That first month, I got 467 readers.
Stick with it, fellow-bloggers said. You’ll build readers, so I stuck with it. I have since written something like 6,220 entries that drew 65,250 comments (some entries more than others). One day, I got some 6,150 hits, though most days the numbers hovered around 2,000 or so.
I don’t know how that compares with other blogs. I was happy, though.
I have enjoyed this blog more than is healthy. I’ve moved heaven and earth to keep it updated, but never thought twice because I wanted so much to sit down and chat with my friends. Mr. DJ gave up asking, “What’s going on?” when I burst out laughing at something someone said here. I’ve missed sleep and other activities simply because this has been so stinking much fun.
But now? I’m moving the party. My blog at my day job at America’s Oldest Continuously Published Newspaper is going to go all-religion, all-the-time in the next few weeks, and because I don’t like to repeat myself much — though many of my better day job entries started here, first — I’m going to stop updating this blog, and spend my blogging energies over there. This is in addition to writing my newspaper column, teaching a couple of classes part-time, and maybe — just maybe — starting on something longer.
I encourage you to move with the party, though I’d understand if you don’t. I have to warn you that the comments on the current blog, “Fear, Itself,” can be quite barbed, and I’m assuming the same will be true on the as-yet-unnamed religion blog. Should you choose to throw your energies elsewhere, I hope that you’ll at least stay in touch.
Either way: Thank you. For whatever you’ve drawn from this blog, I’ve drawn twice as much. I appreciate you more than you know. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. And if you have any ideas for names for the new blog, I’m all ears.
Well! I’ve been here since the beginning and have loved the party (and most of the other guests). I’ll miss the smorgasbord of subjects, and I’ll miss the ability to have a response show up immediately and to read other immediate responses no matter what time of night or day, especially from our esteemed host and from the more knowledgeable of the commenters. It will be good, and it won’t be the same.
Thanks. I’m feeling a bit shaky about closing it down, myself, but I am excited about whatever’s next. That’s weird, I know.
Well, yikes.
But I’m mostly interested in DJ getting to do cool things, more and bigger and better, so that I can brag about knowing her. I’m here strictly for the social climbing, that’s just the way I am.
Maybe someone, not me, will establish a … successor blog and we can congregate there and DJ can bop in occasionally just to comment!
You’re sweet. I was thinking that very thing, myself, that someone can take the ball and run with it and of course I’d bop in. That came to me as I sat tonight staring at the moon on the ocean. So it must have some validity.
I’d be happy to run with the ball….I hate to say goodbye. I already follow your other blog and I love it but it’s not the same!
So send your articles my way folks. I’ll post them and we can continue cursing WordPress. And Todd.
Excellent. The scepter goes to the Most Worthy Vegas (who’s a better writer, anyway…but I’m taller, goddammit). I’ll throw up a link, just for the uninitiated.
This feels like decades ago when I left group therapy–I’m not sure I can face the world alone. In fact, I’m sure I can’t. I need my fellow travelers.
Done. Done and done. The one thing that has kept me from walking away is fear of losing touch with my friends, until I realized during one of those dark nights of the soul that friends stay in touch, whether through a blog, or Facebook, or any other means possible.
Well, yay! See, I walk away for a day and good things happen to come back to … must be the company.
MWAH to you, Bro. Just.
I’ve really only followed like three blogs ever and this is one of them. I can hardly express how much I’ve enjoyed the company here. And while I love this building and I will surely miss it, I look forward to following you over to the new facilites. I’ve heard that they have those super powerful hand dryers!
I’ll try to think of some suggestion for a name, but right now I can only come up with “The Lake of Fire” and that’s not very inviting.
I
But…but…but..I love The Lake of Fire. It has just the right amount of freaky to it. And thank you. Your participation and your presence here has added more than you’ll ever know, friend.
Awww. I’m still a bit of a neophyte here, but I loved the ride. Thank you!
Well, stay in touch!
And you, darling, must stay in touch because I know you’re going to go far and I want to say I knew you when. And then I want to come borrow money or something. You’ve been warned.
Wow, this is a shock. I have only been here about a year, but it feels like home, and I will miss it very much. I’ll certainly check in at the new “Fear, Itself,” but I fear that our (DJ denizens) more well-reasoned and insightful discussions will get drowned out.
Thank you so much for hosting this forum, for sharing so much of yourself with us, and best wishes in all that you undertake.
Yes, this makes me sad. The comment function there is even worse than here!
And yeah, DJ, that’s quite the following. I get 80 hits on a good day. If you have something you want to talk about, send it my way and we can all chat about it over there, K?
You betcha, DollFace. You are a fabulous writer and a very sharp wit, and I am honored you wandered over here.
