Why This Blog?

I've never come across a PhD blog before, but this is the internet, after all, which has "everything" on it and so I can state with 100% confidence that there are in fact countless other blogs similar to this one, which in some (dis)organized way tracks one's progress through the PhD process.

I've noticed more recently that my topic (currently) comes up more often in random conversations with others. This is likely due to the fact that I'm bringing it up more often but what I don't do often enough is record their responses, ideas, criticisms, etc. in any one consistent location or way. Furthermore, I don't always discipline myself enough to write down ideas I have when I'm away from the computer or even at home so this will hopefully facilitate that process and increase the chances that something of value will be written down (and thus remembered). If anything it will provide another platform to hold ideas and some feedback.

I'm planning on recording what I read and study, as a type of real-time bibliography that will prove useful (I hope) later on during the heavy writing phrases, but also to share ideas and what I'm really doing with family (in particular my wife) and friends. Some of them may even give some thoughts that would be worthy of pursuing and so it would be regrettable if I didn't have a way of at least acquiring their ideas too.

In the end, if no one reads this, it will still be beneficial to me, since, perhaps, when I need to rant about something I can post it here and then quickly move on. Writing can be quite therapeutic and I find that to be true for me. "Telling the world" whether the world wants to listen or not can do wonders and so if I'm "therapeutically deceiving" myself that the world now has heard my side when I post in an unread blog, so be it. I'll walk away feeling better.

So, if you are here for a ride... you might get a little bored. But don't let that stop you from occasionally stopping by to see what paper I'm reading...