We Knew This Was Coming, We Were Hoping For It - 02/16/2007 - 5:30 PM:

We all knew that this would reach a point that I'd have to start being hush about what details I could and couldn't talk about if I was being taken seriously; it was unavoidable. And while it's a positive thing, nobody is going to like it, not even me - in a few moments I'm not going to be able to talk about some details anymore. I have to be mum about many of the things you want to know most. I'm not entirely sure if I'll even be able to say if Google did or didn't like the idea, though I suppose my actions that follow will make that fairly evident. In terms of details about my interactions with Google, I will be able to say absolutely nothing at all, but I'll cover everything else. Who knows, maybe I'll introduce you to my girlfriend. :)

I picture it this way. You guys are my hometown, and I've set off for the big city. Everyone has shown up to wish me luck and see me off, pat me on the back and make sure I've got enough food for the trip, but after I leave the city limits you don't know the details of the journey, not until I return in a few days or you hear about in on TV. :) It doesn't mean that I don't still need the support, just if I really want to chase this dream to conclusion, this is what I have to do, and if I didn't, then everything I've written on this site up until now is a fraud.

The book thickness is still the measurement of my success, and as one e-mail said, that is the subplot to this story. I'd argue that it may be the main plot. So keep the e-mails coming, send them here, and make our book thicker.

So for now, we'll focus on other things, because there's still lots more to focus on. I've extended my stay past the 20th, when my plane originally was supposed to leave, and I've got lunch appointments with readers that have shouted at me from the area (I'm always open to that), including one or two at Google itself. If you're willing to stay with me at least one more week down here, then I'll follow this through. Don't worry, there's still a conclusion to this blog that isn't that far away, one way or another.

In the mean time, some really cool news! Just like the forums got reworked by the community because... well, they were ugly beforehand, someone has stepped up to convert this site to a PHP based blog. It'll look exactly the same, but with RSS feeds and waaaay easier update structures, and maybe things like the ability to reverse the posting order, so you see newest posts first. I think that will go up tonight; I'll let you know. Anyway, I'll see if I can get another video up tomorrow. In the mean time... just wait. It's like the season break in the middle of Lost that was so annoying (it's amazing how many Lost fans there are out there.) Only with more suspense and lower production values. :)