I’ve been doing this blog thing for nearly 4 years. My Dog is Chelsea, in all, contains just over 400 posts. That’s roughly 100 posts a year, or about a post every 3 days. Which means, obviously, I used to keep this thing updated on a near-constant basis, considering that these days we’re lucky to see 5 entries a month. Back then (back when I had free time), readership was at its peak of about 75 to 100 visitors a day, drawing at times as many as 30 comments per post. Now—well, I don’t even bother to check the stat counter anymore, but I can assure you (all five of you) that the vast majority of visitors come in search of pictures of didgeridoos and other images I don’t even remember posting to this site. They are not here long enough to read even the “My Dog” part of the header.
Not quite sure why I’m telling you any of this. I do believe I had a real blogworthy thing to say when I sat down to type, but somehow that’s been pushed aside in favor of that numbers that tell the story of my dwindling attention to this website.
Anyway, today I was thinking about networks and computers and the Internet while reading about Web 3.0 and the Semantic Web, neither of which I can even pretend to fully understand, let alone explain here. There is a point where computer science (a black hole of mystery for me) leaves the realm of technical application and becomes a philosophy well beyond ordinary human comprehension, and for me this is where it begins. But nonetheless, all of that computery thinking reminded me of the Most Fascinating Things I’ve Ever Read on the Internet, a couple of old posts from Universe, a really, really good science blog that I am happy to see is active again after a few months on hiatus:
Enjoy those, they are worth it.
Anyway. Big week we just had. A presidential debate, the collapse of the economy, McCain’s grand-standing act of fake leadership (also known as a cheap and dangerous campaign gimmick), Palin’s embarrassing appearances with Katie Couric and the loss of one of the greatest actors of our time, Paul Newman. I’ve got more to say about all of this, but I am in the midst of making chanterelle risotto out of the massive supply of mushrooms my friend foraged yesterday, so I’ll just leave you with a great quote from my favorite Paul Newman movie, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof:
“Heroes in the real world live twenty-four hours a day, not just two hours in a game. You won’t live with mendacity but you’re an expert at it. The truth is pain and sweat and payin’ bills and makin’ love to a woman that you don’t love anymore. Truth is dreams that don’t come true and nobody prints your name in the paper ’til you die.” – Big Daddy
*Just kidding about the meaning of life part
4 responses so far ↓
1 Dennis // Sep 30, 2008 at 9:46 pm
Hey your posts are still very informative. Keep it up and I will reccommend you.
2 TimsHead // Oct 1, 2008 at 3:45 am
As a person who has long posted skepticism about the Next Big Thing, I almost wonder if folks everywhere have been waiting for an excuse to use Web 3.0 and claim they invented the term. It’s the huxterism and hyperbole that accompanies every claim of Web advancement that makes me dubious. When the Internet will be able to intuitively know what I want for lunch and have it delivered, then I’ll get on the gee-whiz train. Or flying car … and where is that flying car we were promised anyway?
As for your blog, my blog, everyone’s blog, seems traffic has slowed. Maybe it’s Facebook’s fault. Maybe traditional blogs just don’t seem as cool as they once were. Maybe many people are working 2.5 jobs and raising 2.5 kids and too busy to read and/or comment.
Whatever the case, know that I am always reading this blog and always enjoying it!
3 jiffer // Oct 1, 2008 at 5:18 pm
i check the blog almost everyday. i am always interested in what is going on, what you have observed, or what you are thinking about.
4 michael5000 // Oct 2, 2008 at 11:00 am
Why no didgeridoo picture this week?