Motives

I've been blogging for a couple of weeks now, and one of my wisest friends has pointed out I haven't really explained why I'm doing it in the first place. So here's an attempt to address that.

The lack of explanation to begin with was purely because I wasn't quite sure myself. I guess it was something I felt I should do - and it would be a good way to collect my own thoughts on web-related stuff.

As I explained in one of the first posts, we were on the verge of launching our new site, and also creating a team to work out how to manage a multimedia newsroom, so I had started reading a lot of online journalism blogs (which reminds me, must update my blogroll). So, the timing seemed right.

I'm not a particularly deep or original thinker, so I know what will make this worth reading will be the tales I can tell from the coalface. So, while wanting to tread carefully, I also want to be as frank as possible about how and why we are adapting to the brave new world of online. Otherwise, what's the point?

I'm also hoping it will help explain to any of my colleagues reading this why I'm so passionate about online. In a busy newsroom, there's not much time for reflection and discussion (and yes, we should make more time for that). Which brings me full-circle to one of the original reasons for starting the blog - collecting my thoughts.

The blog is advertised as charting my online learning curve. I'm very aware it's in its infancy, but hopefully this will let me back and see how far I - and more importantly, the Advertiser - has come since I started. And then it will be worth it.

Anyway, that's enough navel gazing for one night. It's been one of those days. My wise friend Maria also said I should be joining in the discussion. So in future, I promise more of that, and less of this. Goodnight.