Ten years ago today, I started this blog.
TEN YEARS.
That’s longer that 99% of Hollywood marriages!!!
Now while I’ve experienced a huge amount of things in that time …
I’ve lived in 4 countries.
I got married.
I got a cat.
I had a baby.
My mum passed away.
I sold both my companies.
I got to travel the World.
I qualified as a bloody teacher.
I bought countless amounts of tech rubbish.
I managed to still stay employed.
Got to do some of the best work I’ve ever done.
I had the best holiday of my entire life.
I had the most needed holiday of my entire life.
… and so has the World …
Global economic collapse.
Olympic Games in China and London.
The re-emergence of global terrorism.
The first black President.
[Yes, I know there’s a ton more, but my memory isn’t what it used to be]
… the fact is, the standard of my writing and my posts subject matter have remained pretty much the same.
Want proof?
Here’s the very first post I wrote.
Now you might think that I’m dissing myself by highlighting this fact, but when you take into account I’ve written TWO THOUSAND SEVEN HUNDRED POSTS [I know, mad eh!] I think it shows a level of consistency and reliability than Volkswagen would be jealous of.
According to the stats, there’s literally been millions of idiots who have supposedly visited this blog – but the fact is, the majority of comments have come from pretty much the same small group of people as it always did.
Sure, some have come, some have gone … some have even gone and then come back … and even this blog supposedly closed down only to start up again because I’m a sad, sadomasochistic fool … but the fact is I have to admire their commitment and industriousness because they’ve managed to write over SIXTY FOUR THOUSAND comments between them.
Or should I say 64,000 insults.
OK, of that 64,000 … at least half are by me trying to protect my honour, but that’s still impressive.
Of course, it could be argued that the reason so many people now check out my rubbish is because there’s less blogs now than there used to be.
Back in 2006, every man and his dog had one … but in the past 10 years, it appears people have grown up and decided it’s better to live a life rather than write about one. Or they simply moved all their complaining over to Twitter.
While some may say the reason I have continued writing when everyone else has left is because I am always a few years behind the times, I prefer to think of it as me winning the ultimate game of [blog] survivor.
Except by me winning, it means humanity has lost.
But despite everything … despite all the good, bad and indifferent stuff that has happened on this blog … I feel this blog has made a powerful difference in my life.
Not because of the rubbish I write – though it has been interesting to debate and learn from people as well as see how my viewpoints have evolved/changed in the past decade – but because it’s introduced me to a whole host of wonderful and interesting people.
The reality is there’s now a bunch of people in my life that are here because of this blog.
Sure, some of them I knew already.
In fact some of them I worked for – or with.
However there’s a bunch that I only know because of this thing I write every day.
I’ve been fortunate to meet many of them – but there’s still a few who have managed to stay away [well done Northern and Marcus] – but the fact is I’m super grateful to have them in my life and despite their cheek and mischief, I know that when the shit hits the fan [as it did last year when Mum passed away], they are watching out for me.
That’s pretty wonderful for anyone, even more so when it’s the byproduct of starting something simple because I wanted a place where I could release – or store – my brainfarts.
God knows if this blog will have another 10 years in it – I know you hope it doesn’t – but the first decade of it ended up being pretty damn awesome. At least for me. So thank you.
33 Comments so far
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and the world thought isis were fucking evil bastards.
Comment by andy@cynic May 3, 2016 @ 6:25 amcongratulations campbell on writing the same fucking post for 10 fucking years.
Comment by andy@cynic May 3, 2016 @ 6:26 amI am the Status Quo of blogging.
Comment by Rob May 3, 2016 @ 7:53 amyou fucking dress the same and drone on the same as them.
Comment by andy@cynic May 3, 2016 @ 8:04 amI’ve wasted my life.
Comment by Billy Whizz May 3, 2016 @ 6:33 amNot all of it Billy, just 10 years of it.
