Hello World...

For someone who has been involved in the computer industry since the early 80's it sure has taken me a long time to get around to getting a blog. I've worked with large mainframes and Unix computers throughout the 80's and then transitioned to PC and server support roles in the 90's.

I recall "blogging" in the early days of the Internet using old technologies such as BBS, Telnet, Usenet, FTP, Lynx or Gopher. My how times have changed.

Going back to an earlier time I remember my dad asking me as a young teen what I would like for a birthday present. I had just spent a summer at university as a 15 year old in 1977 getting to know the campus and the computer science program. I was able to experience working with a Digital PDP 10/11 mini-computer coupled to an Evans and Sutherland Picture System 1 (the first 3D graphics display). I was blown away by the 3D wireframe graphics and figured that I had to get me one of these behemoths someday.

I was torn between getting a new computer (this was pre-DOS and pre-PC days) or getting my first electric guitar. I chose the guitar...I seem to recall...because I suspected the computers of the day weren't fast enough for my lacking (and I didn't have $5M to afford the one I wanted). I also figured that computers would probably get smaller and cheaper. So, the guitar it was.

I've never looked back as I have since been able to pursue my original two passions (music and computers). Music fills my personal life while computers and software occupy most of my professional life. Who knows what could have happened if I had selected a computers back in '77 instead of a guitar. I might have even beaten Bill Gates and Steve Jobs to the punch as I was convinced as a young teenager that visual interfaces and 3D interaction was the way to go.

What I find very cool is the convergence happening in almost every field of endeavour. For example, my music passion has converged on my PC where I know have access to the equivalent of a million dollar recording studio (ProTools) and can reach 500,000+ artists and millions of listeners via my ReverbNation site.

As convergence continues to happen in other areas of our lives, I am interested in how we will interact as social creatures in the coming years and decades. Personally, I find text-based interaction a crude method to connect with others while keeping a safe distance (imagine going back to web-browsing via the text-based Lynx web browser). The further we distance ourselves from each in our little suburban safe-havens the more we seem to crave social outlets.

I think that is a key reason why coffee shops succeed and aging baby boomers feel compelled to connect with each other through various means, such as joining rock bands. Staying in one's cocoon is not healthy so I've decide to look for ways to balance the high-tech life with high-touch. I will need to force myself to start reading again (I love sci-fi) and, hopefully, orm a band to recapture the magic that happens with like-minded musicians jamming in a garage or performing on stage. There's nothing quite like those special moments that happen with the interplay between musicians where we can live in the moment or take chances without a safety net. Rock on!

I guess I could sum up my first blog post by saying all I ever needed to know I learned from being in a rock band. Which, coincidentally, led me to this blog when I searched for that phrase. ;-)

Cheers,
Brad