I play on my computer and online

I've been up to no good, at least not in a practical sense. I've been doing what I've always done with computers, the Internet and writing: playing.

Some guys go out at 11:00 at night and play hockey. Some people go hiking or kayaking or running. Some people pour over recipes and try new cuisines. I play on my computer.

And as I've often done, I've put it online. It's right up their in the header navigation, Harcourt. It's actually a bit of silliness called Harcourt Goes to Hell.

The number of reasons to not put it online are legion. Personal branding, professionalism, and so on. As someone who works professionally as a writer -- the SEO writing, the technical communications, the marketing communications, the web writing, copy and on and on -- this kind of thing undermines the seriousness of my image, doesn't it?

Probably. But years ago, in pre-Web days, when I first got a computer and first connected with the Internet, it was for the fun of it. It was for the possibilities it created for playing, which is how I look at writing (despite how frustrating it can often be). There were so many tools the computer offered and so many things to access with the Internet, I thought, "Wow! This so cool."

Of course, I did pretend I had practical reasons in mind. And in truth, I did. I saw the communication possibilities, the efficiencies, and the cost reduction potential.

Eventually the world of marketing, and business generally, caught on to what the Web meant and the business aspects of Internet technology -- software, social media, handhelds, apps etc. -- and it took off like gangbusters.

The tenor of what was online also changed. (Perhaps that's my own perception based on what interests me and where I go and how I use things.) It became more business focused and, with that focus, a bit more serious, much more aware of appearances and perception (branding).

But a lot of what is developed, at least what is developed with a consumer focus, is based on the idea that people play. Outside. Inside. And online. This is why I think putting something like Harcourt Goes to Hell online is okay. It's a part of who I am -- this aspect of playing, that is -- but certainly not the whole of me. And while I don't expect anyone to perceive it this way, as I do, it's actually an important aspect for anyone hoping to do business online or use the tools available to market, discuss and "monetize" their business.

It means, I think, that I am in touch with people and what they often do with all these communication and other tools: play. I may not know or understand the specifics of how they play, but I do have the intuitive sense for why they behave as they do because it's the same reason behind why I play. (That reason? It's creative. And that makes it fun.)

Consumers are people, yes. But while people may consume (buy products and services), they do many other things as well. They aren't automatons. They aren't made up of code. They aren't programmed with an overriding priority like, "To buy." Unlike Isaac Asimov's robots and their "Laws of Robotics," consumers (people) don't have a "Laws of Consumerism." People do anything and everything and there is often no explaining why until years of research have been put in. It's achieved after the fact.

Although we often appear to come close, understanding people isn't a cerebral thing. It's visceral.

Playing is a way of staying in touch with that.

Harcourt Goes to Hell is one way I play. It may be silly and not particularly good, but it's creative and it's fun.