Blog

NOTE: What could I possibly say that could even begin to sum up 2025, other than to remind (caution? warn?) you that it’s not over yet? Keep your head on a swivel, and as always, thanks for reading!

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The dystopian Pottersville in ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ is starting to feel less like fiction | Nora Gilbert

This is what the current political moment feels like to me. There are days when the latest headlines feel so jarringly unprecedented that I find myself thinking, “Can this be happening? Can this be real?” If you think these comparisons are a bit of a stretch, consider when “It’s a Wonderful Life” was made, and the frame of mind Capra was in when he made it.

It’s a Wonderful Life was a formative movie for me, both as an early sliding doors moment, and later sparking one of my first contrarian takes back in my zine days, which Gilbert’s essay reminded me of. While my epiphany was more about its subversive indictment of God, the political angle resonates with me more now than it would have back then, which is partly why it’s such a timeless movie.

“I’m not nearly as cynical now as I was back in ’96, but I think the underlying philosophy of what I wrote back then still holds true today when the movie is arguably as timely as its ever been.”

“Now” was 2008, and while I’m arguably more cynical now in 2025 than I was then, I was actually even more cynical back in 1996 — just a few years removed from the Army, highly skeptical that I’d make it to 30. So many different sliding doors over the years, I can’t even imagine what the Multiverse of Guys would look like, but the one without me at all wouldn’t include this blog you’re reading!

YMMV. ¯\_ (?)_/¯

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The Blogosphere Blossoms in 2003 As RSS Readers Catch On | Richard McManus

In 2003, the read/write web becomes a reality when blog software enables anyone to write to the web. Meanwhile, RSS Readers like NetNewsWire and Bloglines bring distribution to the blogosphere.

Conversations about RSS almost always include at least one wistful reference to Google Reader, but RSS’ importance pre-dated and outlived it. McManus gets into the weeds in what appears to be the final entry in his series of posts on the history of blogging and RSS, but it’s a great refresher for those of us who were there, and a useful read for anyone experiencing the messiness of the web for only the first or second time.

I went from manually building web pages on CompuServe, AOL, and GeoCities in the 90s, to my first “blog” on LiveJournal in 2003. At some point after that, I also started using Blogger and then WordPress (with a bunch of other long-defunct platforms along the way), but Bloglines was how I kept track of the dozens of blogs I was already following before Google Reader came along.

I loved Google Reader, and while its murder is still unforgiveable, I don’t “miss” it anymore. After a few years of Feedly, I’ve been using Inoreader to curate my favorite blogs and blog-like newsletters for about a year now and am pretty happy with it. Surf is also an intriguing option for blending social and blog feeds, although it hasn’t become a primary platform for me yet.

We can still have good online experiences, but we have to work a little harder to actively curate them. powRSS is one my favorite examples of someone doing exactly that, bringing a much-needed combination of curation and serendipity back to the blogosphere.

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Why RSS matters | Ben Werdmuller

The important thing about the open social web is not which protocol “wins.” It’s whether we build an ecosystem where publishers keep control of their distribution and readers keep control of their attention. RSS remains one of the strongest tools we have to make that possible.

RSS is kind of like the blogger’s version of Linux. Only the nerds ever talk about it, but practically everyone engages with apps and services that rely on them, including podcasts. Like McManus, Werdmuller gets pretty nerdy, but his conclusion is important for anyone who cares about the social web — whether you’re a publisher, writer, or reader.

RSS feeds made it possible to completely revamp my digital diet as most social networks and way too many websites have steadily deteriorated into algorithmic slop farms that probably make Netflix jealous. It’s gotten so bad that THE DICTIONARY declared Slop the word of the year.

PS: Not having an RSS feed active for your own site is like making Instagram your primary website. Stop it!

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The year end reviews and rituals of seasoned entrepreneurs | Lex Roman

As I prep to do my 2025 recap, I’ve been saving every year-in-review I could get my hands on just to see what questions and data other entrepreneurs are digging into. And I thought you might appreciate what I found in case you’re putting together your own review. Here’s what seasoned entrepreneurs include in their year end reviews.

If I were in the newsletter / creator business, Roman would be one of my favorite sources of information at the moment. I’ve been following them since the summer and have been impressed by their ability to balance the tricky combination of authenticity, enthusiasm, and insights — particularly because they’re never just tooting their own horn, focusing instead on curating and sharing the experiences and insights of others.

This overview of different ways to construct a year-end review has several good insights, including their own note about who your review is intended for and how that impacts what you include and how you frame it. I’m in the middle of a version of this exercise for the day job, for internal use only, but there are still a few takeaways I can use there, too.

PS: If YOU are in the newsletter / creator business, check out Roman’s Legends network. I’ve been tempted to sign up myself (and still might in the new year), but if this blog was actually tied to my making a living rather than jeopardizing it, I’d probably have jumped on it when it first launched. This isn’t an affiliate pitch, and I don’t know Roman; I’m just a fan of what they’re doing and think it has potential value.

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The Mastermind Box Cover: What the Hell Were They Thinking? | Robert Rooney

Warmth is for Sorry! This is not a hug. This is a chess clock in a stranger’s living room telling you your parents are getting divorced. The invitation is “Are you smart enough to sit at this table?”

Mastermind was one of my favorite childhood board games and I’ve owned it at least twice as an adult. While the box always struck me as a little odd, I never gave it much thought.

Rooney gave it A LOT of thought, and his take on the company meeting that successfully proposed it is one of the funniest things I’ve read all year! 10/10, no notes.

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