Things Change

OK, so in my last post (some weeks ago now) I declared one of my reasons for blogging was to "offer objective opinions and information on my particular area of expertise, namely advanced technologies for manufacturing" and while I still hold to this as an aim, things change! I still love the additive technologies sector and I am still watching the industry and monitoring developments, a proportion of my ongoing work is with companies in the field. That said I have been somewhat taken aback in recent weeks at how much work I am doing outside of this domain. Not sure why really, because I have always maintained that good writing skills should comfortably be transferrable to any subject area.

What has been even more surprising to me though is how much I am enjoying it!

My Blogging Philosophy

So, I have created a blog — why?

Honest answer, I'm not sure really.

I have followed a number of blogs over the last year or so, some good and some not so good; and yes, certainly I do see a value attached them. As a channel for providing information / opinion on, well, pretty much anything really, they have a definite purpose.

I have also struggled with the concept, possibly taking it too seriously: do the blogs serve the user or the blogger? I do not have the answer yet.

By setting up this blog my motivations were varied, from the altruistic intention of offering objective opinions and information on my particular area of expertise, namely advanced technologies for manufacturing, together with the less philanthropic idea of utilising a popular media channel to increase my profile within this industry. Can those two things sit comfortably side by side?

There are also other questions that I do not yet have answers to, such as: who will read this? will anybody read this or am I just sitting here writing to myself? will they get anything from it?

Time will tell I guess — but I am an optimist so onwards and upwards.