When I first started blogging back in early 2001, I didn’t enable comments on my website because its original purpose was to showcase my writing, such as it was back then. This is why there were a lot of essays and such — lengthy pieces wherein I explored the world, my world and the world around me — and I have to admit, it was hard work.
Then one day I threw up a pic of a gun that I liked, completely out of left field and quite gratuitous. That became a weekly fixture, and then inevitably, as I started reading more and more about guns, I got dragged into the politics of guns, and thereafter into politics in general. And the rest you know.
But in all that time, I felt as though I was just shouting into the void, not knowing whether anyone heard me or cared.
Then Connie suggested I open the site to comments, and I resisted fiercely for about a couple of weeks because I’d seen how other websites had been overrun by trolls and other such pond scum, and I just did not have the patience to deal with that. So she suggested that I ban anonymous comments, requiring people to register their email addresses first, and reluctantly I agreed.
Now I can’t function without comments, or to be more specific, not only my Readers’ feedback and arguments, but the several friendships which have arisen from this contact. So the past week or so, where I’ve just been shouting into the void again, made it unbelievably difficult to summon up the motivation to post anything at all, and I have to tell you, I found it difficult to write about anything.
So if the past Time Of Silence sucked, content-wise, please forgive me. I’ll Try To Do Better — but already I’ve noticed that it’s easier to do so.
Welcome back, y’all — and that comes straight from the heart.
All that said, over the next week, Tech Support and I (mostly Tech Support) will be rebuilding this website completely: new dedicated server, fuck off Hosting Matters, etc.
The format should remain the same, and it should happen more or less seamlessly; but if you hit that shortcut / bookmark and you get this:
…for an hour or so, please be patient. Just know that I will be chafing and biting my lip as much or more than you are. TS has promised to keep me, and you degenerates informed as much as possible (his word, not mine; as though a fixation with seditious ramblings, guns, cars and boobs is degenerate).
I think I speak for everyone when I say that we’re glad you’re back.
yes!!! and how!!!
JQ
Yaaaaa! Welcome back – I knew you’d wrangle them ones and zeros back into something workable.
Best of luck with the website redo – I hear the tools today are FAR better than what we had to work with at Y2K era (I remember using DreamWeaver, and realizing it was driving me mad…) . It almost seems like ancient history, these days…
For my part, it’s good to have you back. And I’ve only just discovered your books on Amazon and loved the first one I read … Prime Target. And not 30 seconds ago I bought Creative Licence … err, License. Just have to finish wading through Scott Mariani’s latest, The Silver Serpent. Though I have been totally immersed in and enjoyed the previous titles, this one gripes me. Why? It’s set in Australia, and too much of it jars to an Australian reader.
Anyway, that’s neither here nor there. It felt good to call up your page and find you back. Thank you for persisting.
Huzzah! Ye olde Kim blog is back and functioning. Since you are a regular visit stop every morning, thank you for making the effort, we do look forward to when you go 100% private (well, aside from the internet service provider).
Going to be real interesting if we ever do get to experience a Carrington event or EMP attack. Maybe we will be back on the Amateur radio bands with packet transmission or, gasp!, plain old voice (I detest Morse code, never was able to get good at it being quite tone deaf and now losing more hearing with age).
Carry on.
“TS has promised to keep me, and you degenerates informed as much as possible (his word, not mine; as though a fixation with seditious ramblings, guns, cars and boobs is degenerate)”
Sounds like TS may be developing a lib streak that needs to be slapped out of him….after he finishes fixing you up, of course. 😉
Yeah, good luck with that. TS, in his bad-mood moments, makes me look like Tinkerbell. Or politically speaking, like a RINO.
“Heavily armed” comes to mind, too. And I taught him how to shoot a handgun. He practices often.
I’m a nobody from nowhere, and haven’t met anyone here in person yet. But this site is like the old coffee shop in my home town where my Dad used to stop every morning and hang out with his cronies. Sadly I’m now the age that those old timers were then, and they are gone. Since I’m not there anymore this is the next best thing.
speaking of Community, is anyone interested in a regional meet up? Maybe a good watering hole, gun range, gun show etc?
Also, Kim, I notice that when I post, I get an error after I press the Post Comment button. When I go back to the thread, my comment is posted. Also, my log in doesn’t time out.
Thanks for getting comments up and running. Your page is mandatory with my morning coffee!!! Love the articles and the comments!
JQ
FYI, me too, since you came back from your hiatus.
This sounds like a great idea. It would be nice to meet everyone in person finally.
I’m in New England I like to travel.
email [email protected]
JQ
I second this motion!
JQ
What JQ said, had the same experience today and sent Kim a mail about the error, but now see that the post did get in.
Tried before and failed, working now. Thank you, Kim and Tech Support.
Re: your pending rebuild.
If you really missed us, and if you’re really worried that there might be a gap between old site and new site, you could bank some favors with us (the Great Unwashed,) by posting a whoop-load of gun, car and boob pictures (mostly boobs,) before making the leap.
Just sayin’.
I second this motion!
JQ
… as though a fixation with seditious ramblings, guns, cars and boobs is degenerate.
Aren’t those the four food groups?
At this website, they are.
Dave,
your list of four food groups are probably more healthy than the government nonsense pushed by lobbyists. Just be careful of fast cars and boobs attached to fast women.
JQ
Not gassed (yet)!
Pretty much anything I have to add is redundant, but I’ll add my voice to the chorus: it’s nice to have you back.
A heartfelt thank you for your and Tech Support’s efforts, Kim.
I discovered Kim 1.0 around 2003-ish and it was a great comfort in a difficult period of my life. When that went away I was a little troubled, but lo you returned briefly for Kim 2.0.
When you had your troubles and had to shut that down, it was understandable, but again you were missed.
So happy you’re able to continue and maybe make Kim 4.0 even better.
Glad things are functioning again. I stop by every morning and found myself missing the comments.