” for more than three decades. I’ve watched computer brands, software platforms, social platforms and more rise and fall. I’ve been on them all. I’ve been on some that I’m pretty sure most of you never knew existed. I’ve even developed a few.

I’ve also been around the marketing block long enough to be more than a tad, not disillusioned, but, well, I’ve seen it all. So yes, disillusioned, I guess. I know when new ideas are simply old ideas with a new lick of paint, and are destined to fail, no matter how good looking the sugar-coated frosting is.

People don’t really change (as a group), so marketing never really changes. Sure, we can reach you faster today, but that doesn’t change the fundamentals.

My point is, I’m not naive enough to believe that anybody is going to read this post. Not unless some rabid fan or stalker decides to troll my archives in a decade (I can wish – it would mean I’m still kicking around).

The only people who have their “hello world” posts seen by significant numbers of readers are those who already have an audience. And then it’s not really “hello world” is it? It’s more: “I’m over there too! Look at me!”.

“If nobody is going to see it, then why are you writing it?”, I don’t hear you ask.

You’ve got to start somewhere, and writing this allows me to layout for you, dear reader, and for myself, what we can expect from this blog.

I’m old by the standards of internet influencers, and by the current generations who reply to me with “OK Boomer” when they’re too dumb or inexperienced to understand the wisdom I graciously bestowed upon them.

But I’m not really that “old”. I’m Gen X, and I have been around.

I’ve got literal decades of developing, designing, marketing and business experience to share with the universe, and I intend to do just that.

On this blog, I plan to opine daily whenever I feel like it. Sometimes it will be at length, sometimes merely a link or a quote. But this is where I will dump my thoughts about society, technology, culture, marketing, fandoms and the world at large.

It will be a judgment-free zone. There will be no fat shaming of my ideas or sermons.

I will also be writing longer, more structured (researched) pieces, that I will publish on substack as a newsletter. Those pieces will be reposted here a week or so later.

I may also release the longer pieces as a podcast, but that will come down the line. I need to build up a publishing cadence first before I go overextending my old self.

Be warned that I am not for everybody. I’m too old to care about your sensibilities, and I strongly believe that you do not have the right to be offended. If you disagree with me, bring receipts or you will be treated mercilessly.

Feelings aren’t facts, except when they support my arguments, and Shakespeare was correct. All the world is, in fact, a stage. It’s just that the play is shit, and the actors are inept.

I’m pretty sure we are all on the same page now, and you have at least an inkling of what to expect from this site and my writing. And more importantly, I do too!

If you are still reading this, perhaps in an attempt to prove me wrong, or are the rabid stalker from the future… I love you. Wisdom comes from pain, and I wish I hurt a lot less.

Learn from my mistakes. There have been, and will be plenty.

20 GOTO 10.