Taking A Break
07/12/2019
There won't be any new posts here for the next two weeks. I'm going to be away from computers and will only have internet access via my phone. Usually in this situation I write a post or two in advance and schedule them for automatic posting later on, but this time I'm going to take a break.
And it may be permanent. I'm thinking of ending the blog--not removing it, but not updating it anymore. Or possibly ending this one and starting a new one restricted entirely to discussions of books, music, and movies/tv. I've been wrestling with the possibility for some months now. The basic reason is that I absolutely must drastically reduce the amount of time I spend online. I mean drastically. I'm not sure I can do that and still keep the blog going. Besides, I've been doing this for fifteen years (!) and maybe it's run its course.
I'll say more about the pros and cons in a couple of weeks. Probably I'll have made up my mind by then. If you have an opinion, feel free to let me know, either in the comments or by email.
There's a diatribe from Kevin Williamson in the latest NR magazine. Its about mindless memes versus actual conversation.
By inference: One likes or shares memes on Twitter or facebook, whereas its possible to have a conversation on a blog. Its just that much less likely to have conversations with people one barely knows on facebook, or people one does not know at all on twitter.
This blog has been a place where conversations do occur. I am guessing that you have less traffic and fewer conversations than in the old days.
I will still be sorry if you pull up sticks and disappear altogether, first because there are conversations on here, and second, selfishly, because 95% of the music I've listened to in the past 15 years, and maybe 50% of the movies and TV has been recommended by you or Rob G or Janet. With movies it has gone both ways at times, with me nagging you for ages to watch The Wire, for instance.
Posted by: grumpy in recovery | 07/13/2019 at 01:38 PM
Did you?! That must have been many ages ago then, because it’s been a long time since I watched it. Been thinking about a reprise.
Not sure if traffic has fallen off, never was very high, but conversation certainly has. Too many other online attention getters maybe?
Posted by: Mac | 07/13/2019 at 03:29 PM
I thought you would know better than I would about the actual numerical traffic!
Posted by: Grumpy | 07/13/2019 at 05:54 PM
I do although for many years I didn’t. There are anywhere from 50 to 250 page views a day. Minuscule compared even to a blog like neoneocon. What I don’t know for sure is whether that’s fallen off in say the past two years. I don’t think so, or not greatly. But there’s less conversation.
Posted by: Mac | 07/13/2019 at 06:52 PM
Wow that is a lot!
Posted by: Grumpy | 07/13/2019 at 06:54 PM
I think conversation has drained into facebook and twitter. ThTs a shame because out there its mainly memes, not conversation.
Posted by: Grumpy in the Midwest | 07/13/2019 at 06:58 PM
Yeah. And Twitter especially seems to bring out the absolute worst in some people. Some of them in very prominent positions. :-/
Posted by: Mac | 07/13/2019 at 10:05 PM
I enjoy the conversations here, when I'm interested enough in the subject to jump in. I don't really have any anyplace else in the webverse or whatever you call it. Facebook is just a bunch of people telling me their political likes and dislikes by posting articles and memes, most of which I ignore. Other than keeping up with people long distance, I guess I only use FB and Twitter for news on literature and music I want to keep up with. Seems I have little human interaction unless I want to jump into the political fray, which is basically useless. I'm more about your posts along the lines of Quadrophenia I guess. And Atlas Shrugged, ha!
Posted by: Stu | 07/14/2019 at 09:42 AM
Yes I would have to say I prefer the music and movies!
Posted by: Grumpy in the Midwest | 07/14/2019 at 11:24 AM
Ditto. I'm not on FB or Twitter, and I can get political discussion elsewhere, although here it does tend to be much more civil than other places. I very much enjoy the "non-polemical" nature of the discussions here.
Posted by: Rob G | 07/14/2019 at 12:46 PM
I have seen very few blogs where the commenters have discussions with each other. Usually, everyone just addresses the blogger. Granted, I have never visited lots of blogs, but this lack of discussion is probably part of the reason for that. LoDW has really been more like a message board, and I will miss that.
Like Grumpy, I have bought very little music that I did not hear here first.
AMDG
Posted by: Janet | 07/14/2019 at 03:28 PM
I never have done all that much current- events stuff, but I have a hard time not writing about bigger picture crisis of civilization stuff. I need to give that up.
