Tuesday, March 31, 2015

Andrew Sullivan speaks out: "Blogging nearly killed me."

Courtesy of CNN:

"The truth is, I had to stop primarily because it was killing me," Sullivan said Sunday night at the 92nd Street Y in Manhattan. 

"I used to joke that if blogging does kill someone, I would be the first to find out." He described the grueling pace that he maintained along with a small editorial staff. 

"This is 40 posts a day -- every 20 minutes, seven days a week," Sullivan said.

After closing down his blog in January Sullivan took some time to "detox." But on Sunday he agreed to an interview with Jeff Greenfield.

 "Here's what I would say: I spent a decade of my life, spending around seven hours a day in intimate conversation with around 70,000 to 100,000 people every day, " Sullivan said. "And inevitably, for those seven hours or more, I was not spending time with any actual human being, with a face and a body and a mind and a soul." 

"I couldn't imagine blogging the next election," he said. "I will not spend another minute of my time writing about the Clintons. Period. Or the Bushes."

Wow, you that really hits home for me, and I totally understand where he is coming from.

Personally I keep my blog posts to a manageable seven a day of the most, part but since I have no staff that means that each post must be researched, written, and edited all on my own.

And as many of you know, sometimes mistakes slip past my attention.

Also unlike Sullivan I do work out at least five to six days a week, and usually space out the workouts so that I have a reason to leave my desk and get some exercise. Since my other job also requires time on the computer it is easy to spend up to ten hours at my desk a day. And I often do.

However much like Sullivan I also find that most of my interactions with other people take place online in the form of texts, blog comments, and e-mails. I do get a few phone calls a day to break up the monotony, and I have several face to face conversations with my daughter when she is here, and others who live with here as well. So I am not completely isolated.

What's more I rarely ever feel alone, even when I am completely alone in the house.

That may have a lot to do with the constant ideas that bounce around inside of my head.

I don't actually hear voices or anything, but I have been known to talk out loud to myself when I am trying to flesh out an idea. (My daughter gives me grief about that constantly.)

And unlike Sullivan I have no plans to walk away from blogging at this time even though I have also been doing it for ten years now.

There are some changes coming however.

My buddy Dennis Zaki builds websites as a side job, and he has convinced me to upgrade IM in the near future. I am somewhat resistant as I don't usually welcome change, but he assures me the site will be much improved and more user friendly when he finishes with it.

So let me take a moment here to thank all of you for your patronage. I am well aware that there are sharper, sleeker, more content heavy websites you could be visiting, and yet I know many of you camp out here on a daily basis and I want you to know that it gives me the inspiration to keep on plugging away.

And have no fear, changes or no changes, I will still be the un-apologetically liberal firebrand you have all come to know and barely tolerate.

54 comments:

  1. "... edited all on my own..."

    Yo, I've often offered you my service free of charge to vet and edit your text. Check with Bill Hess in Wasilla about what I did for him ... I just sent my suggestions to him by email and never even looked at what he used or didn't.

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  2. Anonymous6:25 AM

    Thank you!! We do not say it often enough, how appreciative we are that you constantly keep tabs on the Wasilla Wengingo. Thanks again.

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  3. Anonymous6:26 AM

    XO!

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  4. With you all the way, Gryphen. Thanks for keeping me sane. And informed.

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  5. Anonymous6:41 AM

    Please don't change. I love you the way you are.

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    Replies
    1. Anonymous11:56 AM

      Is that you Barbara Streisand?

      Delete
  6. Cracklin Charlie6:52 AM

    No, thank you, Gryphen, for the many hours of fun and information. I like the layout of your site, but I understand Dennis' need to bombard you with the latest technological breakthroughs, I guess.

    Just please, keep the hits comin'!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Olivia7:26 AM

    I don't know how you do it. Blogging is difficult alone but to update several times a day with interesting and informative material the way you do is amazing. Change can be difficult but it is the content that counts and you have the content nailed. You're the best! Thanks for all you do.

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  8. Sullivan did not allow comments on his blog and that was a clue. Blogging is lots of work and there are crazy people who attack, it's best to simply use them as entertainment material. Thanks for all your work Gryphen.

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  9. CorningNY7:35 AM

    Thank you for your blog. in this crazy world, it's nice to know there are at least a few unapologetic liberals out there!

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  10. Anonymous7:36 AM

    G: You are my HuffPost. Just ask me what I read! The NYTimes, the KCStar, and IM.

