I should be cleaning the flat, so I need an excuse to prevaricate. Oddly enough, I’ve been prevaricating about this meme that Martin suggested. So if my flat is to be clean by Tuesday, I now need something else to prevaricate over.
So, without further ado, let’s see what’s below the fold:
1. What is your blog about?
Stuff. Either my meanderings about aspects of science I’m thinking about, or things that I find interesting or amusing. And, of course, The Beast:
The Beast at peace, yesterday.
2. What will you never write about?
Confidential stuff, obviously. Only this week I produced a really nice graph that I wanted to rave over, but it was from someone else’s data, and I would have had to explain the details, to show why it was so good. and that would have meant giving away our deepest secrets.
I probably won’t write about personal stuff – it’s just not me.
3. Have you ever considered leaving science?
Not seriously.
4. What would you do instead?
I’ve no idea! Work as a statistician for a betting company? My brother did a PhD in engineering, left academia and now works for the Passport Office.
5. What do you think will science blogging be like in 5 years?
Well, assuming there is no technology shift, pretty much like it is now. It might expand so that there are many more scientists doing it and it becomes a way of communicating to other scientists in the same area, but I haven’t seen that happening a great deal (one exception, go ahead and link to others).
6. What is the most extraordinary thing that happened to you because of blogging?
I loaned a power cable to a Nature editor.
Which is part of the bigger picture that I ended up going to London just to meet a bunch of people I had only met virtually. And I’ll be off to North Carolina (previously only notable for its crosses) in January for another meeting.
7. Did you write a blog post or comment you later regretted?
Thanks to my proficiency with selective amnesia, no.
8. When did you first learn about science blogging?
Dunno. I guess seriously in 2005, when I followed the Dover trial at Panda’s Thumb. I was sucked in from there.
9. What do your colleagues at work say about your blogging?
Most don’t know about it, some are blogging now (see link above), and a few view it with amusement.
10. Extra credit: are you able to write an entry to your blog that takes the form of a poem about your research?
Not right now. Brad Carlin and friends have done a better job anyway.
I can, of course, do it as art.
Last updated: Sunday, 16 Nov 2008 - 18:50 UTC
© 2009 Nature Publishing Group
Dearest Bob, you might find that you wouldn’t want to prevaricate to your friends…
I also am proficient in selective amnesia. It’s lovely to have met someone else with the same affliction.
Could you dance it out for us? I admit, I would have paid good money to see the Full Monte Carlo. Who would have thought statisticians were so much fun?
Alas I can only dance the Full Monte Carlo in chains.
By the way, relating to my slightly snarky comment above, I see that for you Brit-trained English speakers, prevaricate has more subtle shades of meaning. Apologies.
Ah, lack of nuance. The curse of the intertubes.