I think I read a book with this title when I was in the 6th grade. It unraveled the mysteries behind what happened to Humpty Dumpty after his fall, and shed light on Sleeping Beauty’s subsequent years of insomnia… Riveting stuff, believe me!
Which logically leads me to wondering, what happens to all those blogs when their authors finish playing Odysseus?
Some just “peter away” while others end abruptly… but why?
From the few that I’ve actively followed, I can at least shed light on some of the whys…
For many, it all ends when:
The boat is sold and the blog dies because they got to where they were going…
Logical and very pragmatic. Back to life ashore…
An unexpected stork delivery causes a strategic rethink
Happened to my Swedish friends… The ones I first met in Lanzarote sailing Mazarin.
Two blogs had an abrupt end in their case (but only the second http://sy-biscuit.se/ for this particular reason).
I’m betting there will be a trifecta. 🙂
Someone dies!
This happens more often than you might think. If it’s not the sailors themselves it’s a close relative. Understandably many abandon the journey and/or the keyboard at this point. Shortly afterward the “Server not found” message greets blog access attempts.
The author makes a point of disappearing…
Perhaps they are tax refugees or the visa expired three months ago and they intend to stay. I’ve come across both types in South America and the Caribbean. In either case it’s obvious that keeping the blog project alive gets relegated to the “this is potentially detrimental to my health” bin.
They go commercial (a fate worse than blog death).
I theorize that when this happens, it’s intentional. Making money was the plan from the outset. The blog only served as a stepping stone for building “street cred” and to gain a following with a targeted audience. The pheonix web blog rising from its ashes is a horribly mutated promotional beast that makes all Internet purists shudder. I’m sure there is even a complete “HowTo” devoted to the technique in web marketing courses.
When I start franchising stores selling the “man of constant leisure” line of clothing for real adventurers you will say “Ah, I knew there was a catch…”
The label does has a certain charismatic ring to it does it not? Textile magnates reading this can contact me to discuss the deal.
They stop chasing rainbows because they realize there’s no pot of gold to be found after all.
Warning! This is the blog fate reserved for romantic idealist and dreamers. Beyond the horizon lie only dragons and disillusionment, but do set out anyway. I for one will be savoring each and every post up to its tragic but inevitable conclusion.
You see, the art of cynicism is not dead…
I wonder which reason will eventually lead to this blogs demise?
Until then, let me conclude this post with a practical solution to premature blog termination.
While what happens afterward will still remain a mystery, sailing blogs that end (for what ever reason) need not die. For the sake of posterity, if you can no longer host it, I will (archived, but accessible nonetheless).
No strings attached.