MCWK on Blogspot - the clean-up and restart

Yes, I'm still alive. And so is MCWK on Blogspot.com (though just barely registering a pulse). Busy in the course of the past few years since the last post. With many large commitment rocks to put into my small life bucket, ultimately, something gets left on the side. Thus, I made a conscious decision to focus and channel my efforts mainly into my growing family (of course) and new career (which, while not being a complete 180 degree turn compared to what I was doing for the past decade, is significantly different in terms of size and corporate culture).

I've been thinking a lot about resuming work on this personal blog for some time now. Again, thinking on multiple aspects (a byproduct of work habit, namely the six thinking hats), there's a few key points going FOR and AGAINST the motion. In short summary:-

First, let's look at the Against:

• Potentially resource consuming (mainly, time). Anything worth doing is worth doing well. Which means, when it comes to constructing a blog post, a significant minimum effort will be put in before I'm ready to hit the "Publish" button.
• Lack of ideas / variety in life to make it interesting (life is consistent, stable, monotonous). Where I am today, there's a high focus on work (which, due to strict corporate requirements, I don't talk about here, unless the news is already out on the Internet).
• Fear of failing (again). Especially, when this Blogger site was a originally set up to mirror my original start up personal blog on the now-defunct Multiply.com. You can still see the effects if you look at my earlier posts - photos uploaded there and linked here are gone forever - I'll never be able to rebuild the early years. Better to look ahead and carry on.
• Privacy concerns. A bit like the 2nd point above. Can't talk about work or any other sensitive stuff. Hey, times have changed - we need to take note and adapt accordingly.

And in the other corner, For:

• Back to the origin. Why I started this blog in the first place. To keep up with the flow of technology. Ironically, I guess blogging today is somewhat outdated. So, you could liken this to Bjorn Borg making a come back to tennis with his wooden racket. 
• Legacy for my kids. Yes, there's the contemporary social media giant, FB, but in my opinion, it's too rigidly structured and impossible to browse through in a non-linear manner (multiple links between FB posts do not exist) and browsing back in time is a chore. There's no quick way to go back in time to a specific date (perhaps they'll introduce it someday).
• Somewhere I can write. To be frank, working in a multi-national company, you actually have to use English (which is the only common language among all the nationalities) but keep it simple and straight to the point. It's not everyone's mother tongue, after all, and we're having enough trouble avoiding misunderstandings as it is. Plus, most of it is technical, so to be able to write with some creativity and flair, I have to do it elsewhere (or rather, right here!).

Keeping this blog alive and relevant, staying true to the core reasons behind its origin. I've said it before, have no intention of monetizing this blog (so that immediately takes off any such pressure and expectations). Will I continue, then to expand on other contemporary tools to keep abreast with technology? Haha, that depends - don't think I'll ever start off as a Vlogger or Youtuber (though I'd likely record some personal videos so to leave something behind for my future generations).

In doing this reboot, I've gone through 2 list that I have on the sidebar of this blog. 1st list is "where I am most of the time". Removed practically all my old links as some are even no longer active. Same goes to the 2nd list which is a blogroll of some of my friends and acquaintances. Again, some have stopped active blogging (possibly moved to FB), and some sites have been deleted. Sigh, but I guess by this criteria, this site would have been removed as well. Feels like waking up from a long slumber, only to find that the world around has changed drastically.

Well, re-looking at the labels in this blog, I'm happy to note that the following main topics are still relevant:

• I still drive my Honda Civic FD2(A) - neither of us have given up on each other, though track days at the Sepang F1 Circuit (and spirited drives on public roads) are long gone. Looks like my fellow 8GCC (8th Gen Civic Club) mates have moved on to other hobbies, like Cycling, Marathon and Photography.
• I still take photographs, using my DSLR, Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Camera, P&S Camera or Handphone (which ever is in my hand at the photographic moment). Again, for hobby, not for profit or income, though there are ample opportunities once in awhile to join photo competitions with the Photographic Society of Melaka (PSMA).
• I still hang out with the folks at the Puma 4x4 (Malaysia) Club. Though I haven't gone offroad or camping in ages, there's a high chance that I'll join one such event this year. Besides the obvious, the club also organizes charity events and blood donation from time to time.

In this exercise, I'm considering to change the blog theme to give it a new feel. Any suggestions on selecting a new Blogger theme?

Of course, you CAN teach an old dog new tricks, so I do keep myself open to explore and try new hobbies and interests. What do you think? If you're reading this and have some thoughts to share, do drop a comment and let me know.