The world’s smallest mammal is hibernating. Join me in a prayer to Saint Eugenie for its rested return. We could see it coming in the titles of recent clogs…
The winter of blogger discontent…
Blog Prison, wherein the shutterclogger spoke of the boring nature of the form, with emphasis on template dominated design.
Shutterclog Sunset, and
So we’ll go no more a blogging.
Niek’s experienced a serious bout of bad health recently, and I think he’s feeling disconnected from the community that nurtured him for so many years. If he feels it’s time to ring down the curtain on Shutterclog, well… all shows must close. I hope you don’t stay away too long, friend.
On a lighter note, while some blogs’ vital signs are depressed, and others have gone the way of all blogs, Abe Vigoda lives.
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
You gotta be kidding me! “disconnected from a community that nurtured me for so many years”? What community? It’s bullshit, Frank and you know it.
I dunno Niek. I enjoy your work, and I’m glad you’ve emerged at Shutterclog with more interesting (and yummy) photos. I think if we can hang out together in virtual space, run into each other face-to-face from time to time, respond cordially to each other, get a rush from each other’s work… I think those conditions start to describe “community.” What else is it when an artist has people about who are appreciative of his work?
Are some of us assholes, arrivistes, exploitative and just general sons-of-bitches (or simply the bitches) ourselves? Certainly. But you’ve been around for a long time sharing your work regularly in a web publishing format that is a lot like blogging. You’ve run into good people and bad actors. (My challenge is to see that the bad actors are actually good people at some fundamental level, but I’m not asking you to buy into that.)
You’ve had some health problems and I’ve heard (or read) peoples’ concern for you, but a comment on a post or an email doesn’t take the place of real time, real space neighborliness and family.
I hope someday to sit down with you over a cup of coffee and yak about old times in the blog world. I suppose my use of the word “nurture” was a little off-putting. I don’t think any of us have put much food on your table, given you a back rub when you needed it, or sat with you while you’re sick, but shit… I still think it’s a community.
Well, thanks for explaining. I really do appreciate it. Maybe it’s a cultural difference, I dunno, but I feel the word “community” is often so overrated on the net, just like the word “friend”. That cuppa coffee is a good idea and I would like that too some day. Not that I see myself traveling anywhere soon these days, but it’s the thought that counts.
Living in Madison, Wisconsin as I do, and associating with a bunch of peaceniks on a regular basis, my language is colored by terms like “community.” I do my best to steer clear of what those around me are mainlining in the way of political correctitude, but some of that stuff just reflects my values. “Community,” “love and friendship,” these are things that I consciously try to move my inner curmudgeon toward every day. Not that I do a very good job.