Unless I have a complete about-turn (something that is by no means impossible) this will be my last post for Transport Blog.
I would love to say that I have agonized long and hard before arriving at this decision. But that wouldn't be true. The truth is that a large number of frustrations have built up over the last few months. Here are a few of them:
- It's too restrictive. I want to write about things other than transport. Of course, I have Croziervision for that sort of thing but the problem has been that my TB duties have tended to my neglecting CV.
- It doesn't have enough readers. Vain, moi? You bet. I write to be read - for the most part. TB gets a lot of hits but for the most part these are Google searches. Site Meter gives me some indication of what people have been looking for and as often as not I find myself thinking: "Didn't help that guy, did I?". Frankly, the market for a libertarian-inclined blog commenting on transport was always likely to be limited.
- Because there are not enough readers it is difficult to attract the writers. Why post on TB when you can get just as large an audience (if not larger) posting on your own blog?
- It's too big (in addition to being too restrictive). Really, to do it justice we should be covering everything: road, rail, air, sea, sleds and sand yachts. I can't even cover the UK rail industry properly.
- I have said more or less everything I have to say on the topic. OK, we never quite got round to finding the "why doesn't vertical fragmentation work on the railways?" Holy Grail and "Beeching II - no more Mr Nice Guy" will have to remain unpublished for a little longer but my views on road pricing, rail "privatisation" and positive externalities are, at least, out there.
- I have often found myself unsure where to put things. Is "In praise of the Porsche 911" a TB or a CV thing? Likewise "Bush v Kerry, Red v Blue, Sprawl v Smart - why the Democrats lose there and the Conservatives here".
- I want to do other things. I want to start a blog from scratch. I want a rail news blog. I want a BBC-
bashingreview blog. I want a Modern Railways review blog. I want a digest blog. - I've already made a start with the scratch blog.
- My views are starting to change. I am no longer convinced of the case for specialist commentary blogs. Nor am I any longer convinced of the case for group commentary blogs. Nowadays there are alternatives.
All this is not to say that Transport Blog has been a waste of time. Far from it. I have learnt a lot especially about compulsory purchase and Australian low-cost carriers and Mark III coaches. I also, and probably more importantly, have learnt a lot about blogging both from the technical and philosophical perspectives. The experience has not been a waste.
Finally, I would like to thank the following for their contributions (big and small) over the last two and a half years: Brian Micklethwait, Michael Jennings, Andy Wood, Mark Holland, Peter Cuthbertson, Gabriel Roth, David Farrer, Jackie D, Alan Little, Tim Hall, Mark Ellott, Andy Wakeford and Brian Hayes.
Update 08/12/04 I would like to thank everyone for their kind comments - keep them coming ;-). Talking of which the security codes are no longer displaying. Fret ye not - they don't work anyway and you can happily ignore them.
Just to let you know in case you missed my none-to-clear announcement above: I have a new blog. It is here. And I am sure I'll get round to writing about transport before too long.
Closure Notice
The Beeching Axe has fallen on Patrick Crozier's Transport Blog. One of the very first blogs on my blogroll....
Where Worlds Collide on December 6, 2004
Closure Notice
The Beeching Axe has fallen on Patrick Crozier's Transport Blog. One of the very first blogs on my blogroll. I...
Where Worlds Collide on December 6, 2004
Unfortunate news from Transport Blog
All change. This blog terminates here.
City Comforts Blog on December 7, 2004
Stand Clear of Closing Doors
We bid a fond farewell to those libertarian-minded transport bloggers across the pond as Patrick Crozier bids farewell on TransportBlog. We've had our good times together. While we might not always agree on the politics of transport, it was always...
Live from the Third Rail on December 8, 2004
Stand Clear of Closing Doors
We bid a fond farewell to those libertarian-minded transport bloggers across the pond as Patrick Crozier bids farewell on Transport Blog. We've had our good times together. While we might not always agree on the politics of transport, it was...
Live from the Third Rail on December 8, 2004
DRIVING IN TRAFFIC
Michael Giberson The latest Review of Network Economics, which focuses on road transport issues, arrived just after the latest family Thanksgiving trip down I-95 in the Eastern United States. Traveling on I-95 prompted me to wonder how I should be...
