Bloggers Owe Us Nothing: Gratitude, and That's Right

When bloggers quit it sends shivers through the network of tiny habits people have formed which relied on that virtual spot however slightly, or alternately, however intensely, and yet when the bastards quit we have to remember, we have to remember well, they owe us nothing.

In the immortal words of the Beastie Boys:

Good times gone but you feed it
Hate’s grown strong you feel you need it
Just one thing do you know
What you think that the world owes you
What’s gonna set you free
Look inside and you’ll see
When you’ve got so much to say
It’s called gratitude, and that’s right

So as our spiritual leaders have told us, that feeling of hate one feels toward the quitter is really "gratitude" and we're just whiny bastards that think the hubris... um "the world", owes us. Indeed, they havn't "quit", the show's just over, they're all out of beer, there is nothing to pour, Mike D is sick, the tour is off.

But remember... the blogger owes you nothing, least of all what you already got from him.

Fuck.

Comments

[Hubris]

Ah, man...that was nice. And that's a kickass song.

I totally owe you and the other commenters for all the times your comments made me laugh like hell, and for reading the assorted bullshit I wrote. Thanks for that.

[JD]

Hubris - you will be missed. Greatly. But I speak only for myself. ;-)

[Jason McClain]

there is still time for Hubris to reconsider his ghastly decision. If he does, there is also still time for me to call my cousin Guido and to tell him that he does not need to leave the Florida area with Hubris' head in an igloo cooler for me to pee on the bitch's face for quitting.

Or something like that...

[pyrrho]

many liberals ended up sticking around this site... and that never for a second made hubris reconsider his sponsorship.

Hubris and I slightly disagree on everything, other than accepting each other's point we drift in opposite directions, the section of the net he discovers and frequences is totally different in nature from mine, except on his recomendation I've found that side.

I really value hubris for these qualities, he is the sort I can listen to for this sort of exposure, with a trust, I don't see a manipulative bone in his body except, possibly, in his satire which manipulates us into laughing our asses off at the absurdity of stupid manipulative assumption... oh, and colin ferrel's penis too.

but it's not just the satire and the laughs and the sponsorship... I value hubris because of the man and his sentiments... I wish we had a nation full of hubris'.

[Winston Smith]

That would indeed be A Good Thing.

It would make for a lot of beautiful children, too.

[pyrrho]

it's a bit odd that he frequences web sites instead of frequents them, but I'm ok with that.

[Kav]

It is always a shame when a favourite entertainer gives up. It is even worse when one has come to admire and respect that person to the extent that you feel a friendship towards them. Much, much worse when that friendship is reciprocated. That is why it feels worse when a favourite blogger stops; bloggers are not just entertainers, we develop relationships with them. They become our friends and so we feel like we own them a little more. Therefore when one packs it all in it can be difficult on a couple of levels; a regular part of our day disappears in a puff of smoke, and the regular interaction with a friend is curtailed.

On the other hand, we can look back and say thank you for the fun we had while it lasted and, just as with so many other aspects of our lives, we move on. Things come and things go and by taking the long view and thinking of them as our friends, instead of trained monkeys dancing for our pleasure, we should wish them well. Obviously the decision is made in an effort to improve their life, or because it is necessary. Therefore it would be churlish of us to moan and stamp and demand our toy back. It is nice to see that we are all grown up enough not to do that except in the most blatant of comedic gestures.

[Mark V.]

If I had Kav's way with words, I would have written what he did.

[pyrrho]

come on, you have to admit hubris, to quit blogging every year would be a great gimick! You'd be famous!

But for it to work you'd have to pretend to blog inbetween quitting times.

[JD]

pyrrho - despite the fact that you and I disagree on everything, not practically everything, I still enjoy debating with you.

I am obviously only speaking for myself, but I agree with Kav on how we all seem to have become friends, in some sort of manner. Little by little, parts of our personal lives have crept into our posts, and over time, it really does seem like we have become a quite dysfunctional group of friends that really likes to argue. I suppose it is much like the family reunions I attend for the Irish side of my family.

At any rate, it has been a pleasure.

[JD]

And for what it is worth, I can personally attest that Hubris has made me a better online person. I recall my initial forays into spinsanity, and I spouted some quality firebrand rhetoric. Not that I no longer think that way, but Hubris was instumental in showing me that there is a far more measured and detatched way to approach even the worst of the barking moonbats.

[Kav]

I count myself proud to be a barking moonbat for you, J.D., you raving, wingnut, Chimpy-McHitler-loving freeper.

:-)

Pyrrho, I, I, I don't think he's coming back >tremble<

He's really left us...

By the by, now that I can see all of Hubris' archives, be ready for a spate of funny stuff over at my blog. If you recognise any of it, just keep stum.

Shhhh, mum's the word...

[pyrrho]

JD,

thank you, I agree on the rag tag arguing group, friendship, and Hubris' affect... it's been enjoyable and I'm glad to know you all. I hope we continue to run into each other on the internets.

Kav,

I know! I know.

Conversation in my soul:

Mom! Hubris is being mean to me.

Mom says, "just read your own blog honey, just be thankful"

I don't wanna Mom! dontwannadontwanna!

----

Seriously. Yes, I sense hubris is really gone this time, and I really believe my post, I got a lot more than nothing, and so that's that, though I do think it would be great to quit blogging regularly and is a gimick someone ought to try. At the least, Hubris, I would like you to know, as you must by now, how welcome back you will be if you do decide to blog regularly again... none of this "but I quit" stuff... rebirth! Rebirth is a great thing.

cheers all.

[JD]

So where will everybody migrate to from here ?

[Kav]

I ain't going nowhere! I'm just thinking up fascinating things to post, but at the moment, I got nothing!

[pyrrho]

JD, hard to know.

any suggestions?

[JD]

I have found myself straying towards more partisan sites, on each side of the aisle. This seems to simply add to my frustration with politics in general.

[Kav]

I don't mind the partisan sites so much, well actually I do but at least I know what I am in for when I go looking. What bugs the hell out of me are those time when I am reading some nice, well measured piece (that I may not agree with) and then I am thrown off course by some throwaway comment that is obviously received wisdom on their 'side'. It really irritates me, especially when delivered in smug tones. But then, I probably do it as well without realizing it.

[Kav]

has anyone else noticed?

Hubris begins his long sabbatical (infinite?) and at the very same time, Averroes stops posting.

Coincidence, or fiendish subterfuge?

:-P

[JD]

Fiendish subterfuge, if I have ever seen it.