I have spent ten years blogging (see TPOL Is Ten And #MasterOfWon). During that time, I have endured critical comments from many readers (see Happy Festivus! Airing of Points Grievances). Last week was the tipping point. After spending hours writing Baghdad, Iraq: Day 1 which no one read, I published Fiji Airways: Nadi to Samoa in Coach & $300 Delta Damaged Luggage Payment: Fair?. The comments were demoralizing. Regarding the Fiji post, one reader wrote, “Service? Comfort? I came here from Boarding Area where this looked like a relevant review…” I was heartbroken that the reader did not find my post to be up to standard. Another comment from a reader, “Sometime I genuinely am concerned for your welfare.” He noted, “I wouldn’t live my life the way he does.” This comment shook me to the core. Maybe I am a bumbling fool. Maybe I shouldn’t continue to embark on adventures with reckless abandonment.
If those comments weren’t bad enough, the comments regarding my damaged bag killed my spirit. “Exactly the type of person who’d use a fake rimowa… not even remotely surprised.” “You solicit your reader for input and respond with such derision as ‘the person who doesn’t travel that comments and hides in the basement.’ Insulting, to say the least. Do better.”
Unfortunately, I can’t ‘do better.’ I am who I am and write the way I do. But rather than subject myself to further criticism and rather than insult the discerning readers who come to my site, I have decided to quit blogging effectively immediately.
April Fools! If you don’t like my blog, you can, in the words of Gordon Ramsay…
Sorry to hear that. I appreciate this post as someone who has been thinking about doing a blog like this once I retire in a year or two. Now I’ll think more than twice.
You didn’t read the whole thing.
Ugh, clearly I have reading comprehension problems. I saw the Gordon Ramsey part but somehow missed the April Fools part.
April fools posts are so dumb. But seriously you gave up on this blog long ago. It’s pretty clear you dgaf.
U funny as haell, dawg.
Oh look who’s back again. Can’t help but read, can you? Always welcome.
As one who appreciates Your work I am sad to see you go. Some people travel to Places that I would consider pedestrian. However There are those who travel On roads not paved Things are a little more dusty And raw. Those are the truest stories And we should admire those that are willing to Take that road to tell us that story!
I’m not quitting! Was a poke at the fools
I read your Iraq post. Not sure if your comment that no one read it was part of the “joke” or you don’t get the right stats for your blogs.
I’ve long believed that the comments section is the cesspool of the Internet. It RARELY provides anything useful or productive. Turn it off, I say. In the meantime, keep blogging.
Thank you for reading it. I should have said no one in comparison to those two dumb posts.
Good one!! I’d say this is the best boardingarea.com post this year!!!
I can’t tell if it’s because you think I quit or because I’m that clever.
I do love the irony of readers ragging on TPOL for not putting in sufficient blogging effort when it’s clear said readers did not bother to even read the article.
You only get this kind of fun at TPOL.
Only here and all the time
finally a good post! just kidding. I missed the good ol TPOL around the world trips and spreadsheets.
They’re back. My attempts at automation only created delays. Until the new website is built, it’s back to manual mode.
very clever!
Thank you