Scott Cooley Gets Naked

Finally, scottcooley.com works - let me explain

I host this blog, and the main Web site it is a subdomain of, on Blogger and Google Sites, respectively.  As a cost-conscious, figure-it-all-out-myself person, I've been proud that an old guy like me with an English degree could find a way to have my own site available on the world wide web with nothing more than my own sweat equity.  

Fairly recently, I notified you via another post herein of a recent upgrade that made the site work with https protocol for improved security.  So, even if you typed in http://www.scottcooley.com, or even just the www.scottcooley.com without the http, it would automatically display the https version.  It's a simple change, but one I thought was noteworthy enough for visitors to become aware of.

Also fairly recently, I became aware that it didn't work when someone just typed in scottcooley.com, otherwise known as the "naked" domain without the www.  It occurred to me that I rarely type in the www anymore for most websites I visit, and I like that convenience.  Of course I want visitors to my site to have that experience as well.  Now they (you) can enjoy that convenience.

It took me a couple tries with different CNAME and A record entries in the software of the registrar I use.  It took a lot of Googling how to accomplish this as well.  Turns out such a simple-sounding thing isn't so simple.  Not that you'd care why or how, but suffice it to say I figured it out, and it works now.

It was pretty embarrassing when I discovered that not only had I designed a nifty logo that includes the text " scottcooley.com" (false advertising), but also that I had listed scottcooley.com on various online profiles that probably gave people the impression that I was listing a site that did not exist.  It has all along if you typed in the www part, but now you don't have to.

So there, I've come clean about this oversight, and can confirm the site has existed for well over a decade, and now it's as easy as possible for people to get to.

Yep, really exciting information to be aware of, I know.  The reality is this blog doesn't have many readers, and scottcooley.com doesn't have many visitors, but this change is likely to help.  If you're interested in finding out news about me and the music I write and record, you have to find out about it somewhere, and this is the source.

Logically, this blog is the source of updates about the blog and the site too, so that's why I'm letting you know about such an inconsequential thing here.  I care about the visitor experience.  

As for updates about my music, about all I can report at this time is that you can expect more music out of me within the next 6 months.  If I die of Covid or something else between now and then, maybe my wife will figure out how to release the music someday.  If all goes according to plan, as you might've expected, said music will be in the form of yet another full-length studio album of new original songs with me singing and playing the instruments.

Check back for further details and thanks for visiting blog.scottcooley.com, and hopefully......scottcooley.com (<- try it)! 

Narcissistic Confessions

It's long overdue for me to explain to whomever might be reading this why I created and continue to maintain a website about myself (which includes this blog, wherein I also blog about myself).  I admit I've gotten a little carried away with the whole thing - there's a lot of information here.  I'm on a fence about being ashamed/embarrassed to the point of deleting it all, and being really proud of it.  Although it could easily be interpreted as a sad thing for someone to do, I have to confess that working on it makes me happy.  Here are a few insights into my motivation to do such a thing:

Write what you know:  "They" say write what you know, and everyone's favorite subject is themselves, there's no denying it.  Get someone talking about themselves in conversation and they'll like you even when you yourself hardly speak.  I'm a writer for my day job anyway, and often enjoy different types of creative writing in my free time.  Having my own website is an extension of what I'd be doing anyway.  Perhaps bits and pieces of what I've written in these pages will become part of a more formal book someday, you never know.

Fake it 'till you make it:  As a songwriter, I'm like most others in that I'd like my songs to reach a wider audience.  When you love writing songs but you're not a great performer, you call yourself a songwriter - meaning you think it would be cool if a famous artist recorded one of your songs.  When you haven't had a famous artist record one of your songs yet, "they" consider you "aspiring" or "emerging" or some similar word.  And when you're aspiring, they advise you to present yourself like a pro until you become a pro.  This site is a step in that direction.

Vocational practice:  As a career professional writer, you've got to keep up with changes in technology.  All forms of writing are online and electronic now, and gone are the days when a writer could turn in a hand-written, pen-on-paper work and a publishing company did the rest.  I started by writing instructional manuals meant for printing, and now what I write is rarely printed by its readers - people not only buy written works online, but they also read them online now.  As a way to improve my skills with various online writing technologies, I started creating websites with "practice" subject matter, and happened to use my interest in songwriting as a topic.  This evolved into the scottcooley.com you're visiting today.  It has also led me to indeed become skilled with webmastering to the point where at my current employer I regularly maintain websites, as well as moonlighting as a website designer/maintainer for personal clients in my free time for extra money.

Online presence trend:  In recent years, our social world has changed drastically due to advances in technology.  Everyone has a computer, and everyone is online now.  The internet isn't just for celebrities and people who are trying to sell something.  Instead of the limitations of free social network profiles where you write about yourself, why not have the freedom of your own domain and website so you can really go to town?  If like most people I'm going to post some online information about myself on Facebook anyway, I can now experiment with layout, formatting, presentation, graphic art, multimedia, etc. in addition to writing and paint a more interesting, detailed and complete picture of myself this way.

The mad scientist thing:  Although I suspect most people I know would describe me as reasonably outgoing and social, there is a side to me that is a loner.  Writers are by nature lone wolves to a certain extent, and I've always gravitated to individual as opposed to team sports.  Similarly, songwriting is a solitary pursuit, and the introverted side of me craves quiet time alone for this.  Rather than being a performer as a solo act or as a member of a band, which I've enjoyed in the past, my involvement in music has evolved to the point where I lean toward recording in my home studio lab as yet another way to express myself - mad scientist-style.  Tinkering with my website is an extension of this same kind of madness.