Having fun
What I am thinking about:
Today I revisited an old website that I last visited probably several years ago. This site is Ken Rockwell’s. (If you’re interested in cameras and related gear, this site will be of interest to you.) What impresses me however, is the fact that he’s been working on his website since 1999:
“I started this website as a goof in 1999. Back then it took forever to download an emailed scan of a photo, and longer than forever if there were a few photos. This website was an easier way to share recent photos with my immediate freinds than trying to send a bunch of emails.”
This means he has been working at this website for 25+ years now. And it appears like he is having fun. This having fun part is what I’ve been thinking about. He goes on to say:
“I continue to do this site all by myself for fun — probably the last remaining 1990’s for-fun website that hasn’t sold out to other interests. Even though it has become popular, presumably because so many people find it helpful, it is still run just for fun. I am this site’s only author. I have no one to proofread, spell check or fact check for me, so there will always be errors and omissions.”
“…all by myself for fun…” and he makes a living doing it. When you read his reviews or descriptions under his photographs, they seem like unconcerned expressions of what others think about his work. He is having fun. Further down in his old about section, he continues:
“I’ve been adding to this site since 1999. This means that many of these pages, including this one, are over ten years old. I can’t possibly go back and update everything magically as the world turns. Read, enjoy, have fun, and take everything in the spirit in which it’s shared.”
This carefree way of documenting his work and sharing something that contributes to other people’s lives, all while having fun, this sort of work seems highly attractive to me. This is what I would like this site to be for me.
I’ve thought about creating a page on this website for book reviews. Quite a few years ago, I dabbled with book reviews on an old Wordpress site I started. While I enjoyed the process of reviewing books then, it doesn’t feel like quite the right fit now. Perhaps a better fit for me now is to simply share what thoughts those books provoke instead of actually reviewing the book in a formal fashion. After all, if I (or you) am having fun, chances are I will continue the project in a much more sustained fashion. For 25+ years? Who knows? Time will tell.
What I am reading right now:
Company of One
So far, this has been a thought provoking read. It has challenged the notion that our business needs to grow to be sustainable. Better, yes. But not necessarily bigger. Focusing on quality and customer service are hallmarks of an excellent Company of One. This is a book I return to frequently in my mind while at the office.