Stoat, who I do still sometimes read, had a recent post about the state of the blogging game. Some resonated with me, which I why I thought I would write this post. It does feel that the “blogging game” has clearly changed quite a lot. It really doesn’t feel nearly as active as it once was and there isn’t the same kind of back-and-forth that used to take place.
In my case, I think I’ve tried to stick to writing about topics that I find interesting, and have mostly tried to stay in some kind of lane; topics for which physics, or being in academia, might provide some relevant expertise. Of course, I haven’t always done so. It would be boring if one never went outside one’s comfort zone, but I think I mostly drift back. I also don’t really write this blog expecting anyone else to take it seriously; it can be both nice, but also somewhat stressful, when people do.
I’ve been writing this blog for just over 10 years, and one obvious issue is that it’s difficult to remain enthusiastic if you feel that you’re mostly just repeating yourself. Nothing fundamentally wrong with this, but not particularly interesting, both for the writer and the reader. I could try to explore different topics, but I don’t really have the time, or the energy, to become informed enough to write about them. I’m also not really trying to be heard, and I have enough going on without worrying about how active, or popular, the blog is.
I do somewhat miss the conversations that I used to have more of, either here, on other blogs, or on X/Twitter. Maybe it is still possible to have them, but it does feel as though it’s much more difficult to have nuanced discussions about complex topics. Many of the vocal people on social media seem to be mostly trying to broadcast their views, rather than putting out ideas that they’re happy to have challenged (even if they say otherwise). I’m also not a fan of intemperate exchanges. I typically regret being uncharitable, even if the other party might have deserved it, and just can’t be bothered starting discussions that aren’t likely to go well.
Overall, it’s been a mostly interesting experience writing the blog and it doesn’t really bother me that the “blogging game” has changed. I’ve learned a lot and I have mostly enjoyed the conversations that I have had. Change is probably inevitable and expecting things to stay the same is probably unrealistic. That doesn’t mean that I don’t think that the public discourse couldn’t be better, but I don’t really think that complaining about it on blogs will make much difference.