It’s Been Fun, But I Need a Break

Posted by Chad Orzel on June 26, 2012
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The title pretty much says it all.

One of the reasons I wanted to get the Ten Years Before the Blog series done was that I’m incredibly burned out on everything right now, and I need to step away from the Internet for a while. There are too many things that aren’t getting done, and I just can’t keep putting in the time needed to produce blog content. I figured that re-reading the highlights of the last ten years would either re-invigorate me, or failing that, it would at least provide a good placeholder for when the blog goes dark.

I’m not officially quitting ScienceBlogs or anything like that, at least not now (if the Corporate Masters demand it, I’ll have a tough decision to make). I’m very much afraid, though, that once I stop posting for a while, I may never start up again. The Pip’s right on the verge of being able to crawl, so things aren’t going to get any calmer at home, and work is only going to get worse. All my other attempts to free up time by stopping some activity have just seen the freed-up time consumed by something else to the point where I can’t imagine re-starting the other activity. I’m not sure blogging won’t go the same way. I’m not happy about this at all– I’ve been forced into a rotten position– but the current situation is not sustainable, and the blog’s the only thing left that I can afford to stop doing.

Again, I hope this is just temporary, and I can resume blogging on a reduced schedule in a few weeks or a couple of months. But in case it turns out to be more than that, here are links to all the best of the last ten years of blogging:

‎

I’ll continue to read (and moderate, if necessary) comments for the next several days, but starting tomorrow, I’m pulling the plug on blogdom for the next month or two at least. No posting, no reading, no commenting, until I either get things together enough to free up some time, or decide to give the whole thing up for good. I’ll probably still be active on Twitter to some degree (if nothing else, it gives me something to do when I’m stuck waiting on line at the stores…), so you can follow me there (@orzelc), but that’s going to be the extent of my Web 2.0 activity for a while.

Thanks for reading. It’s meant more to me than I realized until I started typing this.

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Comments

  1. #1 bph
    United States
    June 26, 2012

    Good luck keeping your head above water!

  2. #2 Dave Munger
    June 26, 2012

    The soft landing is a good idea. You never know, in a few months you may decide you really need the blog back in your life—I can’t say I didn’t have regrets after shutting down CogDaily. Either way, you’ve had an awesome run. Thanks for your contributions!

  3. #3 Moshe
    June 26, 2012

    Too bad, I enjoyed reading and learned a lot. Completely understandable, of course.

  4. #4 Rachel Barenblat
    http://velveteenrabbi.blogs.com/blog/
    June 26, 2012

    Take a break. Get other stuff done. The blog will still be here when you’re ready to return, and so will all of us.

    It’s a sabbatical. You’ve been at it ten years; you’re well overdue. :-)

  5. #5 Rhett
    United States
    June 26, 2012

    Whether you come back or stay away, you have made a huge impact on the physics blogosphere. This gets me thinking – are there any other physics blogs that have been at it for 10 years or more? I doubt it.

  6. #6 Ron
    June 26, 2012

    Good luck! Thank you for all you’ve written. Take care and best wishes.

  7. #7 transcendentape
    June 26, 2012

    You have enriched my life and countless others with insightful and educational posts as well as a lovely glimpse into the growth of your family. Sometimes saying “thanks” seems like a hollow reward for your efforts, but please know that reading your blog has been a highlight of my online experience. I wish you well in your future endeavors and your well-earned break from blogging.

  8. #8 RM
    June 26, 2012

    Aw, crap.

    I can say without any exaggeration that this blog is by far the main (if not the only) reason I come to ScienceBlogs. There’s a lot of crap on the Web, so it’s disappointing when one of the bright spots fades.

    That said, I can understand if other things get in your way(*). I wish you the best of luck, and here’s fingers crossed for your triumphant return.

    *) Though the petulant part of me is thinking “You’ve got tenure, don’t you? Tell the administration to bug off. You can blog during class time. You’re students are probably dinking around on the web during class, anyway, so I don’t see why the instructor can’t, too: “Here, class, read my book while I update my blog – there will be a quiz on Friday. Extra credit if you can do a good Emmy voice.”” — Priorities, man ;)

  9. #9 Chuk
    June 26, 2012

    Sad to see you go but I figure you’re making the right decision, I’ll be here if you come back.

  10. #10 Wilson
    June 26, 2012

    I’ll start the same way Rhett did:

    Whether you come back or stay away, thanks for having been here long enough to have found you. (Man, that sounds sappy in text. Sorry. True, though.)

