Mission Statement

09/25/16

If I have learned anything about writing, it is that the writer must have purpose. Spontaneously deciding, “I will write something,” may work for a short period of time, but it’s not enough for a long-term project. There are millions of abandoned blogs littering the information superhighway, parked on the shoulder when the author ran out of gas.

When we create something, we must ask: What is its nature and substance, its reason for being? (Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, book 8.11.)

An escribitionist is a person who keeps an online journal that is publically accessible. The accessibility of these journals make them fundamentally different from dead-tree journals or private blogs hidden in the clouds behind layers of SSH encryption. The blogger is keenly aware a reader may peer over their shoulder at any moment. There will always be an element of pageantry to the work.

It is tempting to use a personal journal for catharsis, but this means the writer is focusing inward, possibly at the expense of the panoramic view. What I’m saying is there’s a time and a place for flinging bile everywhere. This is a high-class blog. We conduct ourselves with dignity here.

A few ground rules, then. Every post should:

  1. Tell a truth.
  2. Provide something unique or interesting.
  3. Be written with the assumption that my child or potential constituents may one day read it.
  4. Respect the privacy of all individuals referenced.
  5. Resist catharsis.
  6. In other words, no shitposting.

These guidelines should keep the misanthropy, self-derision, and shenanigans to a minimum.