Now 68.
Since it's my birthday and I get to do whatever I want I deactivated my Instagram
account. I got tired of generating free content for the folks at Meta to use to
help generate huge bundles of cash. Seems like the model for most free use
sites is to get the participants to make stuff other people want to read or watch
and then to make money when people show up to do just that.
I also worry about identity security on the various sites that everyone uses.
I mean, there is little to no risk for an anonymous commenter to come on
and bitch about my opinions but I feel like having too much
social media presence (like a blog) is an efficient way of putting a target on
one's own back for all those folks who like to hack and make
the rest of us a bit miserable.
With ever diminishing interest in traditional blogs and an even quicker
progression of disinterest in traditional photography it feels that the
risk/reward equation of posting keeps tilting toward unprofitable.
Not "unprofitable" financially but in a more general sense encompassing
personal security and general loss prevention.
I have been guilty of crying "wolf" too often in the past when it comes
to quitting the blog but then here we are again.
The options for entertainment based solely on photography continue
to contract. And who in their right mind could blog about swimming
everyday? Not even me.
I'm heading out the door for one of those long walks on which I make
either profound or knee-jerk decisions. Stay or go? Write, or
accept a good friend's advice to embrace irrelevance?
In the end continuing the blog or shelving it isn't going to make even
a small ripple in the fabric of social media or photography when
viewed against the sheer numbers of people out there doing
their own stuff. Living lives in blissful ignorance that there
was a guy in Austin hammering away on his keyboard for the last
15 years or so, trying to make a life as a photographer sound interesting.
I am now also Facebook free. Twitter free. And probably soon to be Flickr
free. And with each peeling of the onion -- less encumbered.
43 comments:
happy birthday.actual :-)
Happy Birthday, Kirk.
Good moves on the social media sites.
I sincerely hope you stay.
On another topic, "uninterest," not "disinterest." Though "disinterest" is a perfectly good word when used correctly.
Happy Birthday, Kirk. For what it's worth, I have the dubious distinction of having been the first to design online training for advertisers and marketers on how to advertise on Facebook, followed shortly thereafter by Twitter. (They were my clients.) Even then it seemed obvious to me that their business model was manipulative, exploitative, and disingenuous. I'm happy you got hip to the con. Life's too short, especially at our age, to get played for suckers.
Happy birthday, Kirk.
About ten years ago, I followed about a dozen photography bloggers and/or forums. Many of them quit, and I quit many of them. The two left standing are VSL and TOP. So maybe it's come down to, the only people who give a rats ass about whether you continue with this blog or not are this bunch of diehards. Like me. Loyal to the end.
Happy Birthday. I'm four years and a day older than you. Birthdays used to be an excuse to buy myself something I wanted, perhaps an expensive lens or camera. Now that I have everything I could reasonably want, birthdays are for letting others express their birthday wishes.
Like JC, I hope you stay. If you do decide to bag the blog, what are you going to do? I see you watching TV/youtube and rotting in bed for about a day. Two days max. You need to keep doing something that you enjoy. Otherwise you'll wither and turn to dust. What's going to be?
Jay
Oh come on!! We're family here. I love hanging out with you.
Happy birthday! Have considered doing the same with IG for the same reasons, but have some connections there that I still value. Someday.
Happy Birthday old man! I get to say that since I'm a couple of years younger than you. ;-) If you're going to do something rash on your birthday, wouldn't you rather drive home a new SL-Class Mercedes-Benz off the showroom floor? You'd look rather smashing with an Irish tweed driving cap on your noggin.
I've got a great idea, you can stop blogging about cameras and transition to a blog that is devoted solely to cars and hats.
Happy birthday. I do (selfishly) hope you stay.
Happy Birthday Kirk. I hope you continue - you have made a meaningful difference in my thinking and thus how I live life.
Happy Birthday Kirk, your writing and your pictures continue to inspire and entertain, thank you for everything. Here's wishing you another healthy and happy year, swimming and making pictures with whatever camera you happen to have at hand.
Belated best wishes Kirk. A time to pause for meaningful reflection. That is what your writing provides us with. Hugely valuable, never irrelevant. Thank you.
Bon anniversaire Kirk.
A few years ago I went to an exhibition of photos by Don McCullin, a great photojournalist and an excellent photographer.
Included in the exhibition was his Nikon F that he was using in Cambodia and that stopped an AK47 bullet. It probably saved his life.
In the same vein, your blog provides the perfect antidote to the frantic battles found on so many of the social media sites.
Whilst I’m not saying for one minute that your musings might save a life, they do act as a soothing balm to our daily life.
We do really appreciate the effort you put in to produce your blog.
Happy Birthday, Kirk!
I hope you keep blogging, just because you like it. We like it too.
Happy (if slightly belated) birthday, Kirk!
I hope that you continue the blog but it is, as you say, your choice.
I have never been on Instagram but I do find Facebook useful for keeping in touch with friends & relations that have moved/are far awaybut I post very little personally on it (I do run a few pages for voluntary groups etc. which get more posts)
Happy birthday!
So long as you enjoy doing it, I hope you keep the blog going. If you haven't encountered your stalker by now, you're probably in the clear.
Happy birthday Kirk!
Contunuing VSL is about your time and your energy so it's just you who decides. With that being said, I hope you'll go on with VSL. Anyway, thanks for entertainment, sharing your thoughts and expertise with your readership (including me for perhaps more than 10 years).
happy birthday :)
I can't remember how long I've been reading the VSL, but it's been quite a while. It has brought me a lot of good thoughts and images for a few minutes of my life almost every day, so for that, a big thank-you. And Happy Birthday!
Dick
Happy Birthday, Kirk.
The best time to stop doing something is when you're still good at doing it. At least those are my thoughts.
