Has your motivation changed over time?
Not much. My energy level ebbs and flows, my design sense has been slowly
evolving, but I still approach each new page in the same way and for the
same reasons. The only significant change involves the family history
section, which has been growing steadily since I became a father. I have
always been motivated by the challenge of conveying interesting content in
an interesting way. But now I am also motivated by the challenge of
uncovering and preserving family history that might otherwise be lost. The
more I dabble in history and genealogy, the more I see how little survives
the march of time. My growing instinct is to resist that inevitable
tendency through my web pages.
How has it changed your life?
It's convinced me that I really can reach people through my words. It's
carried me to far-away places, like Ireland, and back in time as I research
my family tree. It's made me feel less impermanent. If I'm hit by a bus
tomorrow, at least some small part of me will remain.
Do your friends and family know you keep this site/read it? If so have you had any really negative experiences as a result? If not why?
Many friends and family members do know about the site and check in
periodically. I've not had any really negative experiences yet. I think
that's because I have made a conscious effort to keep my site light and
relatively inoffensive. I take more risks when writing my fiction, but
haven't posted any of that on the site. Yet.
How has your Web site benefited you? Your friends? Or total strangers?
It helped me land my current job and can sometime serve as a portfolio in
my professional work. I haven't received any direct money (I don't display
any ad banners), but I have received small dollops of fame - my pages have
appeared on TV and in a book. The letters I get keep my spirits up. And
my technical skills and design sense have improved.
Friends and relatives get a kick out of it; they clamor for more pictures of my daughter. Over 12000 people have visited my digital camera page and I've helped a lot of people with technical questions and purchase decisions. My webmaster resources page and the site itself have helped many people build sites of their own. School children across the country use my history pages in their homework assignments. The site contains valuable information for other genealogists. And from what I can tell, the site has provided solace or amusement for countless weary surfers.
If you had to do it over again from the beginning, what would you change?
Nothing. The site evolves in an organic way. When I see something that
needs changing, I change it. I like not knowing what new directions it
might grow in.
What are your favorite things on your site?
My Journey to Ireland and Flying Lesson pages are especially nice to look at. I am proud of the tribute I put up to my father. One small gem is the world m
ap which appears at the bottom of the visitors lists - little lights on the
map show where my visitors come from.
When looking at other people's Web sites what do you look for as a viewer?
I look for beauty and intelligence, for clean, efficient design and
well-crafted, witty, thought-provoking writing. I especially value
creativity, a look or stance that is genuinely different from anything else
on the web. A sense of playfulness is always nice - I don't like sites
that take themselves too seriously. The best sites let me catch a glimpse
of the world through someone else's eyes.
What is "one word" that would describe your site?
Thoughtful.
Because of your site do you consider yourself a Web celebrity, an exhibitionist, a public figure, a writer, an innovator, or something different?
A writer. My site makes me feel like a real writer with a small but loyal
audience.