    I confess I didn’t always get all of the science posts (though I will say that the Q&A format really made things a lot easier, so thanks for that!).

    I hope that, at the very least, you’ll use this platform to let us know, when you can, what the ‘work in progress’ is (though I think I have a hint now, from previous posts) and when it’ll be available. If it’s what I think it is, I’m really looking forward to it. (If it isn’t, well, I still am. :) )

    So long, or rather, Au revoir, and thanks for all the posts.

  11. #11 Tom Singer
    June 26, 2012

    Enjoyed it while it lasted, Chad. If ScienceBlogs does drop you for any reason, at least try to get one last post that will show up in the RSS readers, and point us to wherever you’re likely to show up next.

  12. #12 MRW
    June 26, 2012

    That’s too bad, I stopped bothering with the rest of ScienceBlogs a long time ago but have continued to enjoy your blog.

    I’m glad you maintained it as long as you did and I hope you eventually find your way back.

  13. #13 AndyB
    June 26, 2012

    Over the years, your posts have featured interesting tangents, clear explanations of complex phenomena, and a balanced voice of sanity even in the most contentious debates. It’s hard to say goodbye when we know that someone is “leaving” in order to continue doing the same awesome things in every other sphere of life. You’ll still be out there.

    Good luck… and if you ever decide to take up sleepwalking, you know where to find your readers.

  14. #14 Tara C. Smith
    http://scienceblogs.com/aetiology
    June 26, 2012

    Good luck to you, Chad. I’ve curtailed a lot of my blogging over the last 3 years but still find studies or situations where I realize I have something to say, or just want to share it, and so the blog is fired up again. I like to keep it as an outlet in that manner, even if it’s sporadic.

  15. #15 Scott Eric Kaufman
    http://acephalous.typepad.com
    June 26, 2012

    Get some rest, enjoy your summer, write another book or two, and come back when it strikes your fancy. You’ll live in our RSS forever, after all.

  16. #16 Richard
    June 26, 2012

    Your blog has easily been one of my favourite websites over the past few years. I particularly enjoyed all the obscure science posts that never generated much traffic (I’m the one who requested the “What Do You Need to Make Cold Atoms” posts). I very much hope you return, but I’m grateful for your contribution to the internet regardless.

  17. #17 cisko
    June 26, 2012

    Chad, thanks so much for some wonderful and wonderfully educational blogging. Whatever you have to do, it’s the right thing – you own the blog, not vice versa, and it’ll just have to wait on your pleasure. Best wishes for life to feel less hectic.

    You’ll be missed, but we’ll be here if and when you get back. Hope all goes well and life treats you kindly!

  18. #18 Bee
    June 27, 2012

    Hi Chad,
    I can relate to your problem. I hope you find some time to relax and if you come back to blogging, however long it will take, I’ll certainly be reading along again. Take care,

    Sabine

  19. #19 agm
    June 27, 2012

    You’re still on the list of people to buy a drink for should I ever meet you in person. Have fun going slightly less crazy with things to do.

  20. #20 fvngvs
    June 27, 2012

    Dammit.
    We’ll miss you, man.
    [sniff]

  21. #21 Elizabeth
    June 27, 2012

    Thank you for all the good times. I came for a physics post (geared to the intelligent layman), stayed for the baby blogging, Emmy, and your wonderful wit. I have a fairly short list of sites I visit on a daily basis, and I especially enjoyed your links dump when I wanted to read something I wouldn’t otherwise have found.

    I retired my own blog a few months ago and that worked out well for me. Know when to fold ’em. That said, come back to the blog any old time: Your readers will welcome you with open arms and minds.

    All the best to you and your family.

  22. #22 ann connolly
    June 27, 2012

    Elizabeth and transcendentape wrote what I would have. At least I will have more time now, as I could spend hours with links dump alone. Thanks for booman and smartypants. Best of luck to you and your family.

  23. #23 Melissa
    June 27, 2012

    Good luck to you, and thanks for all the fish!

  24. #24 Jake Cummings
    Portland, Oregon
    July 2, 2012

    Found your blog a couple months ago, and have been inspired, amused, educated and challenged to think critically as you do.
    Thanks for that.

    If you would allow me to suggest anything,
    Don’t stop writing. Maybe cease blogging and reduce internet consumption, but don’t stop writing.

  25. #25 Jack
    July 6, 2012

    Good luck!

    If nothing else, keep the toddler and baby blogging up. :)

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