“The popularity of photo sharing sites, blog hosts lies deeply in the realm of how much it belongs to the individual, with the larger group payoff a layer behind, but if it is ours, we can have some say over the longevity of the humble URL.” This quote, and the title of this post, come from a post of the same name by my colleague Alan Levine, and I’m enlisting them to help me announce the launch of my new site: http://www.ikiw.org/stewart.

This site is my new online home, and puts all my professional information within easy reach. Want to know more about me? Read my Bio. Looking for a paper I’ve published recently, or presented a while ago? It’s in my Publications list. Interested in what I’ve been doing with the wiki? Have a look at my Projects. Want me to give a presentation for your group, department, or conference? My Presentations & Speaking Engagements shows you where I’ve presented, and gives you access to the standard content of my presentations (I customize these each time I present, to meet the specific interests and needs of each group).

A big source of inspiration for the design and information architecture of this site is Garr Reynolds, whose Presentation Zen blog has been one of my favorites for well over a year. Garr describes his web site as a “way of staying connected both to those whom I know and with those I have not yet met who may share similar interests.” and says that “A website is one way you can communicate your difference, grow your network, and make connections across this planet.” Although we’ve never met the fact that I’ve been able to learn so much from his site and apply it to the development of my own site is a perfect illustration of his philosophy that a good personal website is essential in today’s world.