I just got through writing a long post in which I detailed all the reasons that I am likely to cease this blog. And WordPress ate it. A sign? Probably not.
At any rate, there have been three events this year which have made me consider whether I want to continue this blog. All three events included google, content here, and usage in a way I would prefer didn’t happen.
I feel that lately this blog has been counterintuitive towards my aim of writing more - instead of spending time on articles, I’ve been putting up quick posts and doing nothing more with them. I think it’s also lost some relevance since I’m no longer job seeking. Lastly, there are so many other blogs and feeds for information out there. This blog started when I was still doing Between the Stacks, my weekly radio show. Things have changed since then. Wikis, citeUlike, CiteSeer and other resources are much better homes for a lot of the content that makes its way here.
So here’s what I plan to do - backup the blog and take it down. If within the next month I strongly feel the need to blog something, I will. If not, I won’t.
fiona,
i understand your reticence to continue blogging: it’s supposed to help with information overload, but can very easily do the opposite. i’ve found that blogs (e.g. my ‘RSS in special libraries’ project: tonneten.net/library) are often really ‘project logs’ (fortunately, ‘plogs’ didn’t take off as a term, though ‘blawgs’ has…): once the reason for doing it has vanished (i.e. from changing circumstances), the focus changes, and the site suffers.
ifwhen you cease, i’ll miss your feed: it’s one of the most informed and considered library-related site around.
D<<
Speaking as another who enjoys Blisspix…
“instead of spending time on articles, I’ve been putting up quick posts and doing nothing more with them.”
Boy, can I empathize with that one. I have to deliberately fight the tendency to
wastespend an hour writing a casual blog essay when I should be working on a more substantive Cites & Insights piece–and, for that matter, Cites & Insights has distracted me from more formal publishing opportunities.Blogging is seductive/addictive, both for the reader and the writer. That can be a good thing or a trap. If you’re finding it a trap, then maybe going cold turkey is your best bet.
I’ve found your posts informative as well. Nothing wrong with short posts. What you think is trivial could turn out to be really useful information to others.