Archiving

What’s good about me is that when I fail at something, I move on fast. I realized I will never beat the record of blog visits from years ago. It’s nobody’s fault, blog visits are down for everybody for obvious reasons.

So I started archiving all the old posts. This means I can see them (for sentimental reasons) but nobody is can. Most of the posts for 2009-10 are already gone. This will completely tank the visitor stats but if I can’t break the record anyway, I don’t care. 

Now that extreme self-righteousness is the dominant mode of online engagement and it’s spilling into RL, I see no reason to subject myself to the outbursts of idiots who disinter an ancient post on fluffy kittens and exclaim triumphantly, “So you are saying that you admire Hitler! You are a proud Nazi!”

If you look at the most recent comments, you’ll see an example of this. Some idiot read an old guest post and concluded that I “object to the existence of transgender people.” Not only does this post never mention transgender people, it wasn’t even written by me. But I’ll be damned if I enter into a discussion on whether I object to the existence of people because the end of that journey is total insanity. 

Enjoy the old posts for now because they will all be disappearing soon. 

26 responses to “Archiving”

  1. Crystallizing Chaos Avatar
    Crystallizing Chaos

    That’s a shame! I do occasionally enjoy browsing old posts at your blog. And I leave not trolling comments. 😉

    Please reconsider archiving them. Maybe you can turn off comments on old posts?

    Like

    1. Demotrash Avatar
      Demotrash

      Seconded. I’ve been reading this blog practically since it’s inception, I’d be sad to see old posts go.

      Like

      1. Clarissa Avatar

        Wow, I had no idea you were that old. 🙂

        It’s a joke, I’m not ageist.

        Like

    2. Clarissa Avatar

      I don’t want to come to work or go on the job market one day and hear, “Out with you, you Hitler-loving freak who objects to the existence of transgender people.” Academics are fired all the time for saying completely innocent things online. Everybody seems to accept that as good and normal, so what can I do?

      Like

      1. David Gendron Avatar

        Delete only those bad comments.

        Like

        1. Clarissa Avatar

          The problem isn’t the comments. It’s that the current mood of aggressive self-righteousness can pervert anything I have written over the years to present me as the major evildoer of planet.

          Like

          1. David Gendron Avatar

            They totally want Trump to be re-elected.

            Like

  2. el Avatar
    el

    Will you delete your book reviews too, including academic books?

    And the posts “how to … have a successful personal life” ?

    I’ve also enjoyed rereading some old posts. It is a pity that the current situation has led to that.

    Like

    1. Clarissa Avatar

      No, I’m leaving the reviews and the recipes.

      Hey, they are not deleted, just archived. I can restore them all at any time. I will retire at some point. 🙂

      Like

      1. el Avatar
        el

        \ No, I’m leaving the reviews and the recipes.

        Regarding the reviews, I’ve tried accessing Terry Eagleton’s On Evil, but it’s gone.

        Had I known, I would’ve saved a few reviews of books I want to read.

        Now am wondering whether the situation is that bad everywhere in the Western world, or only in America.

        Like

        1. Clarissa Avatar

          As you can see in my most recent post, this overblown, dramatic posturing is contagious.

          Like

      2. Dreidel Avatar
        Dreidel

        “No, I’m leaving the reviews and the recipes.”

        Leave the adorable baby pictures instead.

        Like

        1. Clarissa Avatar

          Of course, those are all staying. I don’t think even the most overwrought can turn them against me.

          Like

  3. el Avatar
    el

    Another option (if you would want to do that) could have been to make (some of most interesting of) those posts “friends only,” meaning password protected.

    Like

    1. Clarissa Avatar

      I can’t do that in bulk and it’s thousands of posts. I tried that at first but it will take forever.

      Like

  4. el Avatar
    el

    What about “Nation-State & Fluidity” series?

    Like

    1. Clarissa Avatar

      Those are more recent. I’m only archiving the old ones right now.

      Like

      1. Anon Avatar
        Anon

        I love your older posts on feminism and psychological insights and come back and read them every so often. What a pity they’ll be gone!

        Like

        1. Clarissa Avatar

          I agree. What a pity. But blogging doesn’t pay the bills.

          Like

  5. DWeird Avatar
    DWeird

    Huh. Not to be overtly dramatic myself, but doesn’t this defeat the purpose of the blog itself – as defined by your tagline at least?

    Where will this academic’s opinions go after this? Does this mean you’re reconsidering the merit of blogging as a platform?

    Like

    1. Clarissa Avatar

      It’s actually worse than that. I’m reconsidering the merit of public engagement on the part of academics. So no, you are not being the least dramatic. We are all losing something important here.

      Like

      1. DWeird Avatar
        DWeird

        You’re one of the biggest advocates of public engagement that I know, so this is a big change. Could you talk about the reasons behind both the initial enthusiasm and why it has faded? Anything beyond what you’ve already mentioned here?

        Like

  6. Cicero Avatar
    Cicero

    I understand your reasons for archiving your old posts and I respect them. I admit I am saddened. I have not been reading “from the beginning” and have sometimes read back. But like you said, “blogging doesn’t pay the bills.” — Saddened but Understanding

    Liked by 1 person

  7. Shakti Avatar
    Shakti

    If you look at the most recent comments, you’ll see an example of this. Some idiot read an old guest post and concluded that I “object to the existence of transgender people.” Not only does this post never mention transgender people, it wasn’t even written by me. But I’ll be damned if I enter into a discussion on whether I object to the existence of people because the end of that journey is total insanity.

    Lock the comments on that post and the old posts. Bloggers do this all the time. If you’re worried about people leaving dumb comments on years old posts just set the posts to lock after x period of time. Very few people leave comments on old posts like that open. I’ve even seen people lock posts while they’re on vacation.

    Like

    1. Clarissa Avatar

      As I already said, it’s not commenters I worry about. It’s the agressive right-fighters who will try to get me fired based on some completely out of context thing I said back in 2009.

      When I started blogging, there was no Twitter-fueled hysteria like there is today. The Twitter frame of mind is making online self-expression impossible.

      Like

      1. Shakti Avatar
        Shakti

        It’s the agressive right-fighters who will try to get me fired based on some completely out of context thing I said back in 2009.
        Make your blog avatar doesn’t match your avatar on any other site, especially ones with your real name/real place of work.
        Definitely archive any posts that make it easy to guess the same.

        Like

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