When I was 14, I made a Geocities site. Although the content was embarrassingly 14-year-old (lists of inside jokes and collages of male celebrities), the layout didn’t look half bad, and it got better as I gained some rudimentary HTML and Photoshop skills. I’ve had an online journal in one form or another ever since for the last 9 years. But the newer incarnations had considerably less teen angst and BDSM squirrels.

My Old Xanga Banner

Some WordPressers obsess over their stats, seeking to maximize their page views, and publically posting data.

If you’re curious:  I have 100K hits. This will be my 312th post. I have 418 comments, although to be fair, almost half of those are probably me replying to people. Most referral links come from Google, and the most popular posts are the ones on weird and controversial topics.

It’s been fun—learning what trends and what doesn’t, how to use tags effectively. But it’s not something about which I ever had huge hubris. I know I could have been more aggressive by commenting on other blogs and posting on random forums. But I know views alone don’t immediately result in quality comments or discussion.

Over the last year, I’ve noticed an increase in random “likes” and followings by other bloggers. There are a lot of terrible blogs out there, mostly from people who never made it past the level of my first Geocities site. So, if you’re reading this in your subscriptions and I didn’t follow or like you back, it’s probably because your blog is boring. I’m not interested in joining your little microcosm of bloggers’ circle jerking.

If I did follow you back, congrats. You’re above average.

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I was watching Girls on HBO. Otherwise known as Nepotism: That Show with Starring Famous Daughters.

The main character is a 24-year-old trustafarian who has a Bachelor’s in English. She approaches her boss at the place she’s been interning for two years and demands to be compensated for her services. He tells her he’ll be sorry to see her go.

“But Joy Lynn got hired after interning!”

“Yeah, well, Joy Lynn knows Photoshop.”

That’s when I realized that I have a shot at this game.

I can do typography (logos, banners, and professional shiz) but I can also Photoshop squirrels with giant balls holding barbeque lighters. I’d be a good PR rep for a small start-up, preferable ones that needs squirrels with giant balls.

I made a resume, which didn’t turn out quite as pathetic as I thought it would be. I can haz paid writing job?

P.S.