A Valediction: Why I am not Renewing Bear Blog This Year And How It Affects My Blog
UPDATE: Seeing as I am quite infamous atm, I will take the chance to state that though I stand by what I stated in my valediction, I do not like being told that I have to leave. Label it contrarian or whatever. I consider it another reason to stay with my foot half the door. Take that as you will. I don't appreciate all the nasty messages (didn't your mothers teach you otherwise?).
The Good
I was a huge bear blog fan when I first found out about this site about two years ago. I am a privacy fan and I have an old laptop that [without] linux installed on it, would be utterly useless. Hell, I even have a de-googled android phone. I don't have social media. I thought I was the intended audience for bear blog but I admit that I was wrong. I must pack my bags and leave. I was merely renting my space, I'm fine with that.
I like the prospect of working on my css, of twiddling with the html. I don't have the time to do it myself sometimes and though I thought the dashboard was a little over engineered at first, I got used to it and it wasn't a deal breaker for me. The deal breaker was something else entirely which I am going to describe below.
Since I first found bear, I was quietly reading the discovery feed. The tech topics, the hobby blogs, the poems pages people had lovingly created. Whatever I could find that was new, that would teach me something. It feels good to read others personal likes, hobbies and thoughts, and I still quietly read niche topic blogs whenever I have the time and luck to find one. I avoid the news, I avoid some topics, but I have a great time reading actual blogs. This blog is not on my hobby. (actually I have a seperate hobby blog but I won't highlight it here) This blog is on my thoughts. On my reflections, things that help me stay sane in my busy life.
The Bad
I appreciated the hobbies of my fellow bear blog peers, but the discovery page In recent months, it has been extra refined for specific subjects. A consequence of the current American administration, I suppose. Most of the topic is TDS news, incredibly left leaning politics (so left that the meter broke), not to mention violent political opinions.
When anyone a little centered, a little more to the right mentions anything unencrypted (and by unencrypted I mean indirect and it leaves you doubting their true intentions in the post) that blog is through. They get wiped. They get shadowbanned. They get called out and publicly executed as a blog. You get dragged on by your hairs to the public courtyard, given a mock trial, and told that you are the oppressor and deserve death.
Your blog, your website that you had fun making, it is thoroughly erased, sometimes even outright banned and you have no choice but to accept it and move on. Pack your bags, go find another space if the events didn't discourage you enough to do that. But that's the point of it all. It keeps people in check. It keeps people from going against the norm, from publicly mentioning their beliefs if it is not the narrative.
But, that's fine. I get it. I am not complaining. The owner of bear blog is obviously to the left, the moderators are obviously to the left, they are fine with what is occurring because it makes them feel good about themselves. It's another Stalin-esque website where your neighbor can snitch on you and its over for you and your blog.
Like, Monocyte's blocking liberally. Monocyte highlights a post that they saw on their discovery and how it is 'xenophobic' (big word to be throwing out there). The post wasn't directly mentioned, and I know it wasn't directed at me, for example. But it did it's job, the mock trials began, and next thing that happens is any thought process that seems non left centered is shadow-banned and wiped by the moderators from bears discover page. It was so quick you almost wouldn't have noticed. But I noticed. Several people noticed. Now, thought provoking posts, posts of other people's worldviews were wiped, but the leftist narrative? As brash as ever. On the front page, of course.
A couple of weeks back, I checked the bear blog terms and rules. I think I even mentioned it in a post of mine that one of the highlights was: no vulgarity, no cursing, no violent posts. However, that isn't actively enforced, it's simply ignored, those kind of posts still get to the front page.
There's this blog that I follow on RSS, Classidential by [Redacted]. [Redacted] highlights his own blog's downfall in his year post. He made one post mentioning his worldview. It wasn't even an extreme one. Actually, I think I've made more radical commentary on my own posts. His blog as he unfortunately exclaims in his posts, got shadowbanned. It's not on the discover page anymore.
So, to conclude the topic above. Posts are actively clipped to the East of the compass, but to the West? Nada. That's fine, not my business. I'm not complaining, I am merely highlighting what is actively occurring and how it may be perceived as unfair to a quiet yet relatively large demographic.
The Ugly
I want to sit out on my porch and admire my house (blog) just like everyone else does. I don't tell anyone else how to think, I simply lay my thoughts out there. I simply make space for myself as everyone else does. Yet the reprimand is incredible. The aggression, the vitriol directed towards me and others is dissuading at times. In the past, I have gotten nasty emails and nasty replies when one of my posts would blow up on the discover feed for whatever reason. Why? What pushes someone to be an aggressor, if not an ideology that has its boot on the neck of the world? One that controls the narrative in its entirety in most online spaces.
Sure, there are maybe some virtual spaces that have a more laissez-faire approach to content posted, but those spaces are often not privacy focused. Or just straight up social media. I don't go on X (twitter) for example, because it's a social media platform.
On a side note because it was a post about a week back.
Let it be considered: it is not inherently evil to use X
but it was mentioned in one of the top posts here.
Why? What is the personal benefit of neurotically
controlling others actions on a simple social media
platform through shame and guilt? Doesn't that make you a control freak?
It's the pot calling the kettle black. It's throwing stones and hiding your hands. It's Shylock in Richard III claiming victimhood, yet at the same time causing harm to others.
You made it this far.
So, if you got this far, then you probably agree with me. I'll get to one of my last points.
What does this mean for my blog? It means I'm not renewing my subscription. Thank goodness I decided on the yearly and not the lifetime one. I'm probably going to go a different route from now on. My blog might be moving to a different platform, who knows. My foot is halfway through the door because I'm still packing my bags. I appreciate bear blog and I have no personal resentment. I think it's a great platform. I just think it could be better in certain ways that I know won't change.
Guess I stank up the backyard, here's my reply: my reply