Saturday, February 11, 2017

BEHIND THE SCENES

A late introduction

I've been holding off on this for, well ever since I started this blog. I didn't see the need to put myself out there. In fact I started this blog with the idea of keeping it entirely anonymous. 

So here I am! My name is Dries, and if you want to read more about me, go check out the 'about' page. I updated it a bit, and even added a goofy picture (yeah that's me over there on the right!). You know, just to show that it's not just some computer algorithm running this website. 

Over the years I came to understand that a big part of the pen community is the personal interaction, making new friends. Writing reviews is the core business, but besides that there's a lot of interaction going on. Maybe you just want a friendly chat, or maybe you have an issue or a question about pens. I've learned A LOT from other bloggers, and I'm eager to share the little I know with others. 

As part of that social interaction, I started being a more active member on the Facebook FPN page. I feel like it's a good way to come in touch with (potential) readers of the blog, but it can also be a way to get in touch with me. Same goes for other social media like Twitter or Instagram. Especially the latter is definitely one I try to be very active on. Instagram offers a nice and casual way to show what I'm working on for the blog, and the pen community is very well-represented on it, with a bunch of great people to follow and interact with, definitely worth checking out if you haven't already!

But then comes the biggest challenge. You might say 'OK we know your name now, and we know what you look like, but we don't REALLY KNOW you', and that's absolutely right! Now of course I'm not going to start rambling about my personal life too much, or what I do besides playing with pens and writing this blog (apart from studying chemistry, not much, should you ask). But there are certain things I could tell that would be relevant to the blog, and how you - as a reader- experience it. I'm talking about how I got into this hobby, what my personal preferences are, what I use, why and how, etc...

Especially personal preference is a topic I'd like to touch on in one of my next posts, because there's a lot of discussion about blogger bias, and the objectiveness of reviews, and I think it should be adressed to help resolve the issue and to create a transparent community where you -as a reader- know what to expect from a blog.

So there you have it, I guess this was more of a state of the union than it is an introduction... But at least you'll know where to find me if you want to! Feel free to contact me if you have questions or remarks, you can check my contact page or all the above mentioned social media platforms to get in touch.

Thanks for reading!
Dries

6 comments:

  1. Dries--thanks for the introduction. I have enjoyed your blog, but you are right, I feel a personal connection with some other bloggers even though I don't know them. Now I can add you to the 'group.' I started following you on Instagram so I don't miss out on things. Keep up the good work.

    Michael

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    1. Thanks Michael, I really appreciate your kind words, and I'm glad you agree with the path I decided to follow, be it about four years later than I should've :)

      Thanks for reading!
      Dries

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  2. Good choice of fountain pen for this picture 8^)

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    1. I know right, this wasn't really a difficult choice! :p

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  3. Dries, at the outset, let me thank you for the blog.. This is a blog I read regularly and I happened to read your preferences just now. Pelikan is my favourite fountain pen brand, and I use a M600 with an oblique broad nib, which suits my writing style.. also I like its section and the way it flares out towards the nib, and keeps my middle finger in its place as I grip the section. This helps my handwriting.

    I have a question.. I use Rhodia Rama notebooks and they use coated paper.. Do you think Leuchtturm 1917 notebooks are more suitable for writing with fountain pen, especially with a broad nib? Thanks..

    Sreekanth

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    1. Hello Sreekanth, Thank you for your kind words! As for the notebooks: Leuchtturm is noticeably less 'coated' as you describe, and ink tends to soak up a bit more (however without bleeding or feathering). There's nothing wrong with Rhodia for FP use, in fact it's one of my favourites, but if you don't like the more glossy feel, then Leuchtturm is definitely worth checking out. The only thing I've found with Leuchtturm is that the dotgrid/ruled/grid notebooks are slightly more susceptible to bleedthrough from really wet nibs (compared to the blank version, which supposedly has something to do with the printing)

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