Each time that I've modified my blog theme, I've left off a picture of me on the front page. Each time I leave it off, I get a ton of emails and comments asking where it is! I'll never make that mistake again – it's fascinating to me how much feedback and personality it brings to the site. I'm not narcissistic by any means, I do struggle with putting photos of myself on the site. However, I absolutely recognize how difficult it is to build a relationship with someone you've never seen.
If blogs are conversations, how do you have a conversation with someone you can't see? I have to admit, before embedding my smiling mug in the header, the site really did look quite generic. I wonder how much impact a smiling face has to the growth of the blog. Surely it has some impact.
The glamor shot above was taken about 4 years ago while I was working for a dot com in Denver, Colorado. I'm heavier, grayer and softer than I was in that terrific photo. That photographer had a lot of talent! It's a shot that I'll keep around on the site for quite a while. Unless of course I get back in shape (other than pear). I joke with people that if I had to jog or ride a bike to run my laptop, I'd be Mr. Universe. Surely science can catch up with us to provide us a healthy lifestyle of keyboarding, pizza and late-night programming, can't they?
Meanwhile, I'll keep the glamor shot up. When I do get to meet you, you'll see the same smile there – though the face isn't quite as handsome.
😉
Doug,
Congrats on the new design. Very nice, and clean.
(And now the advertising link goes to a simple text page that says it will redirect me to the right page. Instead it just keeps re-loading itself. Is that a Mac problem?)
Hi foo!
Fixed! It was just absolutely terrible redirect code that I wrote and didn’t test.
Doh!
Yep. Now it works. You probably want to add a “not” into your re-direct page 🙂
What would I do without you guys?! Thanks!
even with the name change your “mug” makes it feel like a comfortable place to come to.
Thanks, Steven! That’s definitely what I’m going for. All are welcome… except the mean ones!
Doug! Great improvement!
I was going to say ‘Ditch the suit and get back to the jovial image you had before’, and then I thought for a second… perhaps two…
Ok, do we really need another guy in a suit talking about technology and marketing? ALTHOUGH, do we really want to read about technology and marketing from a slacker in a sweater (old pic)?
So, what do we do? We need a combination of the first pic with you laughing, and the second pic – but without the tie. The whole ‘Friendly/Funny, non-stuffy, yet still professional’ look and feel.
But hey, it’s your call, and you’re still x1000 braver than I for using a headshot in your header. (I’m going to stick with my safe ambigram header until I overhaul… again…) 😉
Okay, keep in mind this is coming from a guy who has a cartoon of himself in his header, but like William, I liked the “laughing Doug.” But unlike William, I want my technology and marketing from a slacker in a sweater 🙂
It’s a great picture though, and the overall look is awesome – crisp, clean, but bold.
I like it.
I’m laughing in this picture! Laughing because I’m curious how much touch up it’s going to take to make me look presentable.
😀
Tony’s Vote: Laughing Doug.
My Vote: Laughing Doug.
Vote now! 😉
Tony: I know your blog very well now – yours is being SOAP’d as we speak by Robert Hruzek (middleszonemusings.com)! About an easy task as doing this one was! (should be a good month in the therapy industry)
I got the same thing from the picture of my cat. 🙂
At what point does it reach cult status?
engtech, that’s fantastic!
I don’t have a cat. I have a Jack Russell named Cooper and hunt down and kill all those cats. 🙁
all this talk of smiling faces and cats got to me so I decided to add a sidebar widget of the WinExtra mascot about half the way down LOL .. damn you guys for all this warm and fuzzy stuff 🙂