The Diary of Anne Ku

INTRODUCING MY WEB SITE

9 May 2000 Tuesday warm, bright

When I show someone my website, it is always interesting to observe his/her reaction. A perfect stranger may stare at the home page not knowing what to do. Indeed, it could be a barrier - a menu without any description of what the dishes are about. So perhaps I need a site map.

Today I showed someone I met yesterday my website. First I explained that this was something I did in my spare time. I had deliberately taken a sabbatical, rather, time off from my busy full-time career, to do my own thing. I needed to compose. I needed to play the piano. I needed to travel. I needed to write. Lately I have been doing more writing than composing. More composing than practising. It's as if my throat chakra is opening up.

I took him through the evolution of this site as I captured in the Guestbook Entries section. Initially, I put every printable item on the site - in no order at all. It reminded me of my first intranet - one trader said it was like Christmas! very colourful. After awhile, I reorganised it. But it took a lot of reorganisation to get to the stage it is at now. Re-organisation is about rethinking one's priorities and focus. What is important? What can be left out? Why do I need to keep it? Why do I need to share it? Lately given the web space constraints, I constantly revisit each image file, each midi file, each html file - to reduce or eliminate altogether.

I talked about the different kinds of writing on my site. This diary is spontaneous, unedited writing. My Internet articles are surveys and evaluations - requiring more indepth research. The stories attached to my compositions and arrangements are somewhat stream-of-consciousness and emotional. Book reviews are not just critical but also personal. I like to write from a different angle. Just because someone has written about the subject before doesn't mean that I can't add anything new. It's the perspective that counts.

What a way to introduce myself! My love of music, my desire to write, my travels, and the ongoing journey via the web to express myself!