Every beginning is a start

Obviously. So here I am. I've done it. I've set up a blog. For years I brushed aside the notion of writing one because simply writing every day on www.siliconrepublic.com is just as time consuming, not to mention editing various newspaper sections and supplements. That's what I do. It's as much my vocation as my career. I wish to do nothing else, really.

My love is journalism and my experience and reward has been the gift of a front row seat to the biggest social revolution sweeping the world since the invention of the printing press.

Let's begin with a statement of intent - I refuse to class myself as a blogger until I've established a set tempo and publish something regularly. I don't want to be one of those people who start a blog and only update it once in a while. I'm very critical of that kind of thing. And I know I'm as fallible as the next person and will not rule out falling into that trap.

The reason I'm doing this is curiosity, an interesting experiment that may not go anywhere. And above all to say to people who ask me do I have a blog that YES finally I have one. I can't promise it will be good but it will be just what it is.

Since I don't have much time at my disposal and consider article writing the first and only art (since it pays the bills), I will publish whatever I damn well wish, whenever I wish. A sentence here, a chapter there, maybe an observation, a well meaning complement, a blistering rant, or just a photograph. If I'm feeling particularly digital I'll possibly even post a video or podcast. Anyone who knows me knows how hectic things can get around here so don't hold your breadth.

I will use the blog as a personal place to relate experiences, observations, etc. It will be separate from my work as a journalist. Beyond technology my points could be about history (which I'm passionate about), cooking (my skills are evolving), exercise and sports (don't expect much here), TV, films and music. Everything and anything.

As best I can I will refrain from writing after a night out on the town. Judging from previous drunken texts I've broadcast far and wide, this would be a prudent policy.

Journalists have rules, templates and traditions to follow. Bloggers don't. But they are creating their own legends, traditions and legacies as I type. I attended a conference a few weeks ago (the Irish Internet Association's Annual Congress) and Bruno Sarda of Dell made the observation that 175,000 new blogs are created daily with 1.6m new posts every day and 18 updates a second. The online population will double in the next 4-5 years, he said, to 2bn people.

I'm just adding to the general cacaphony. x