This blog has been discontinued and you can read more about it in this post.

The idea of starting another blog seems daunting especially when I try to write for this one on a daily basis. But to say that I enjoy writing is a bit of an understatement.

The other caveat is that I try to be pretty focused on the type of material that I write about on this site. I’ve made some mistakes with this blog, sure, and I’m working on rectifying that especially over this next month.

Several things have come from this blog, though. For example, I get tweets, emails, and other forms of [sometimes creepy but maybe just kidding] messages about how I run my business, how I manage my time, what applications, sites, services, and so on that I recommend.

All of those topics are fun to talk about, but they don’t fit in with the whole idea of “a perspective on professional WordPress development.”

So what am I supposed to do when there’s more that I’d like to write about but don’t have a place to do it?

Yes, Another Blog

At the very beginning of the month, I launched a new property complete with the obligatory welcome post.

Another Blog: Hey, I'm Tom

The point of the first post is simple:

  • Acknowledge that there’s “Nothing much here. At least not yet. Let’s see where this goes.”
  • Discuss what I plan to talk about (and how frequently I plan to blog).
  • Share why I’ve disabled comments (a crazy idea, I know).
  • And share some ideas what I plan to do with it.

If you opt not to read the post, that’s fine. The bottom line of the first post explains:

People [are] interested in how work gets done.

That isn’t to say there’s anything unique about the way I work versus the way you work nor is there anything better (or worse) about the way I work versus the way you work.

And:

The point is this is not meant to be a catch-all blog, and it’s not meant to be anything more special than the array of blogs that already exist.

Instead, it’s meant to be a way for me to share a response to emails, comments, tweets, and other questions I receive for which I have no other outlet.

Straightforward enough, right? I hope, at least.

About That Whole “Comment Thing.”

One of the most time-consuming aspects of running a blog is responding to comments. This is not to be confused with nor mutually exclusive to the fact that comments make blogging less fun.

But I know that when a blog first starts, there are very few comments that come with it. On this site alone, I don’t often get comments on some posts.

And that’s okay – that’s not my goal.

When a site first starts, the likelihood of garnering an audience and thus any comments is pretty small. So I don’t want to start off with a handful of posts with no comments. First, I’d rather see if there is an interest. I’d also like to see if it gains traction and if people feel so inclined to participate in comments.

If enough people show interest, then I am more than happy to open comments to begin discussions on each post.

Simple.

What’s in a Name?

I’m terrible at naming things. It’s why this site uses my actual name. It’s why this new site still uses my name.

But one thing that I’ve found is for each presentation, talk, or podcast I give I often begin by saying “Hey, I’m Tom.”

I’m plain. Wait. No. What is it the kids say these days? Oh yeah – I’m basic.

Regardless, it was the first thing that came to mind, so I checked to see if the domain was available. It was so I bought it.

The byline, though, has a little more purpose behind it. For more information on that, you’ll have to check out the post.

Respond, Subscribe, and All the Fun Stuff

That said, the comments are open below so I’d dig hearing your feedback. Furthermore, feel free to subscribe to the new blog.

There are no social accounts, Twitter feed, Instagram, Snapchat, or any of that for the site. It’s just a blog. You can chat with me through the usual channels (which is usually email and Twitter). And then we’ll go from there.

Finally, I do want to say thanks to a couple of friends or helped me vet this idea (even if indirectly so). I’ve seen Chris Lema start his leadership blog, Tonya Mork start her blog, Syed Balkhi run his blog outside of Awesome Motive, and I enjoy seeing what the rest of you have to write on your blogs.

So there you go. If you’re still reading this and have no idea who I am, then check out the new site.