A while ago I posted an open question/rant to my website asking the purpose of a personal website? Here it is:

Question to ponder: What is the purpose of a personal website? Is it an advertisement for myself? Or perhaps a placecard in the chaotic www? A window to some of my thoughts and feelings, opinions, likes and dislikes? Something for the outside world to view as a digital representation of myself?

Or is it an outlet for me? Is it my comfortable doormat as I trudge the web? I know for a fact I visit my page way more than anyone else. But that’s how I’ve decided to use it. If I never want to visit my website, how can I convince others to do the same? My site contains links and tools I use on a daily basis. Don’t the websites I visit and the things that interest me help describe who I am?

In case you didn’t smell it coming, it’s time for a website redesign. I want something more professional looking, more functional… retaining its usefulness to outside visitors and to myself. I do not want to sacrifice anything to obtain those goals.

So, today’s big question (besides the ones listed above): How do I combine the static, ‘resume-like’ information about me with the dynamic things-I’m-looking-for-in-a-portal-site web springboard?

You got insights? Email me.

Now I think I have more answers to those questions. I’ve finally settled into a look and theme for this site, and it’s made it easier to add content. The blog is no longer the entire site, but a big piece of it. Everything else that I would want in my site — reference links for me, and also big areas/parts of my life to document to the world — is coming together. I took out the About page, because it’s semi-redundant. As you read more about my work, my school, my interests and technologies it becomes more apparent who I am. My old site had a link matrix in the top and different reference links scattered within, which in some respects tells more than a page full of prose. (I’m working on integrating all of those old links into new areas of the new site.)