Dear Darling Ones,

My latest cranky old lady, back in my day wish is to normalize blogging again. Specifically, I dream of an internet filled with personal blogs.

Can you imagine what that would look like? How amazing, fascinating, and fun it could be? Let’s go back to the olden days, shall we?

Can you imagine how great Instagram and Twitter would get again? I long for the day when I don’t have to fumble through trying to read a 18-tweet Twitter thread about something that is interesting. I dream of not having to hold hold my finger down on someone’s Instagram story so I can read the four screens of text they typed in. I miss when Instagram pictures had captions and not paragraphs of text.

Oh, and can you imagine the luxury of being able to read those things at your own leisure? Before they disappear from Instagram or get lost in a flood of other tweets?

It’s clear people still have things they want to say. With words they make. Using their fingers. Did they all forget about blogs?

Granted, I know people want to be where the people are, where their followers are. I get that.

BUT. . . here comes the crankiest part of my old lady crankiness

Don’t they realize what a disservice they’re doing to their readers and their own thoughts by using Twitter and Instagram as though they were meant for long-form storytelling? Don’t people think their words deserve a more permanent place for people to access them? Is the ephemeral nature of these platforms the draw? Here today gone in sixty-seconds? Do they just not care? I DO NOT UNDERSTAND HOW ANYTHING WORKS ANYMORE.

It bums me out. It goes beyond the old Matt Haughey chestnut about how Blogger gave everyone their own typewriter only everyone wants to type on the same five typewriters (I’m looking at you Substack). Instead, it’s like people want to share their thoughts in disappearing ink or in Inspector-Gadgetesque messages that will self-destruct. I don’t understand the point.

Someone, please explain it to me.

Jodi