Happy birthday Mr. Tuck.
Your blog allowed me to know that there is a 68 year old fellow in Austin, who loves photography, swiming, and so much more. I really couldn’t care less about Facebook or instagram, but I do care a lot about your VSL.
It has been a pleasure getting to know you from so far away.
Best wishes from Portugal.
Happy birthday, Kirk.
I was going to go into a long ramble about social media and online advertising and a ton of other crap nobody cares about. But I won't.
Despite you sometimes getting on my nerves, I hope you hang around.
Oh, remember to listen to Weird Al's birthday song. Happy belated.
Eric in yyc
First, Happy 68th Birthday, Kirk! The old joke about how if you knew you were going to live this long you would have taken better care of yourself really does NOT apply to you. It's clear you take very good care of yourself.
I haven't been responding much to your posts lately but I have been reading with great interest. Many of your thoughts about reaching this age and how to proceed mirror my own at 18 months your junior. And, while I may or may not reach the same conclusions, your musings do help inform me.
While I do maintain a Facebook account to help stay in touch with far-flung friends, relatives and colleagues (current and former), I have always generally viewed social media as a scourge upon our society. Good move on nixing Instagram.
For selfish reasons, I certainly hope you'll continue VSL but it's your call and always has been. And there's nothing wrong with broadening your subject matter if that makes it more attractive to you. In many ways you already have.
Whatever you do, know that we will always appreciate what you have given us and will always wish you well. And we plan to hang around as long as you do.
Happy birthday Kirk,
I too gave up on Facebook and Instagram. I was wasting too much time on there.
You strike me as someone who has to write. So you may as well write for an audience. I and many others appreciate your writing and your photography. Cameras, swimming, hats, shoes, I enjoy it all.
Either way, all the best!
KT,
Reading your blog holds some interest from time to time. You know what they say: "Do what you gotta' do".
BTW,the vast majority of us don't play pool nor swim in the pool.
Photog
Happy birthday, Kirk. I continue to enjoy reading your observations on a range of your interests and activities because…well…I enjoy your writing and observations. As for the decision of whether or not to continue the blog, to downsize your media footprint, move toward retirement, these are decisions that you will make at a pace that feels right to you. Having, myself, finally stepped back from work related activities only a few months ago (I am 10 years older than you), I suspect it will take time to grow into open ended and less structured day to day activities. I actually will look forward to your thoughts on the process, and to your photography, should you decide to continue the share them.
Happy Birthday, as many others have said. I enjoy and learn from your blog everyday, and, being just a handful of years behind you, your insights into work and aging are inspirational. I don’t use that word lightly. In the same way your posts brought some sanity to the world back during Covid, your approach towards another year—and possible retirement?—points out that there is a path ahead. Thanks. Sorry to see you drop off Instagram, nice to see your photos there, but I get it.
Bob @photogaard
I know nothing of the inner workings of blogs but I assume you will have access to it all offline if you stop. Perhaps you already keep another more detailed daily journal but if not then this blog is a sort of journal which you may find interesting or useful in your declining years … which have evidently started since you refer to your age fairly frequently :). I am conscious of doing that now but I don’t think I started until my early eighties so I think you are starting a bit early.
Anyway happy 68th err was it 68 you said or 58 … can’t quite remember … ;)
Hi Richard. Yes. I can download all the blog posts and archive them. Or make the blog private so only I can access it. But what the hell. Here I am today writing and posting a new post about today's parade.
As to age. I am not feeling any older or more "declining" than I did a year ago or ten years ago. But I hear so much whining about health issues on other blogs by writers near my age that I mention both my age and my swimming, walking and moderation in all things in order to try and set a good example. A Sisyphean task with no real rewards.
But now that you've misinterpreted my intentions I'll stop mentioning it all together....
Happy 68th, Kirk! Not to pressure anyone, but I'll just mention that Frank Lloyd Wright created Fallingwater in his 7th decade, and the Guggenheim Museum, and Marin County Civic Center in his 9th.
Aside from the world of cinema, I've been feeling like there's few new insights to be had about the state of modern cameras and lenses, and maybe these boring times are a good thing. Maybe this is what it feels like when tool/toy wishes have been answered many times over, at least the ones which don't involve Artificial Intelligence.
Blog-wise, what photographic or non-photographic topics feel particularly fresh to you right now? My own attention has shifted away from cameras, lenses (and hifi equipment!) and more towards techniques used to achieve cinematic looks, or the color grading used by lifestyle magazines to achieve a signature look. Current book that I'm geeking over is Printable, published by Victionary. I have no special knowledge of graphic arts, printing, or package design, but I find the book, and the examples it contains, mind-blowing.
Jeff in Colorado
“ But now that you've misinterpreted my intentions I'll stop mentioning it all together....” Sorry Kirk, certainly didn’t mean to upset you and I understand your reasons for posting about swimming etc which is all good advice. I hope you don’t ban me — maybe double my subscription as punishment?
Hi Richard, Not upset but I did add a couple thousand additional dollars to your monthly extreme executive patreon membership dues. Thanks for sending along that credit card #
Ouch!
Okay, I relent. Dropping your dues back down to normal. I need all the readers I can get. I just don't know why....
A belated Happy Birthday from me! Sorry I missed the actual day. Cheers!
Happy birthday Kirk! Do any women follow this blog? Just asking.
"Anonymous said...
Happy birthday Kirk! Do any women follow this blog? Just asking."
How would I know? I don't even know what your gender is.....
Happy belated birthday, Kirk. Since I am six time zones away from my usual, I’m going to blame it on jet-lag rather than my usual forgetfulness. As for ending the blog, if you do, I will punish you by stopping reading it. So there!
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