Posted by: Mac | 07/14/2019 at 04:12 PM
#WhatEveryoneAboveSaid :)
Posted by: Marianne | 07/14/2019 at 05:12 PM
[thumbs up]
Posted by: Mac | 07/15/2019 at 08:10 AM
I don't like the crisis of civ stuff and I like it less and less over the years. I doubt if that will encourage you to give it up!
Posted by: Grumpy as Ever | 07/15/2019 at 10:58 AM
Im just so glad not to be still listening to Van Morrison and the Water Music. I mean, I do listen to them, but its not the only thing as it would be without this blog, most likely.
Posted by: Grumpy as Ever | 07/15/2019 at 10:59 AM
That’s nice to know.
Actually I don’t need any encouragement to give up the crisis-of-civ stuff. I’ve already decided that, though it will still be a temptation. Question is whether to stop blogging altogether.
Posted by: Mac | 07/15/2019 at 12:04 PM
I have given up Twitter and Facebook since 4 July. This was supposed to be followed (once I got used to it) by decreasing internet use generally. So far I have not managed to follow it up, but I want to.
Posted by: grumpy in recovery | 07/15/2019 at 08:12 PM
I’m afraid I may be like an alcoholic, a true one who can’t touch it at all without binging. I would get off Facebook if it weren’t for a few people I want to keep in touch with and only “see” there.
Speaking of Facebook, it seemed to me that it got a lot quieter several months after the 2016 election. It was full of political fury for a while before and after, but then most of the combatants got quiet. Maybe ten years from now we’ll laugh at all the anxiety about those obsolete “social media” companies.
Posted by: Mac | 07/15/2019 at 09:17 PM
Just a few words from a long-time-reader-first-time-commenter: I love your blog and I would be very sorry to see it go. Its unsensational, quiet tone and low-key humor are qualities which are getting increasingly difficult to find, especially online.
I have my daily dose of the crisis-of-civ stuff from Rod Dreher, so I'm not sure I need it from another source. Yes, the Western civilization as we know it is probably ending; yes, it's sad; no, there's nothing we can do about it. But discussions of books, music and movies - ah, that's quite another matter. In fact, I came across your blog searching for opinions about Charles Williams's books, and I found here not only what I looked for but so much more.
Some time ago you mentioned you were writing a book. Perhaps a thought that an unknown reader in a faraway country is waiting for it may be encouraging... or just the contrary ;-)
Posted by: A reader from Poland | 07/16/2019 at 05:21 AM
Hardly the contrary. :-)
I have in fact finished the book—well, a draft. It’s about to get an extensive revision. Also, several years ago I “self-published” a collection of pieces from the blog. It’s called Sunday Light. I would put in an Amazon link but am doing this on my phone.
Anyway this is great to hear. Thank you.
Posted by: Mac | 07/16/2019 at 06:57 AM
I am one of those whose commenting frequency has gone down over the past year or so. In my case the reasons have to do with being overstretched and not being able to give attention and time to things like I used to (and would like to). But I still read everything!
Like your (I almost said 'our') kind Polish reader said, this space, small and little-frequented as it may be in the grand scheme of things, is unusually civil, thoughtful, and interesting. It would be sad to see it stop. But your concerns about being online too much are reasonable and honourable.
Posted by: Craig | 07/25/2019 at 12:45 PM
Thank you. I can’t complain about decreasing participation by others as my own has also decreased. I’m now approaching the end of the two weeks of traveling during which I was going to make up my mind and have already changed it twice.
Posted by: Mac | 07/25/2019 at 03:44 PM
My question is why you would start another blog to talk about music, books, etc., instead of doing it here.
AMDG
Posted by: Janet | 07/26/2019 at 04:55 AM
The name, mainly. Especially if it were only music.
Posted by: Mac | 07/26/2019 at 09:02 AM
Oh dear.
Posted by: Janet | 07/26/2019 at 11:32 AM
Yeah. It would not be the same sort of thing st all, hence the need to start a new blog. That would be somewhat true even if it includes books and movies/tv. Lodw has always been very wide-ranging.
Posted by: Mac | 07/26/2019 at 04:28 PM