Comment by Rob May 3, 2016 @ 7:54 amCongratulations! *whew*
Comment by Steven Baird May 3, 2016 @ 6:35 amYou have been married to this blog longer than your wife. I am not sure what that means but I don’t think it is hugely positive. Congratulations Robert. For what though, I am not certain.
Comment by George May 3, 2016 @ 6:42 amI think the reason this blog continues to be visited is because whatever happens in the world, things never change here. That’s reassuring for some people but I only come here to remind myself how far I’ve come since I worked with you. Only joking.
Comment by Bazza May 3, 2016 @ 6:55 amYou mean in terms of salary, everything else has stayed exactly the same. Ha.
Comment by Rob May 3, 2016 @ 7:55 amall that money and still a fucking midget.
Comment by andy@cynic May 3, 2016 @ 8:04 amThe “jokes” are another thing that haven’t changed either.
Comment by Bazza May 3, 2016 @ 9:20 amKeeps us young Baz.
Comment by Rob May 3, 2016 @ 10:09 amI only discovered this blog a few years ago, but it has given me much pleasure. Your openness, opinion and insight have made it a must visit for me, though I could do without the posts about your friends “assets”. Long may it continue.
Comment by Lee Hill May 3, 2016 @ 6:58 amBoom tish.
Comment by John May 3, 2016 @ 7:06 amsadist.
Comment by andy@cynic May 3, 2016 @ 7:17 amI don’t know where in the World you are today Lee, but wherever it is, I think you are suffering from jet lag.
But thank you.
Comment by Rob May 3, 2016 @ 7:56 amCongratulations. In the time I’ve been blogging, I’ve achieved none of those things.
Comment by John May 3, 2016 @ 7:09 amyouve got one fucking thing going for you doddsy, youre not campbell.
Comment by andy@cynic May 3, 2016 @ 7:16 amIt’s a good point.
Comment by Rob May 3, 2016 @ 7:56 amIt’s not really sufficient compensation though.
Comment by John May 3, 2016 @ 6:44 pmThe line between congratulations and commiserations is so thin.
Comment by Pete May 3, 2016 @ 8:54 amHappy anniversary!
I wish you an other 64000 comments, maybe with fewer insults? Not so sure, they’re really fun to read.
Comment by Ste May 3, 2016 @ 3:32 pmHi Ste … thank you. Not sure about the possibility of the insults declining, I’m not even sure about the possibility of another comment, let alone 64,000 of them. But thanks.
Comment by Rob May 3, 2016 @ 3:35 pmWell, if a good friend gave me the opportunity to take the piss out of him for about 70000 times in the next ten years, I’d sign immediately for at least half of them, probably.
Comment by Ste May 3, 2016 @ 5:34 pmOh trust me, I might have given them the opportunity, but I never gave them the approval, ha.
Comment by Rob May 3, 2016 @ 5:37 pmWe have to get something out of coming here.
Comment by DH May 4, 2016 @ 5:36 amCongratulations and a doubllesided fuck to the begrudgers!
Comment by Ciaran McCabe May 3, 2016 @ 5:20 pmHahahaha … hello Ciaran, it’s lovely to hear from you. Especially with the swearing.
Comment by Rob May 3, 2016 @ 5:22 pm[…] DH on This Blog Is The Cockroach Of Blogs … […]
Pingback by I’ve Never Been So Scared About Where We Are As A World … | The Musings Of An Opinionated Sod [Help Me Grow!] May 4, 2016 @ 6:15 amHappy belated tenth birthday to this blog! Without it, I wouldn’t have been able to meet you. A big thank you to you and this blog!
Comment by Naoko May 4, 2016 @ 10:07 amthis is a mistake right. you mean you wish this blog had never fucking started so you never would know campbell name.
Comment by andy@cynic May 4, 2016 @ 10:24 amat least there’s a strange consistency here, rhythmic and soothing, in a strange way, anytime I come back it’s like revisiting a vaudeville show that keeps the same jokes and the same performers. It’s familiar. Happy Birthday, you big lug.
Comment by judyt54 May 4, 2016 @ 10:29 am