I share that fear, that the more reasoned conversation will get drowned out, but I hope that wouldn’t be the case. However, I’m not out to proselytize for another blog. You start one, Sharon, and I’m so there. Or start a debate team, and I’m so there. I’d just as soon not match wits with you. I’d rather match wits with you and aim our mad verbal skills at someone else.
I’ve often wondered how you have managed to balance your work life and family life with all the attention you give us here. I’m going to miss this place.
I want to thank you for all the great information and resources I’ve been able to glean from this blog. Resources I probably never would have found on my own. I’ve learned a great deal from them…still do. But I learned more just listening to you. You inspire tolerance in the heart of a craggy old atheist falling off the left side of the bench. So…although I may not be as regular a commenter as one would expect, (we’ve discussed this…time/circumstance), I will be reading. And I have great expectations for “something longer” in the future. Please keep my email address. And if you think I might ever be able to assist you from the Way Out Left, please contact me. I consider you a friend, and would take great offense if you hesitated.
Also, please thank Mr. DJ for us. Thank him for all the time that should have been his, that ended up being ours.
I’m going to miss the people here and the conversation. I’ve learned a great deal from them, too. Thank you all.
Best of luck, Susan. Thank you so much for your time…and your patience.
Goddammit, Leftover. Now I’m bawling. If you don’t stay in touch, I think we both know that I am a trained investigator and I will hunt you down like the dog that you are. I take great comfort knowing you’re out there holding down the left side of the country, and taking no shit before it’s time.
Oh, and this: Mr. DJ would like to thank you for keeping me out of his hair. I have that direct from his own mouth. I think he’s a little concerned that now we’re going to have to start spending more time together. That could be weird.
Hey!
Don’t forget!
If it’s not Single Payer…it’s not reform.
Everybody in. Nobody out.
http://www.pnhp.org/
See ya in the funny papers.
You betcha, pal.
This may or may not be a good idea, but if anyone’s looking for idealist, sometimes angry, leftist worldview on facebook, I can be found here:
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=707406454
Chris, I’m sure, but I think your profile might be blocking even the “request to friend” function.
Anyway, here I am: facebook.com/firstgentrekkie
I meant, I’m not sure why.
It worked for me…
I sent a request to Chris. If anyone wants to find me it’s Sarah Sabin Tudor. Yeah, I’m not really anonymous.
Third time was a charm.
Firstgentrekkie. Very cool.
or maybe this:
facebook.com/christopher.bousquet
Stalkers, unite!
I’m kidding. I think this is a fabulous idea. One of the shittiest parts about stepping away from this is that some people might lose track of others, and I kind of think we need one another, at least sometimes. Or I’m probably speaking for myself here.
Buuuuuuuuuuut some of us aren’t on facebook. I know Vegas’s blog is http://playaminded.wordpress.com/ — and justjss’s is http://www.intotemptation.net/ — and there are others but we’ll have to search them out.
Everybody! Link to your blog (if you have one)!
Unh. My most recent comment is awaiting moderation because I included TWO links, I guess. I mentioned that some of us aren’t on facebook, but I know that a few of us have blogs, like Vegas http://playaminded.wordpress.com/
….and justjss’s is http://www.intotemptation.net/
and there are others but we’ll have to search them out!
I blog occasionally at http://firstgentrekkie.blogspot.com/
Mostly techie stuff, not political. Didn’t need to be, before now, but that could change. ;-)
Thank you Susan for everything-this is by far the best blog I’ve ever been on. You truly rock, and I look forward to go back to Fear, Itself…see you over there.
Okay, I wasn’t going to do this, what with all the nice things being said here and all, but Todd, if this is the best blog you’ve ever been on, I’d hate to read what you write on a blog that you hate.
I thought the same thing
Heh. Todd.
Well, darn. I wondered how you could keep pumping out several posts (too many to read and keep up with, even!) day after day. DJ, do you realize that most bloggers consider themselves prolific if they they post ONCE a day? It was too good to last, and I’m just sorry I stumbled upon this terrific site and its devoted community only recently. Echoing Cynical’s words, I’ll miss the “smorgasbord of subjects”; it is both rare and wonderful to find an online group that isn’t single-interest. I’ve had a lot of fun here – thanks, everyone!
Dang! And to make matters worse, when I tried your Courant blog, the computer froze up. I thawed it out but it froze up again.
I’m also administrator at http://montgomeryunite.informe.com
Everyone is welcome, and the Blog Title is Talk Montgomery. It began when the local newspaper’s forum administrator began heavily censoring entries and blocking users, a few years ago. A group of us formed this alternative site, and it was flourishing until some months ago, when the admin did a Susan on us and dropped it.
