Bob Hayes Online

…over at the Speculist.

If you’ve noticed, most posts these days have a timestamp of 8 AM. The reason for that is simple - I don’t have time to blog every day, and I found in previous blog efforts of mine that the mental energy - “gotta write a post for today to keep things fresh” - is often not there, even if the time is. But I DO find myself finding lots of little items that would make great mini-posts, even when I don’t have time to blog them on the actual day.

Enter WordPress’ ability to future-date posts, which then don’t appear on the site until the timestamp is reached. I can write a mini-post (or even a substantial one, like “yesterday’s” D&D post) whenever the urge strikes or time allows, and slot it in, one a day, for a future date. If I do ten in one day, I don’t have one awesome day and then a huge blank expanse; I have ten posts in a row, covering a week and a half. Currently, I’m a week ahead in blogging, and can relax without worrying about whether the site will update. Barring someone dying in the interim between me writing about them (and with my luck, excoriating them for some horrid crime or flaw), it’s a great system. I do timely things when they’re timely, and evergreens otherwise.

(Is this how Glenn does it?)

The fine blog Evangelical Outpost makes it even better, because HE waits until Sunday for all his little-gem posts - he does one big roundup every Sunday night with 33 great items. In theory, by pirating and linking to a mere 25% of his choices, I could do an entirely daily blog with nothing but EO links, in a matter of minutes each week.

Not that I plan to do that. But I do plan to link to a lot of his posts, because they’re good posts about things I wouldn’t find on my own. And I thought I’d explain to you why you see so many EO links every once in a while (hint: because I’ve just jacked a bunch of his stuff), and explain to him why he sees the occasional trackback flurry.

The life and times of a young married man learning Arabic. He has an engaging style. Go read it.