Knowledge Problem on December 20, 2004
Comments
I publish on multiple blogs, my own Flit(TM) which covers everything and has a small circulation and I've also got posting rights on the ChicagoBoyz blog where I exclusively post on Chicago related matters (I live in that metro region).
I don't see why there's any reason not to have a wider "Croziervision" effort and, when your mind turns to transport fancy, reposting on Transport blog. People who are only interested in transport issues will like the fact that they don't have to wade through the rest of Croziervision while you can explore your wider writings without having to limit yourself to transport only related things. If you're technically adventurous, you could rig it so that all your croziervision subjects get automatically broken out into their own blog with no human intervention on your part.
Posted by TM Lutas on December 6, 2004Are you leaving the site and archives up, or will the whole blog die when the hosting account and domain expires?
Posted by Tim Hall on December 6, 2004Are you leaving the site and archives up, or will the whole blog die when the hosting account and domain expires?
I do hope not. There's a lot of work there (a lot of other people's work there, indeed) so we have to find some way of preserving it. I am just not quite sure how to go about doing it. Anyway, I have a year to decide and most of it is backed up.
As far as the future shape of my blogging goes - right now everything is up for grabs but I am sure at some point I'll start writing about trains again.
Posted by Patrick Crozier on December 6, 2004What a disapointment! You have such a wonderful blog; I just wished that I agreed with you more. :) But it is a wonderful and stimulating resource so please leave it up, even just as is so people can still comment.
And I do understand -- I have been thinking of putting my own blog on ice for a while.
I for one, will miss your rhetoric and physics lessons.
Posted by Benjamin Kaplin on December 7, 2004Sorry to see Transport Blog go, Patrick. I have marked the occasion on my blog. And do add mine to the chorus of voices saying, "don't let the archive die."
Posted by Natalie Solent on December 7, 2004I'm sad to see this one go, but I look forward to what pops up in the future from this site's contributors. Two thoughts to leave:
a) However bizarre or wrongheaded they may seem, all decisions are made for a reason. Finding the real or root cause of a decision is often the most effective way of challenging it.
b) There is always another point of view...
Mine too (and other AOL-eries), and will miss the site.
I thought you had one BBC review blog already, Patrick? Two just seems greedy...
Posted by john b on December 7, 2004I'll miss it too. In the spirit of carrying on where you left off, I've commented on recent rail issues over at my blog. Indeed, it was this blog along with White Rose that prompted me to start blogging in the first place. many thanks for the inspiration.
http://longrider.blog-city.com
Posted by Mark Ellott on December 7, 2004I ll miss it ...
Think you should know specialist blogs work: I got a lot of inspiration in the preliminary works towards my thesis (finished this summer).
Posted by Rike on December 12, 20041) I went through three months of not posting on my blogs. I have now started to go back to my Election Watch blog (http://antoineclarke.blogspot.org) so I know exactly what you've been through. Best of luck.
2) If you read this very soon, then we need to talk about a one-off business deal. Call me asap.
Posted by Antoine Clarke on December 13, 2004I have declined to being a once in a while Samizdata contributor, and my own blog is almost but not entirely dead. Part of it is that I went at got a job, but even more it was that I was pretty blogged out, I think.
I'll also add that I would like the archive to stay up. For one thing I would like the stuff I have written for the blog to remain accessible if possible.
Posted by Michael Jennings on December 15, 2004I just wanted to thank you for your work. I think it's very good.
I would like to wish you the best in your future projects.
Posted by José Carlos Rodríguez on January 13, 2005Oh come off it Patrick. You know you want to come back. We miss you!
Posted by Al on January 28, 2005I stop by once in a while in hopes that you have changed your mind. Alas.
Posted by David Sucher on March 12, 2005Permalink
I noticed the volume of posting had declined in recent weeks and unfortunately my fears were confirmed.
You've done an outstanding job on a subject that even small-government types have a hard time coming to grips with. I will certainly miss Transport Blog.
On the other hand, you may find that posting on a variety of topics will help save up more energy for an occasional quality post on transport. Being libertarian-minded, it is always hard to focus on only one aspect of State meddling.
Good luck with Croziervision, and thanks again for your efforts with Transport Blog.
Posted by Jay Jardine on December 6, 2004