Beyond the First Test - Introduction to Pontificating the Future of Navels

 

I selected the title for my blog, Pontificating the Future of Navels, for two reasons. The first is that it serves as a literary device. In the case of the blog, it is intended to spark curiosity, possibly even emotion. Blogs should be interesting to read, if not fun. Poking and prodding at readers is a mechanism to generate interest. Of course, I know the dictionary definition of the word has a negative denotation. I suggest in this description that the reader consider the use of the blog title as a pun…for the most part.

The idiom “contemplating your navel” describes inward reflection and meditation more aptly. Herein lies the pun of the title. Blogs are not meditation. At least, I do not consider a blog such. Blogs are outward expressions of thoughts. My blog contains my thoughts. In that sense, the title is a proper use of “pontification.”

I have recently begun a doctoral program, which I am enjoying. Honestly, the primary purpose of this blog is for that program. One of my current courses is Futuring and Innovation. I have never been an avid blogger, though I have participated in online forums since we called them bulletin boards. So, the focus of this blog will be on those assignments requiring blog posts. These will be in the context of computing ideation. Thinking about future innovations and how breakthroughs in computer science are achieved requires vision. There are associated techniques and traps that can be learned. A lot of the discussion here will be related to those concepts. Occasionally, I may take an opportunity to express other thoughts. If I do, I will form those posts more casually.

I have not yet organized my blog with any specific intent. I have areas in computing science that currently interest me more than others. Artificial intelligence (AI) is one area. Neuromorphic computing research is something that I am exploring. Another interest area I have is cloud computing, primarily because I work in this area daily. Nevertheless, I may post on other topics and allow this blog to evolve. If it gets to a state where it feels messy, from my engineering sense, I will organize the blog.

By way of an anonymous introduction, I think of myself primarily as an old software engineer. I have done many things over multiple decades in the computing industry and have not been in programming since the first half of my career. Nevertheless, I still work with software applications, including architecture, testing, and integration.

My career takes me to different parts of the world. I enjoy traveling, whether for business or pleasure. I like the adventure. I have lived in foreign countries twice. I speak more than one language and dabble with phrases in several languages. Sometimes, the lingual exercise is for fun, but I also try using simple words and phrases with foreign colleagues. I believe appreciating cultures is not only interesting but it is a way to show appreciation and respect.

I have several hobbies. One hobby that I do not discuss often is daydreaming. The idea of inward reflection is the second reason for my blog title. Although I do not meditate in the classic sense, I enjoy letting my mind wander. I have an active imagination, and it is fun to turn it loose. The results are usually fanciful thoughts, but tangible ideas have also manifested. I used to keep a box with drawings and descriptions of inventions. I never attempted to build or patent any of those because the exercise for me was the reward. Other times, I jot down poems and lyrics that occur to me. I am not innately artistic, so I see these as a means to stretch my mind to think outside the technical box that computing concepts often are.

Creating this blog was an easy process. My biggest challenge was to select a Google account to use. My blog can be found at https://navelpontification.blogspot.com/. Having read the description of this blog—distilled to thinking about the future in imaginative ways—I hope the title I selected now resonates.