Why I´m Relaunching My Blog
Nowadays, you need to have your own online space. Social media is great, but it’s even better to have a space that you own and control. It’s all a part of creating your brand – or to put it in older terms, boosting your reputation.
It took some coaching to figure out what my blogging goals were. Originally, I wanted to focus not only on how-to guides, but also on the use of tech in the developing world. That´s a big reason why I picked the name of my blog. But at the same time, I wanted to focus more on the human side of technology. I was fascinated by the articles I read about mobile banking in Kenya. It was part of my fixation on the human side of technology; this was an example of people adapting technology in unforeseen ways. However, I ended up abandoning the focus on the developing world. It’s not my field of expertise, so I decided to leave it up to people much more qualified than me. Trying to bring myself up to speed on this topic caused me endless delays. I was so far behind that my blog stagnated. I ended up with a blog that had more saved drafts than public posts.
So, I decided that my focus should always be on humanity’s relationship with technology.
We can talk all day about the tech specs of a new tablet or phone, but will that tablet or phone actually work for the average user? After all, technology is not an end unto itself; it serves people. People are the driving force behind what the tech industry does. If a device does a poor job at serving us (for example, the infamous Motorola ROKR phone), then it’s fundamentally worthless, no matter how many work hours or how much money was put into it. It doesn’t deserve to exist.
But even when tech does work, we must consider the unintended consequences. Yes, the cameras on our phones improve every year, but when we store our photos online, are they safe?
This is now the focus of my blog. Not only tutorials, but I want to talk about the effects technology has on our lives. I want to explore ethical dilemmas involving the internet.
I decided to join the Ultimate Blog Challenge to get myself going. If you’d also like to join the challenge, it’s not too late. Just sign up on their website, then join their Facebook group. This month I’m relaunching Tech Trade Route. From now on, you’ll be seeing a lot more activity.
- Book review – every month, I’ll review a book related to IT, whether it’s about an inventor, a company, or a device.
- Posts about the ethics of technology – to quote Anil Dash, “[making] tech more ethical and humane.” Hate speech, harassment, and privacy issues, and more.
- Tutorials – because it wouldn’t be a tech blog without at least one how-to guide.
I look forward to sharing more content and connecting with new people. You can follow me on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