    Much love,
    RJ in BBistan

    ReplyDelete
  11. TNBlueDot7:36 AM

    Love you just the way you are, but change can be exciting! Looking forward to continuing my daily visits to laugh, cry and be outraged over the information you share. Thanks, G!

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  12. Anonymous7:42 AM

    Have always appreciated the sacrifices it takes for blogging, G., and appreciated you for doing it. There's a special kind of person who can take the stress of being a blogger, with all the trolls and daily attacks. Could you some time open discussion for people's theories on why our world is exponentially becoming a danger to itself, natural occurrences, global power players, or otherwise? If we are on the dawn of some serious man-made meddling of our planet, it'd be interesting to hear the IM community's opinion.





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    Replies
    1. Anonymous9:57 AM

      Gryph posts on this all the time.

      Delete
  13. Anonymous7:46 AM

    Thank you for sticking with it !!! I don't know what I'd do with IM -- I check in at least twice a day and usually more!
    And now with out Colbert, and Jon Stewart - this will be my only refuge to get through the 2016 election (we still have Rachel - but I need a bigger fix then one show!) :)

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  14. Anonymous8:08 AM

    I liked Sullivan for many reasons, so many that I paid him $20/year to hear his point of view and see what else he'd posted.
    But he had several assistants, and went away every summer, leaving the blog in their hands. So he exaggerates a bit. And maybe it's time you got someone to help you out a bit?

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    Replies
    1. Anonymous11:52 AM

      I subscribed to Sullivan's blog when he went independent. But I didn't renew my subscription. Just got too tired of the gratuitous digs at liberals, especially when Maggie Thatcher died. When that evil old crone croaked, Sullivan really showed his ass. I left and didn't go back.

      Delete
  15. Get your legs up some. My husband just got Deep Vein Thrombosis from sitting at the computer too much.

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  16. Anonymous8:17 AM

    I used to reach for my phone first thing in the morning to open up your page and see what goodies lie within. I'd check your site as much as I'd check Facebook throughout the day. I'm proud to say, my Palin Derangement Syndrome has diminished to the point where I don't need to obsess over your content anymore.

    This is actually a good thing. We IM'ers all knew the Palin brand was bullshit, such a false narrative that they keep trying to anoint, peddle, weaponize, brand and perpetuate, but the social networking community has bred new crazies and platforms for them, and Palin is at mercy to the size of her reach and appeal the way her bosom expands and retracts for the occasions. She now has to live vicariously through a troubled young man now lassoed into the fold, and continue to abuse her children as BFF's instead of nurtured and productive citizens.

    I'll always have a place in my life for Gryphen and The IM, just, thankfully, at a much more healthy pace. The Alaskan White Whale has harpooned herself, and we can all rest a little easier (but remain vigilant.)

    Thanks Gryph. Blog on man.

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    Replies
    1. Anonymous5:44 PM

      What you said!

      That's exactly me!

      Delete
  17. a. j. billings8:25 AM

    +1000000% Gryphen.

    Your efforts have already paid off in many ways, exposing the lunacy of the Paylin clan

    Someday we hope you can break it wide open and get her to sit down, and shut up forever

    Many, Many thank you's from all of us !

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  18. Anonymous8:25 AM

    Pardon me for possibly overstepping, but make sure you IMers put your money where your mouths are. I did. Hoohah!

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    Replies
    1. Anonymous5:47 PM

      Glad you mentioned that. Over the years (nearly 7 now, jeez!), I've put some bits in the ol' tip jar here. Same at Wonkette and Wiki.

      Delete
  19. Gryphen, I hope one of the changes you're contemplating is some form of moderation to filter out the insane troll(s) -- AND registration, to eliminate the Anonymous commenters, my pet peeve.

    I see in this comment thread HALF of the rest of the commenters have named themselves instead of going by Anonymous. I hope that's a sign that more folks here want to take responsibility for their opinions.

    And one more thing -- your blog surely is one of the more prolific in terms of new posts, and you put a lot of research and reference links into every one. Thanks for that. It keeps me coming back. Oh, and the blogroll to the left. I nearly always go to one of those sites after I finish here. Thanks for that too. ;-D

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  20. LisaB25958:35 AM

    I certainly don't agree with everything you say, Gryphen, and I think most of your commenters are tacky, mean spirited people who don't understand hating on a woman for her looks is really misogyny, but I have always appreciated the amount of time and effort you put into this blog. You are the best Palin watchdog, IMO, and if anyone sticks the final nail in the Palin coffin, I hope it's you. Your tireless efforts on the part of silencing She Who Will Not Simply Go Away are very much appreciated.

