So what’s this blog all about? Essentially, it’s a guide to Bend, Oregon (and Central Oregon overall). There are a lot of Bend blogs out there already, but I want to see one that is basically an ultimate guide/reference to the area. The best way to do that? Launch it myself. :)

So why "Hack" Bend? Because I wanted to emphasize exploration, creativity, finding good deals, etc. in writing about Bend. Essentially, this is all about hacking Bend to get the most out of it. Still unsure? Some definitions of hack:

Hacking might be characterized as ‘an appropriate application of ingenuity‘. Whether the result is a quick-and-dirty patchwork job or a carefully crafted work of art, you have to admire the cleverness that went into it.[1]

Cribbed: …solves a problem… that is in need of an ingenious solution, often cheaper and quicker than the "right" solution.[2]

And one definition I particularly like, originating at (and orignally applying to) MIT: To explore the basements, roof ledges, and steam tunnels of a large, institutional building.[3] See also this Wikipedia page.

And, to tell the truth, when I was brainstorming names for this blog, I stumbled into it and, being the computer geek that I am, decided to run with it.

This site is largely inspired by sites like the Metroblogging sites, Lifehacker, alt.portland, and other similar blogs. Also, since Weblogs, Inc. is starting to roll out their local blogs, I figured it’s time to jump on the bus.

My goal is to get the most out of Bend and Central Oregon, and blog it. Now obviously, I can’t claim to have all the answers or know everything there is to know about the area. So if you’ve got a good Bend hack, let me know! The more contributions, the better (and I may explore the idea of turning this into a multi-author blog, too).