Friday, September 15, 2006
Existential Friday: Blog end
I've seriously been considering giving up blogging. We shall see.
Meanwhile, it did make me wonder about the inferences a reader might draw from a blog that just stopped and sat there on the web, an artifact of hours or months or years of endeavor. It happens all the time.
What if I had dropped dead? Wouldn't it look very much like what you see... just an absence of new posts? Do you think bloggers leave some provision in their wills with their password and instructions for winding up the blog in the event of death? I've made no such provisions.
So there couldn't be a post announcing, "We are very sorry to inform you that Oscar Madison has passed away. He will be missed by us, his readers... all 40 of us."
What if that message were left as a comment on the final post... who would notice?
Meanwhile, it did make me wonder about the inferences a reader might draw from a blog that just stopped and sat there on the web, an artifact of hours or months or years of endeavor. It happens all the time.
What if I had dropped dead? Wouldn't it look very much like what you see... just an absence of new posts? Do you think bloggers leave some provision in their wills with their password and instructions for winding up the blog in the event of death? I've made no such provisions.
So there couldn't be a post announcing, "We are very sorry to inform you that Oscar Madison has passed away. He will be missed by us, his readers... all 40 of us."
What if that message were left as a comment on the final post... who would notice?
Comments:
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If blogging has become a chore, then of course you should quit. Regardless of what you decide, thanks for blogging for as long as you have. Yours is one of the few blogs I read regularly, and I'd miss it.
40 readers is pretty good, in the larger scheme of things. Plus you don't actually know how many bloglines readers (e.g., me) you have.
this actually came up in the UserFriendly forum the other day, in a discussion about a man's ex-wife posting a premature death notice on his online gaming forum while he was on vacation.
There are people who have made provisions in their will regarding speicifc email addresses and fora to inform of the person's demise. I need to do that - at least list my various email addresses and/or a list of online chums and groups to inform if something happens to me.
Just because you haven't met the person in real life doesn't mean you don't have a relationship of some depth with them.
and does this mean we're done with word verifictionary? I hope not. I think it's fun.
There are people who have made provisions in their will regarding speicifc email addresses and fora to inform of the person's demise. I need to do that - at least list my various email addresses and/or a list of online chums and groups to inform if something happens to me.
Just because you haven't met the person in real life doesn't mean you don't have a relationship of some depth with them.
and does this mean we're done with word verifictionary? I hope not. I think it's fun.
I would hate to see you shut down your blog. I check your blog every day and if something is there I read it, but rarely throw in my two cents.
You are a very smooth writer and said throw out thoughts that I have not considered before.
Incidentally, one time you looked at my blog and told me needed to write more often, which I faithfully followered your advice.
Eddie
You are a very smooth writer and said throw out thoughts that I have not considered before.
Incidentally, one time you looked at my blog and told me needed to write more often, which I faithfully followered your advice.
Eddie
Oscar,
From my standpoint, it would be a shame to see you quit blogging. Of course from yours, what is the benefit in providing interesting observations/pictures to mostly people you don't know?
Even though we pretty-much disagree 100% on the political side of things, it is eery how similarly we think about everything else.
I'll miss you if you stop, and will read with appreciation as long as you keep going.
Best Regards,
dbp
From my standpoint, it would be a shame to see you quit blogging. Of course from yours, what is the benefit in providing interesting observations/pictures to mostly people you don't know?
Even though we pretty-much disagree 100% on the political side of things, it is eery how similarly we think about everything else.
I'll miss you if you stop, and will read with appreciation as long as you keep going.
Best Regards,
dbp
It was interesting to see this post, because I too have been contemplating quitting blogging..... I agree with Kim. If its a "chore" then quit, but I check in pretty regularly so I'll keep reading if you don't!
Oh, man, Oscar, Osc, dude ... I thought you were waxing philosophical, but I'm getting nervous ... been a while since you posted.
Hmmm. I do not want to urge you to continue something you do not enjoy.... BUT, I love your blog posts. As a former student, I always loved your wit and sensibilities and this is a fun way for me to get my weekly, if not daily, dose.
Best wishes regardless of your choice!
Best wishes regardless of your choice!
Finally! I haven't been neglecting you. It's just that Blogger Beta people couldn't comment on Blogger accounts until today.
I'm over the part of my depression that's blog-related. (The rest of it still needs work.) So Brevity will live on. Still, I've ended a blog before because the time was right, and I had nothing more to say in that venue. Even if the Columnist Manifesto is over, I'm sure you'll feel the need to come back eventually.
Of course, there's nothing in the Manifesto that says you can't completely change your focus. So what if we've been spoiled on word verifiction, Project Runway analysis, iced coffee, and Existential Friday? We're loyal readers; we'll get over it.
I suppose the entry on codpieces falls in the "something completely different" category.
nvqctrp (NV-quick-trip): a weekend in Vegas. The perfect solution for blog depression, unless you live in Vegas.
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I'm over the part of my depression that's blog-related. (The rest of it still needs work.) So Brevity will live on. Still, I've ended a blog before because the time was right, and I had nothing more to say in that venue. Even if the Columnist Manifesto is over, I'm sure you'll feel the need to come back eventually.
Of course, there's nothing in the Manifesto that says you can't completely change your focus. So what if we've been spoiled on word verifiction, Project Runway analysis, iced coffee, and Existential Friday? We're loyal readers; we'll get over it.
I suppose the entry on codpieces falls in the "something completely different" category.
nvqctrp (NV-quick-trip): a weekend in Vegas. The perfect solution for blog depression, unless you live in Vegas.
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: 11:04 PM, September 19, 2006
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