Monday, December 26

Saying "Goodbye" to Old Friends

Today is "Boxing Day." I used to think it was the day after Christmas since you'd put everything back into boxes. Seems, however, that the day has more to do with British class structure than putting stuff away. If you go over to my "other sites to visit" page, you'll notice that there are quite a few "Bike Blogs in Hibernation" links. Well, I'm going to some of these away unless my loyal reader demands otherwise. My criteria for deletion is very simple: No posts in the last full year. Using this criteria, the sites that will be gone include:


Big Oak Bikes - no posts in the last three years
Biking in Dallas - no posts in nearly three years, but you can check on Facebook if you're into Facebook
Carbon Trace - Andy seems to have quietly given up blogging about anything having to do with bikes
CycleDog - Ed's last post was more than three years ago. I miss his posts.
Cycling in Heels - I'm going to add a link to her shop's blog at "Bicycle Belle."
Cycling Unbound - last post was over two years ago. Perhaps Fred found out that sidewalk riding is a losing proposition?
Doohickie - Doohickie, to his credit, said he was leaving the blog more than three years ago. You can find him on Facebook
Hugh's Bicycle Blog - After more than two years, I don't think Hugh's coming back.
Let's Go Ride a Bike - It's been nearly two years since their last post. So long, Dottie and Mr Dottie
Plano Cyclist - I had hope that Justin might resume his posts, but that was over a year ago.
Rat Trap Press - Myles started up again, but he's not posted in over a year, That's more than simple hibernation.

Any thoughts on what I should ADD to the "other sites to visit" page? Or, should I even HAVE an "other sites" page? Inquiring minds want to know!

In any event, those sites will live on via THIS post - until they disappear entirely, as have many other blogs. One that's still fondly remembered was Pedal Talk. Nowadays, there's stuff there, but it isn't in any language I recognize. One might wonder if blogs are simply yet another technology whose day has come - and gone...

8 comments:

mike w. said...

i refer to this kind of blog as "Zombie." It's a shame that so many interesting blogs just fade away without updates for years; sometimes that's worse than a blog that is simply shut down and disappears entirely.

Justine Valinotti said...

When someone stops posting, I wonder what happened to him/her. I'm sure that some are pulled in other directions by other things in their lives, and others simply tire of blogging. But the others, I can't help but to wonder about.

Steve A said...

Well, one reason I'm cutting out some of the "Zombie" blogs is to encourage myself to add new links from active ones. I think a lot of the faded blogs did so because people went to Facebook, or lost interest in cycling. Sometimes, I'm worried I've run out of new stuff to write about, but stuff still seems to pop up.

cafiend said...

The end of fall and onset of winter not only cut off cycling activity abruptly, they brought a jumble of activities that leave no time to develop ideas as they occur. Pretty frustrating.

RANTWICK said...

I sincerely hope that people lose interest in blogging more than than lose interest in cycling. My own rate of posting has suffered mightily in the last year, but I can't reconcile myself with stopping altogether. Like a pack rat, my rationale regarding my blog is that I never know when I might really need it again...

whareagle said...

Dude - go to "Google Trends" and type in 'cycling', then focus in on the US, then Texas, and set the date to 2004-present.

We're F'ed. The US is F'ed in regards to cycling, and Texas is REALLY F'ed.

I'm out of business. I got a call from TWO other Level 1 coaches, asking for work.

This is over - and the hipsters have loved it to death.

Steve A said...

I'm not sure what that means. Try Google Trends for 'bike lane' or 'segregated cycling facilities' in Texas. Remember that this site once discovered that 'vampires' are at least ten times more popular in Texas than 'cyclists.' In Washington State, it is much easier to cycle than it was in 2004. Nowadays, even some of the Starbucks stores have bike racks. Heck, even in Texas they got bike racks at the local Quicktrips. On my site search 'google trends vampire.' My advice on this is to breathe in through the nose and out through the mouth. Also, remember the advice Obama gave his kids.

Steve A said...

Also, be careful of vampires if you are cycling at night. ;-)

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