New Blog, New Rules

02 Jan 2025

It’s only a few days into 2025, and I’m starting to blog again. I’ve been preparing for a little while now to launch this blog, getting hosting set up, trying out different site generators, and assembling some initial version of a design. But today is going to be Stray Thought’s official birthday.

I’m starting with a handful of goals and guidelines for this blog. I may revisit them, but I’ll be deliberate about making changes.

Goals

Seasons of Intentional Activity

I have tremendous respect for people who blog continuously for years on end. But I know from experience that writing regularly can become a grind, and I know that I experience seasons in my life. Certain times lend themselves to activity and creation, and others lend themselves to rest and renewal.

To get this blog started, I plan to write at least one substantial piece each week through the end of May, then take a break. The break may take the form of a complete hiatus, or I may just post less frequently or regularly for a while. When I’m ready to pick up another season, I’ll share my plans.

Broad Subject Matter

One piece of advice I see for people starting to post content online is to pick a lane and stick with it. This makes sense: you can build an audience more reliably if that audience knows ahead of time what kind of material they’re going to see. However, I don’t have a singular topic I want to focus on. So, I’m choosing a different path.

You can expect me to cover topics I think about a lot, like technology, how groups of people work together, and how games work from the perspectives of both the player and the designer. I will almost certainly also write about things I know less about as a way to work through my thoughts. All I ask is that if I stray from subject matter you’re interested in, don’t give up. I won’t stay away for long.

Value for the Reader

Beyond just covering a breadth of topics, I aim to bring something worthwhile to each one. There may never have been more media options than there are right now, for better or worse. I respect the fact that anyone who bothers to read what I write is forgoing a plethora of alternatives. In return, I will do my best to bring something meaningful—new information, a source you may not have seen, or at least my own perspective—to everything I discuss here.

Guidelines

Thoughtfulness Over Timeliness

It’s going to be impossible for this blog not to touch on contemporary issues and events. But I don’t intend to write rapidly or responsively enough to be a source for news. The online information environment has evolved an expectation that everyone comment on everything. I want to be clear from the start that I will not participate in this, and this blog’s lack of commentary on any topic does not mean that I lack an opinion.

Communication Over Comments

There are no comments on this blog. That is not an oversight. Online communication has been shaped historically by what’s easy to build, not by what encourages healthy communities, genuine relationships, or a constructive exchange of ideas. Communities that have grown up around message boards and comment threads require extensive moderation to be even somewhat functional, and even then, I find them poor substitutes for real human interaction. If I write something that really touches you, feel free to reach out. Better yet, write about it in your own damn blog and let me know.

Creativity Over Slop

Any project like this kicking off in the year 2025 is going to have to reckon with “generative AI.” Here’s where I stand: I am the author of all content here that’s not attributed to someone else. I don’t use LLMs to write for me or do my research. I don’t use text-to-image or text-to-video systems to create graphics. I am experimenting with using LLMs as writing aids, in particular for proofreading and editing. I may also use image editing tools that include AI functionality.

I think the best way to sum up my approach is that I am open to using tools that allow me to express myself authentically, and I am opposed to putting more autogenerated slop into the world.

What Comes Next

I’m starting this blog with clear intentions, and I’m laying them out here to prepare both myself and my readers. But worthwhile projects tend to evolve over time. These goals and guidelines should be foundations, not constraints. If I find myself moving in a new direction—and I probably will—I’ll take the time to explain what’s changing and why. Consider this a commitment to transparency rather than a guarantee that I’ll never change course.