mschindler.com

Serving Brain Food Since 1998

As the new tagline says, this site has been serving content since 1998. I don’t know the exact birthday because much of it existed as static content served by the ISP I was with at the time. You could say I was one of the original bloggers. This was long before tools like Wordpress or Facebook existed. Much of the content I wrote back then focused on keeping in touch with folks back home while my wife and I explored life down South. We found work, got a little tanner, adopted a black cat named Max, and even stayed long enough to develop a peculiar sounding drawl.

Much of that early content was lost (I don’t remember how, but let’s just say it was during a hurricane evacuation, because that really did happen). Anyway, I really can’t say the loss of those writings was such a terrible blow to culture as we know it today. But in my heart, I’ll always remember how it started. I spent a lot of time working on a portfolio site, which I still can’t find the courage to take down, despite its tarnished age. Back then I taught myself HTML through endless tinkering, trial and error, and more than a little time at my day job reading the paper print outs I’d made of Jeffrey Zeldman’s site (back then, he was calling himself Dr. Web, but if you called him that now, he’d probably think you were throwing down for a fight).

Nothing but love, Jeffrey.

So that’s where it all began. And I’ve re-designed the site today to celebrate the longevity of this experience. It has been something to watch–even for myself. And I look forward to sharing more content with you as I continually evolve and hopefully mature into the next phase of my existence.

Heya Mike! Nice new site layout! =:) Like you, I was blogging before blogging existed, although the earliest post I still have around is only from 2000, so I’ll concede bragging rights to you on that point. =:P

So, one thing that I’ve found has really shaped and affected my endeavors has been fatherhood. I’m curious, now that you’re a seasoned pro =;P, if you’ve found the same thing to be true and how it’s affected the things you value, your personal advancement, the direction of your career, etc., etc. =:)

Hope you guys are doing really well way down there in HBG!! =:) Still miss ya and still miss the uproarious laughter we all shared on the basketball courts. =:)

Wow, 1998 was still during my Geocities years. I had writing on the old Geocities pages, just static html that I would never claim to be blogging. Blogging began for me in 2001. Love the redesign.

Hey, thanks guys.

Jason, to answer your question concerning fatherhood (on Father’s Day, no less), you know that being a father shapes just about all of your decisions and values. In a way, I’ve found some of my life decisions easier because of it (even if they haven’t been right). And that’s because there’s always a consistent value to consider above my own needs and wants. For better or worse, that can be liberating because the “right” thing becomes more objective by nature and less focused on a self-involved outcome.