Basic rundown on the new site, for those of you who know me, those of you who don't, and those of you who only think you do...
I've had LowGenius.Net online for nearly four years. Initially, the plan was to have this site take over the functionality of my original LG site, lowgenius.com, as I converted that site into a 'strictly business' place. Unfortunately, real life with all it's distractions and requirements got in the way, and I never did quite get this site where I wanted it to be.
Hopefully, I'll be changing all of that now. As you can see, I've created a pretty bold new design, visually, for the site. I've also learned a great deal about database development and data management over the years, which has let me to completely redevelop the engine that runs this site. I initially started the development to serve the purposes of the sub-site I run for my guild in World of Warcraft, and have been slowly adding functionality to it over the last several months. Now, the engine is 'integrated' across the site, so that the same database contains all of the data for the site including page definitions and column content (including, in fact, the column you're reading right now).
As time goes on I hope to add more features and information to the site. It has long been a goal of mine to invite other writers (I guess now they'd be called 'bloggers,' but by that standard I've been 'blogging' since well before the word was invented) for opinion pieces, product reviews, or whatever else strikes them, to contribute to the site; that goal is still in place. I still have the gigantic collection of music that used to be the LowGenius.Com Musicbase, as well as all the other stuff that made up what I used to call the "Lowbrary." Honestly, what and how much I'll do with all of that stuff I don't even know right now.
What I do know is that whatever - and whoever - ends up on this site, it will maintian the same unapologetic committment to quality, integrity, and intellect that I have tried to bring to all of my endeavors over the years. This tends not to pay very well, but it is deeply rewarding on a personal level, and it's how I intend to operate. Any jackass kid with a free WYSIWYG editor and five bucks for MySQL hosting can generate copies of the same old song lyrics and cheat codes that nine billion other jackass kids have alread put on ther websites; LowGenius.Net aims for something more, something higher than that.
You may disagree with what I or others on the site have to say. It may even infuriate you, whether it's something personal and you are a personal friend (or foe, for that matter), or whether it's broader in scope, say an article about politics or music or movies. That's fine - this is nto a safe zone for the colllective sensibilities of the world. If anything, it's a distinctly unsafe zone. Frankly, if this site continues to exist without offending somebody, them I'm not doing my job.
I look forward to bringing you news, information, opinions, and other material that will make you angry, make you sad, make you laugh, make you cry...and most of all, make you think.
John Henry
Webmaster