by Jerome du Bois
Steven Den Beste, the long-essay genius who piloted USS Clueless for three years, has retired from blogging. David from Rishon-Rishon called my attention to comments Den Beste made on David's blog, responding to a post by Nelson Ascher. Ascher posted:
According to Glenn Reynolds, Instapundit: HOWARD OWENS has returned to the blogosphere. Who's next? Steven Den Beste?
and Den Beste weighed in on Rishon-Rishon comments. He explains with his usual pungency:
You can forget it. It's not going to happen. I've been suffering for years from a genetically-caused degenerative disease. For the last year or so, the only way I was able to continue posting was by taking increasing doses of very powerful stimulants. (Understand that they were palliative; there's no cure or treatment for the underlying disease, and no one knows what causes it. The only reason it's known to be genetic is because it is found in family lines. In my case it was my father's family.)
Those prescription drugs have serious side effects which I put up with in order to be able to keep writing for the site. But as that year went on, my enjoyment in writing for the site drained away.
It's entirely possible that there were thousands of satisfied readers who enjoyed what I wrote, but I never heard from most of them. 80% or more of my email consisted of kibitzing, criticism, and other forms of ankle-biting. "Ignore them" someone said, but that's easy for you to say. Ignoring one or two such letters isn't too hard. But when it goes on like that day after day, week after week, dozens of such letters each week, I reached the point where writing posts became a duty, something I had to force myself to do, not something I looked forward eagerly to doing. Instead of looking forward to the process of writing, I cringed about the negative email I was guaranteed to receive in response.
As to that purported majority who may have liked what I was writing, I did occasionally hear from them. Such letters usually begin like this: "I've been a reader of your site for a very long time, and have long enjoyed what you've written. But now I'm writing for the first time because I've found something I can criticize."
That's not helpful when it comes to encouragement.
Before you go read the rest, which you should, relfect with me, especially if you're a blogger, on the bolded part.
I know I should have commented more there. Hell, I didn't even have him on my miserable blogroll.
I think I need to comment more, as I sail around the blogosphere, especially when something rings my bell. It's the least I could do for this guy who taught me so much.
Posted by Jerome at December 22, 2004 12:39 PM | TrackBackSeveral years ago, long before I had even heard of "blogging," I read somewhere that of all the people who visit message boards only 10% ever post anything. What that says to me is that 90% of the people are passive. They may like to read stuff online but they rarely have anything to say. The only time most people do have something to say it's because something has annoyed them or because they think they know more than the writer and they want to show off or be "helpful."
I rarely bother to write anything critical either in comments or in an email. When I was into message boards I never hesitated to jump into the fray. It was part of the "fun" - part of the "culture" of message boards. But blogs are different. Visiting a message board is sort of like going to a bar or some other public gathering place. Blogs are more personal. Visiting one is more like visiting an acquantance at their home. You wouldn't go into someone's home and start criticizing - telling them what they should talk about and how they should talk about it and that you hate the way they've arranged the furniture. At least that's the way I feel about it. Obviously other people feel differently.
Posted by: Lynn S at December 23, 2004 03:14 PMLynn:
You said it just right.
By the way, are "acquantances" casual underwater friends? If so, we'd like to meet them.
Joke. Couldn't resist.
JdB
Posted by: Jerome du Bois at December 23, 2004 04:29 PMDOH! (What did we ever do before we had the word "doh"?) I always have trouble with that word but I usually leave out the "c" and the look at it and wonder what's wrong. This time I remembered the "c" and didn't even think about the rest.
Posted by: Lynn S at December 23, 2004 05:07 PMLynn:
Not to worry. I cherish my wife's Yogi Berra neologisms, which include "disjarring" and "enlifting." I wish I could come up with stuff like that.
JdB
Posted by: Jerome du Bois at December 23, 2004 06:47 PM