Photographer and blogger Kirk Tuck, in summing up his 2018, wrote:
Everyone should have at least one safe space in which to be archly and profoundly opinionated.
I’m not sure if Kirk was writing tongue in cheek. In any event, I always look forward to his posts.
Kirk’s blog is called the Visual Science Lab. He’s been blogging since 2009 and has more than 1,300 followers.
Given all that has happened, 2018 now seems like a long time ago. I wonder what the next two years will bring our way.
What motivates people to blog? The late Nora Ephron (1941 – 2012) writing on HuffPost in 2006 explained that:
getting heard outside the world of blogs occasionally requires that you have something to say. And one of the most delicious things about the profoundly parasitical world of blogs is that you don’t have to have anything much to say. Or you just have to have a little tiny thing to say. You just might want to say hello. I’m here. And by the way. On the other hand. Nevertheless. Did you see this? Whatever. A blog is sort of like an exhale. What you hope is that whatever you’re saying is true for about as long as you’re saying it. Even if it’s not much.
Among her many accomplishments, Ephron wrote the script for the lovely romantic comedy When Harry Met Sally.
I hope to share other answers to this question.
Sijmen J. Mulder has a wonderful directory of websites composed with simple, marked up, hyperlinked text. These sites load quickly, scroll smoothly and preserve battery life on mobile devices.
For example, the full CNN site uses 13.4 MB of data, makes 426 requests and loads in 3.53 seconds. In contrast, CNN Lite uses 486 kB of data, makes nine requests and loads in 530 milliseconds.
There are some great light sites on Mulder’s list including Pinboard and the blog of Pinboard’s founder Maciej Cegłowski. Try them. They load lickety-split.
What have we done to the internet?
Om explains why he no longer posts on Instagram:
And then there is Instagram, which I have given up for Lent. I must say, it is quite a relief to not be looking at all those other photos and perfect lives. It is great to not think about where I could be, and instead be grateful for where I am. I have been walking around town looking for images and then sharing them on my own blog or with friends over iMessage. There have been discussions on the relative merits and demerits of certain photos. It is incredibly refreshing to actually get a conversation instead of a “heart.”
But the best part of not being on IG is the absence of influencers and ads selling me substandard shit. I’ll admit that I have fallen prey to ads promising gold (actually, no-show socks and joggers) that turned out to be utter crap. I have ended up ordering USB cables that are just horrible. But I’ve learned my lesson: I don’t trust anything being advertised on Instagram and peddled by influencers. And I’m glad to be rid of them.
Om still has an Instagram account but explained on June 1, 2020 that he is “out” of Instagram.
The Euro TV Place is an excellent source of recommendations for great European television. Linda Jew, the founder of the site, regularly publishes detailed reviews.
I enjoy French television because it helps me keep up and improve my French. Modern television lets you hear the way people speak in everyday life, which often is different from what is taught in foreign language classes.
I’ve enjoyed great television I learned about at The Euro TV Place including:
If you’re interested in exploring new television, The Euro TV Place is a great resource. The blog discusses many new shows each month.
