The blogosphere was already crowded when I started writing in April 2009, but individual commentary was unquestionably influential. Blogs had been acknowledged as being crucial in shaping public opinion. However, new platforms have been taking away most of the of readership, and in current days, blogs have little or no influence.

In 2017, Gina Bianchini gave advice on not starting a blog:

2017 is a very different world than 2007. Today is noisier and people’s attention spans shorter than any other time in history…and things are only getting worse. Facebook counts a ‘view’ as 1.7 seconds and we have 84,600 of those in a day. Your new blog isn’t equipped to compete in this new attention-deficit-disorder Thunderdome.

Some years ago, I realized Facebook’s influence while I was in a UBC class, feeling like a relic among fresh-faced students. I sat in the back of the lecture theatre, intending to remain a silent observer. I looked down upon a sea of glowing screens. Many of the students were scrolling through Facebook, not writing course notes. It seemed that the professor’s content was no match for social media content.

As with other blogs, the audience for IN-SIGHTS has decreased. Admittedly, this decline is partly due to less relevant and less frequent content. Additionally, platforms like Twitter, Meta, Reddit, Bluesky, and Pinterest capture people’s attention by providing quick and engaging posts. Substack and Medium are places for in-depth commentary, but those are designed to create revenue for the platform owners as well as the content contributors.

I guess I have been writing IN-SIGHTS for myself, not to attract a large readership or change public opinion. If I see incidents or information that intrigue or outrage me, I can share them with others. My wife appreciates that because she doesn’t have to be bored by my major and minor rants. (In the beginning days of this blog, I said that if Gwen were to read my blog, the audience would be doubled.)

I’ve been spending time on the Canada West Forums Society lately, so I’ve been concentrating on topics that are covered there in even greater detail. It’s an effort that I hope will succeed and be continued by much younger people. The current series on energy makes expert information available to anyone interested, and that information is substantial.

I turned 80 this week. So did Gwen, my wife of 57 years. The average life expectancy in Canada at the time of our birth was 63 years for men and a few more years for women. The excellent medical care we’ve received has helped us survive, but even if my mother and maternal grandmother lived past 100, I know the time left is limited.

Maintaining IN-SIGHTS takes more than a few dollars. Fewer readers means fewer contributions come in to help cover the expenses. The cost of the website host is merely a portion of the total. Major news service subscriptions are expensive, and the computers I use cost more than my first new car, although that was bought over 60 years ago. Inflation is unstoppable, but pensions barely change.

As I decide whether to keep up this blog, I would like to hear from regular readers. What kind of content do you like to see on this website? What do you want to see less of? If the blog does end, should I maintain the more than 3,000 posts on this site, even if the majority of them are out of date? Would it matter if I completely shut down IN-SIGHTS?

If you prefer not to comment on this post, send me an email at normanfarrell.ca@gmail.com