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    1. Anonymous8:44 AM

      I for one, would like all the c_not references, the vulgar insults, burpin'sperm, etc to be filtered out. The Palin's give us plenty of material to work with/insult/mock, without lowering ourselves to such vile behavior, and yes, I despise them!

      Delete
    2. Anonymous9:27 AM

      I totally agree with 8:44 -- I'm not a grandma, I'm a Gen X person who finds all the macho man XXX-rated stuff to be offensive and counter-productive. I wouldn't mind if you, Gryphen, used some editing to keep out these pointless, mysogenistic posts. Railing on Sarah or Bristol or their private parts is simply not necessary, or the done thing, out here in the civilized world.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous11:26 AM

      I totally agree with this. I'm disgusted by the comments you are referring to. Calling people whores, and calling them fat and all the aggressive sexual comments really are uncalled for. I can't stand Sarah but don't think she or her daughters or any woman deserves that.
      Thanks for all your work. I also don't agree with everything you write, but I don't expect to.

      Delete
    4. Anonymous12:17 PM

      I agree with almost everything Gryphen says, so I won't give you that, but I will give you disgust with so many of the misogynistic comments here. There's a way to criticize women without using demeaning and sexist names for female body parts, shaming them for their sexual activity, or ridiculing their appearances.

      Delete
    5. Anonymous4:10 PM

      To the anons above... it appears you would like the blog censored...and that would ruin the blog. Sure there are some racy "ADULT" comments here but I consider IM like the Alaskan version of D-listed, Wonkette Adult snark. G Maybe you should make the blog adult so the anons above won't get the vapors when they read here? Or a disclaimer "over 18 yrs" LOL.
      I find the comments funny and highly entertaining. And Come on the payme's have set the bar SO FUCKING LOW, that sometimes people need to vent. Really suggest if you can't stand the heat...get out of the fire!? 11:26 AM-9:27 AM-8:44 AM
      I know "other" palin blogs or xpalin blogs censor, over moderate and it has killed the whole blogs so they are boring sewing circles!
      Ha! We can't have that here!
      G I hope you keep the blog the same and don't censor. Sometimes late at night I'm reading and I can't stop laughing at the wittiness of the IM'ers. And please, don't use Discus or facebook or any of those other commenting crapola.
      I love the blog the way it is...warts, prudes and trolls... :)
      The prudes are especially entertaining considering we know where they are coming from, although they claim "they never comment here" LOL! So funny. :)

      G Thanks for all you do and keep up your exercise! Love how you get all the morning/days content on here, don't know how, but I look to you as a man source of news, not just the latest on the grifters...
      Thank you and Thank all the witty funny IM'ers here who rip the payme's a new one day in and out.
      Please don't change.
      (Dennis we love you!) Maybe his famous bear pic would look nice on here?

      Delete
  21. Anonymous8:42 AM

    I am well aware that there are sharper, sleeker, more content heavy websites you could be visiting …

    Your site's sidebars are content-heavy. I appreciate that it's content you want people to see, but it would be really nice if one could refresh the comments without having to wait for all that other content to be re-fetched from all those other servers. Years ago on this site (I'm fairly sure it was here—slight chance it was another Alaskan site), entering a comment brought up a separate page with just the comments, which could be refreshed.

    Waiting for all the sidebar content when first fetching an article is tolerable; I just read the article in my news aggregator until it finally comes up in my browser.

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  22. An European Viewpoint8:52 AM

    In my opinion, your blog is way above Sullivan's defunct one. How interesting is a blog that doesn't allow comments ? It's on par with going to Mass. And no, we don't barely tolerate you, Gryph, we entirely love you.

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  23. Rock on Gryphen! Keep doing you homie! Baldy would miss you if you left! LOL!!

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    Replies
    1. Anonymous9:57 AM

      I'm imagining your comment coming from the mouth of your lovely avatar as I read it. It just adds that little extra something....

      Delete
    2. Anonymous11:33 AM

      You are so so ugly Gina!! :)

      Delete
  24. My day's never complete without a visit to your site. Thanks for being a consistent voice of sanity and information.

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  25. Anonymous9:34 AM

    Gosh the last update was when your background went light blue. Looking forward to a new look!