We’re trying to pump new life into it, and you’re welcome to help. Although there’s sections on Montgomery and Alabama, there are other sections as well.
The beauty of the Informe platform is that it isn’t WordPress. Deo gratias.
You can register, and immediately begin posting. You can quote, add YouTube selections, images, whatever. You can add new topics. Best of all, there’s no “Eight most recent” entries. You can go away for an hour or a week, come back, and dear Informe will tell you of all new entries since you last logged on.
Come on over!
Maybe we could just keep this thread going indefinitely…
I read a couple of entries on your blog where you talked about troubleshooting and fixing, Sharon — do you know how to get the comment-list back?
I’d look first on the Dashboard under Appearance > Widgets. There should be a widget called “Recent Comments” that can just be dragged over to the Sidebar. Every theme is a little different, but this should be a standard feature. Obviously only someone with the admin login can change this.
Yeah. Would that be the uncooperative wordpress-people?
No that would be the blog owner or her designee.
Hint hint.
Kind of moot, at this point.
Of course I will miss this place. On the other hand, it was your writing, Susan, at the Courant that inspired me to comment online for the first time…maybe 2 years ago? I never dreamed I’d get hooked on commenting on a blog. I guess I didn’t expect to make friends this way and I do consider you all friends. Thank you, DJ, for creating this and for providing not only thought provoking topics, but a home away from home. I’ll follow you over to your new address and I hope to see most of you over there, too. I look forward to your new creation, DJ, and hope you end up with plenty of time for sleeping and enjoying life away from the keyboard.
Who said anything about life away from the keyboard?!?!?! It’s like my breathing machine, I fear.
I’m kidding. Thanks, Jac. You are a gem and I mean that.
Well, I don’t really have anything to add to the above. But, oh how I will miss this blog! You, Margaret and Helen, Millard Fillmore’s Bathtub, Texas Liberal, Juanita Jean on so on have kept me partially sane the last few very trying months. I will check in on Fear Itself occasionally (but I won’t try to post there) and I will be eternally greatful for “Dating Jesus” book and author.
Thanks, Bro. Jerry. And the author is eternally grateful for you, too.
Speechless at the moment.
Damn! This is always one of the blogs I can count on to have thought-provoking discussions. I’ll miss it– but best of luck to you in your newest endeavor, Susan. (Though, at this moment, I’m feeling awfully sorry for myself. . . )
Me too, Jinky Beans! They say cold turkey is the best way, but clearly I’m having a hard time not checking in here. Just to see…
But yeah, Vegas is welcoming us over at her place, and the chat is good and the host is hospitable!
Plus the host is smart-as-hell. There’s always that to admire about Vegas.
Thank you, Jinky. I believe this will all work out, and for what it’s worth, I’m a little teary, myself.
i will miss the dj blog and its gang of mostly goodhearted correspondents, and ms. dj, i will follow you (not in a stalker way of course) anywhere. change can be good! this blog has been a source of joy, solace, and wisdom. its writer remains so. MWAH!
MWAH backatcha, Just Joan.
Awww… I can’t really believe it. I just barely dipped my toe in, and now the crick’s dried all up.
Thanks for all the wisdom and the conversation. I’ll find you elsewhere in cyberspace.
“There’s a place for us… somewhere a place for us… peace and quiet and open air(waves) wait for us somewhere…”
And we blame you for drying up the crick.
I’m lying. As I told Sis. Kick: Life is change and change is life and if we’re not changing, we’re dead. I’ve enjoyed this more than I can say, and thank you for playing.
I’ve heard various performers say “guitar strings are like people: they change and they change and they change, and when they stop changing, they’re dead.”
Works for me.
But….but….I just FOUND you!
[sound of weeping]
I’ll check you out in the other places. Sniff. Sniff.
And I do wish you well. I just wish ME well a teeny bit more. And me would feel better if Dating Jesus didn’t have to get all resurrected somewhere else.
And I found you, Donna, and I’m very grateful for that. I mean that, too.
No tears for me, I’m afraid. I
Whoops! I’m back!
No tears for me, I’m afraid. I am at the age where I realize that everything has a beginning and an end. Although an end is sometimes just a new beginning.
Here’s to a new beginning!
Amen!
Carol the long winded – I hope you find us….
I would love to see a blog named “shibboleth.” Don’t know if that suits your fancy…but good obscure biblical references seem to make all childhood CofCers super-happy in a sort of Pavlovian reflex. :)
I’m on Facebook 24/7 as all my best friendships must be technologically mediated these days. Come find me please!!!: facebook.com/jthweattbates
Done. And thank you.
or, and this is on behalf of my mom who always thought this would make a great band name, “Jephthah’s Daughter.” Now that’s got a nice fem edge to it, yeah?