Howefitz Blog

As some of you who follow my twitter updates and Facebook status updates know, I’ve been using my AT&T cell phone as my modem. I had what was advertised as an unlimited tethering package. So when I recently moved, I didn’t worry about setting up cable TV, because I could stream my favorite shows online! I’d hook up the laptop to my TV, and we’d catch up with Heroes, Pushing Daisies, Daily Show, etc.

            Incidentally, Hulu is my current favorite site to stream television shows, though Joost has a lot of good stuff too.

            To get back to my story, AT&T sent me warning texts that I was ‘nearing my data limit.’ They then cut off the data on my phone and socked me with a phone bill of nearly $1,800! Fortunately, they found notes in my account that I was told that it was unlimited data, so my bill is back down to it’s normal, more reasonable $180. Unfortunately, they won’t turn the data back on until my next billing cycle, the 11^th of next month!

            So, since January 15^th, I’ve been in internet exile.

            I haven’t been completely silent, however. I did send an update through Twitter each day through text messages. If you didn’t know already, you do so by simply sending a message to 40404. This will send the update to Twitter just like you were sitting at your computer. I also had already set up Facebook to automatically update when I tweet, so I was able to essentially speak but not hear. What a very strange feeling!

            Now I’m back! I’m on vacation this week from my real job, so I’ll be using the library to blog until I get internet service set up at my apartment. I’m pretty excited about that, because I’ve never had a true DSL connection before. I’ve used my cell phone as my modem for years, with varying results.

            The good thing about not having internet attached to my hip at work or at home is that it gave me some time to reflect on the direction my blog is going. I try to include information that I think fellow bloggers/fanboys may enjoy, but I lacked any one clear direction.

            While in exile, I read John Chow’s eBook, ‘Make Money Online With John Chow’. I had downloaded it earlier, and never read it because I was always online! One of the things that John stresses is to build a brand. Now, I’m not expecting to make money just yet, but I do want to provide useful content for my readers, and I think that branding is important for that.

            So I spent the exile really thinking about what I want to do with this blog, and I thought really hard about what’s important to me. I thought about the blogs that I spend the most time reading. Lately, I have been reading the successful bloggers who are making money doing this, but since I’m not making money yet, I didn’t think that I would be very successful training others on making money online. I read a few news blogs, but I don’t exactly live in Washington. I’ve written a few movie reviews on my blog, but I don’t think anyone but a couple close friends really care what I think about movies. So I kept thinking about my passions, and all that other stuff faded, and one thing shone brighter than anything else: parenting.

            I love being a parent. I discovered that the blogs that I truly enjoy reading is Dad-O-Matic and Savvy Daddy. Not only do I learn from these blogs, but I’m entertained by them. I can relate to them. I would love to join their ranks.

            So, I am now announcing that howefitz.com/blog will become a ‘daddy blog’. Here, I will share what I learn in life and online, and tailor it to the technology savvy, online Dad. What resources are out there? Can you truly have a good, educational experience with your kids online? I’ll still share blogging tips that I learn and I’ll still share personal stories. I’ll even keep my tagline of ‘Family, Life and Technology and somehow making the pieces fit!’ Although, I expect as I get better at this, I’ll be able to drop the ‘somehow’! 

            And so, gentle readers, welcome to the frantic meanderings of a Digital Dad. I hope you enjoy it.

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