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  26. Anonymous9:51 AM

    Good for you for going for a web upgrade. Dennis will do a fabulous job. Please don't make it too busy -

    Gryphen - with your hit counter showing over 27.5 MILLION hits and growing daily - you've got a lot of happy visitors!

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  27. slipstream10:07 AM

    What?? You're a liberal??? Gee, I hadn't noticed.

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  28. Anonymous10:10 AM

    So appreciate having this place to check in every day. I did stop posting my name about 2-1/2 years ago after I got burned out playing Rock Em Sock Em with the trolls, but I still read the comments after almost every article and appreciate most of the dialogue. I do agree with the commenters above about the sexually and physically degrading comments. As a liberal, it really isn't my concern how much or in what orifice or tented structure one engages their sex lives in as long as they aren't complete and utter hypocrite liars, and I understand that is part of the reason a lot of people consider it fair game for the "Abstinence Advocate" pawn, but if you aren't here regularly I think those comments come across as really uncivilized, and I don't think the lot of you are that. Anyway, glad to be an anonymous member of your community, and thanks, G, for keeping on keepin on.

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  29. Anonymous10:20 AM

    I'll be here through thick and thin.*

    *Please make it work with this @)*%$# Windows8!

    JJ

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  30. Anonymous10:23 AM

    By all means modernize. But stick with a simple one column blog, IMHO. Maintain your voice and personality. That's why we're here. TPM, for instance, for all its nifty bells and whistles has lost something, I think, because Josh Marshall's posts are no longer the main dish. And if you do start to burn out, bow out with class, just like Sullivan. Thanks for all the work.

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  31. Anonymous11:39 AM

    Thank YOU. As long as you keep writing, I'll keep reading, regardless of the format!

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  32. Crystal Sage1:08 PM

    As a blogger who runs one devoted to local politics, I can only say how grateful I am to you for all the work you do to expose Sarah Palin. I have burned out a couple of times and vowed to walk away and not come back. Just visiting IM gives me the will to go on. Thanks again.

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  33. Adding my voice to the many who appreciate your work more than you'll ever know. And tell your daughter that the reason you talk to yourself is that you want an intelligent conversational partner!

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  34. Anonymous2:29 PM

    Are you going to keep the page blue so we can see Sista'Sarah reading it?

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  35. Anonymous2:42 PM

    I want to add commas, delete hyphens, but I wouldn't miss it. (former Editor.) You have your own flare, and it's charming and compassionate. Keep on, and welcome back.

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  36. FEDUP!!!3:35 PM

    Whatever improvements you make, Uncle Gryphen: PLEASE do not use Disqus! That feature SUCKS Big Time!

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  37. Anonymous3:59 PM

    Thanks for all you've done and continue to do. I have a small tgaste of what it's like - a tri weekly employee newsletter q and a session.
    Anyway, you're my go to place and always learn something new, see a different angle and get a better grasp of news or whatever topics you cover.
    For instance, in this thread, the advice to get your legs up to avoid thrombosis.

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  38. I enjoy reading the blog, Gryphen, and do appreciate all the work you put in. Thank you!

    This is already a very user friendly blog, one of the best. Not too many bells and whistles or dancing monkey gifs that take up bandwidth -- that I don't have. We boondocks dwellers rely on a satellite connection that will never have the throughput and speed of cable.

    To friend Dennis: Please, remember the bandwidth-challenged. We're out here and love TIM and Gryphen.

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  39. physicsmom8:39 PM

    I've always been amazed at the number of substantial posts you put up each day. To think you have another job as well is mind-boggling. You have a whole bunch of people who love what you do and depend on you for information, opinion and discussions of atheism.

    With regard to the comments, like others above, I cringe at the vitriol and vulgar language sometimes used, and I just have to leave when the commentors start feuding with each other. I like your format and put in a request not to require entry through Facebook. As a victim of stalking, I don't have a Facebook account and there are some lovely bloggers I'd like to converse with, but cannot.

    I use my moniker almost all the time. If I write something that will result in my being accused of being a troll, I might come in as anonymous. The flexibility here is great.

    I agree with others' requests not to change to a busy format. I used to check in with Mudflats daily, but stopped going there for a number of reasons, one of which is I hate the new format.

    Good luck Gryph; I'm so glad you intend to keep going.

    ReplyDelete

Don't feed the trolls!
It just goes directly to their thighs.