Wing Tang Wong

On The Matter of "Cruft"

For those who know me, I have a habit of building out a sizable online footprint, then after a year or so, just retract them back, save for a handful, which I migrate or rebuild. Part of this exercise is due to hosting migrations, but part of it is to clear out "cruft" that builds up on my sites.

By cruft, I mean... posts which really don't add much value to the site, for me, or for people visiting and reading the site.

However, what survives has a tendency to be improved upon, even if it seems worse off at first.

This site is a new site. :) So thankfully, it has no bar by which it is being judged.

However, my other blogging sites do have a history.. and a good deal of "cruft".

Blogs Are Like Waves Crashing Upon The Shore

When I look at the vast number of blogs that are appearing and disappearing on sites like blogspot, wordpress, and their ilk, I get the feeling of waves forming, cresting, and breaking along an imaginary coastline. And like those waves, the thoughts and ideas behind those blogs get reclaimed, recycled, and reformed into new ideas, thoughts, and postings.

It seems that as time goes on, these repeated bloggings start to etch the cultural landscape, that is the beach, in my example, and what is left behind is a richer and more complex culture. The "cruft" is washed away, leaving behind new forms and shapes for the bloggers out there to consider, mull over, and flow around.

Those who are interested in my contributions of cruft to the online world, can check out the links to my other sites in the sidebar. Enjoy! Reload, and Enjoy again!