I’m going to miss you, but I am taking a sabbatical(kottke.org)
kottke.org
I’m going to miss you, but I am taking a sabbatical
https://kottke.org/22/05/announcement-im-going-to-miss-you-but-i-am-taking-a-sabbatical
151 comments
I watch a lot of YouTube and a fair amount of Twitch. Sooner or later every creator talks a bit about their anxiety working in that content creator grind.
On Twitch, taking a day off may mean losing hundreds of subscribers. Streamers are cautious about taking bathroom breaks since they can lose thousands of viewers during a short break. YouTube ruthlessly punishes creators that don't upload on a consistent schedule. I imagine TikTok and Instagram are similar.
My guess is that Kottke has been living under a similar stress for 24 years. That has got to wear a person down.
On Twitch, taking a day off may mean losing hundreds of subscribers. Streamers are cautious about taking bathroom breaks since they can lose thousands of viewers during a short break. YouTube ruthlessly punishes creators that don't upload on a consistent schedule. I imagine TikTok and Instagram are similar.
My guess is that Kottke has been living under a similar stress for 24 years. That has got to wear a person down.
If you're a streamer large enough to be receiving hundreds of subs a day, and so many viewers you could lose thousands during a bathroom break, you're a multi millionaire. It's hard for me to be sympathetic about how stressful their job is when they could retire comfortably at any point.
They always have staff they pay with that money. It doesn't all flow into their pockets. It's very hard to reach that scale on your own.
It seems many streamers can barely take care of themselves. With the money involved I'd imagine a large cottage industry of Agents, Marketers, Content editors, and subsidies to friends and teammates who participate in their content. Not to mention a complicated tax situations, irregular income levels, periodic industry events, etc.
Does money convert people to robots or something?
> YouTube ruthlessly punishes creators that don't upload on a consistent schedule. I imagine TikTok and Instagram are similar.
Older videos are naturally downranked because users want fresh content. The age of a post is a strong predictor of user interaction. However, it doesn't mean Youtube actively punishes less frequent creators. YouTube actually promotes a lot of old content (>1 year old) compared to other platforms. At the extreme, Instagram Stories are deleted after 24 hours forcing you to produce content daily.
Older videos are naturally downranked because users want fresh content. The age of a post is a strong predictor of user interaction. However, it doesn't mean Youtube actively punishes less frequent creators. YouTube actually promotes a lot of old content (>1 year old) compared to other platforms. At the extreme, Instagram Stories are deleted after 24 hours forcing you to produce content daily.
Isn’t an innovation[1] of TikTok that it happily recommends old content as well as using user feedback as a stronger signal?
[1] that is, something they do and make a success of rather than some totally original idea.
[1] that is, something they do and make a success of rather than some totally original idea.
They do punish you. If you fall outside of the formula you will lose a lot of traffic but posting too much pushes your older content out of the formula so posting too much means any one video won't get scale.
In modern YouTube each video is ranked individually in the algorithm. Your past videos don’t harm (or boost) your new ones.
The only overlap is where your subscribers watch the video. This gives the algorithm an idea of the audience your video is applicable to so it can push it further than a video from a channel with no subscribers
Src [PDF]: https://static.googleusercontent.com/media/research.google.c...
If anything you should post as many videos as you can handle in terms of workload and quality. Don’t burn yourself out of course, but don’t hold back thinking an algorithm designed to show people videos wants less videos!
The only overlap is where your subscribers watch the video. This gives the algorithm an idea of the audience your video is applicable to so it can push it further than a video from a channel with no subscribers
Src [PDF]: https://static.googleusercontent.com/media/research.google.c...
If anything you should post as many videos as you can handle in terms of workload and quality. Don’t burn yourself out of course, but don’t hold back thinking an algorithm designed to show people videos wants less videos!
You're missing sidebar recommendations and keywords that are carried over from previous videos which are only two deep. Plus weekly, daily and monthly summing of a keyword.
Yes I have thousands of subscribers and millions of hours watched.
I have tried to post as many vidoes as possible like I'm sure many have tried. 3 a day max works better.
Yes I have thousands of subscribers and millions of hours watched.
I have tried to post as many vidoes as possible like I'm sure many have tried. 3 a day max works better.
You’re absolutely right, I did miss them. Been using the app for a while.
In any case I’ll stop tubesplaining, sorry! Any knowledge I have is booksmarts-deep at best 2015 onwards, any recent experience is definitely going to be more informed
Oh wow 2015 is a long time ago already..
In any case I’ll stop tubesplaining, sorry! Any knowledge I have is booksmarts-deep at best 2015 onwards, any recent experience is definitely going to be more informed
Oh wow 2015 is a long time ago already..
Youtube does not punish you if you are not consistent. That is simply a myth. There are plenty of very successful youtubers who only publish occasionally or irregularly.
This is the same as between making tv series of 5-6 episodes or one of 24 episodes/season or a soap opera doing 200+ episodes a year.
YT as a platform works for all kinds of producers , but as a content creator you are the in the space of high volume low quality content then yes publishing frequently is a must.
However if you are high quality low volume creator who is almost guaranteed tens of million views you could do only infrequently, however each video is going take a lot of time to produce.
YT as a platform works for all kinds of producers , but as a content creator you are the in the space of high volume low quality content then yes publishing frequently is a must.
However if you are high quality low volume creator who is almost guaranteed tens of million views you could do only infrequently, however each video is going take a lot of time to produce.
It's almost as if YouTube can distinguish between the type and quality of content when choosing how to weight distribution.
(I'm sure it does, and I'd like to know more about the algorithm.)
(I'm sure it does, and I'd like to know more about the algorithm.)
It would be nice to know academically, however am not so sure it would benefit us as users.
YT like Search is heavily targeted for SEO, having access to the algorithm will just make it easier for exploitation , we will get even more low quality low effort content in our feeds than now. More good creators will leave the platform.
YT like Search is heavily targeted for SEO, having access to the algorithm will just make it easier for exploitation , we will get even more low quality low effort content in our feeds than now. More good creators will leave the platform.
How many of them 1) always published long-form material, and 2) hit their stride/"were selected by the algorithm" in the last few years?
I would believe that what you describe is true for long-established YouTube personalities, and I can think of plenty myself, but I can think of pretty few that haven't been doing it for at least five years or so (with the exception of the woodworking space, where it seems like perhaps there's still some growth opportunities despite plenty of creators--my guess is it's because the ad revenue is way better there). I follow a lot of smaller essayists 'cause I like that sort of thing and have a friendly recommendation network to leverage; YouTube very rarely recommends me long-form content, in either Search or Suggested Videos, from somebody I've never seen before.
I would believe that what you describe is true for long-established YouTube personalities, and I can think of plenty myself, but I can think of pretty few that haven't been doing it for at least five years or so (with the exception of the woodworking space, where it seems like perhaps there's still some growth opportunities despite plenty of creators--my guess is it's because the ad revenue is way better there). I follow a lot of smaller essayists 'cause I like that sort of thing and have a friendly recommendation network to leverage; YouTube very rarely recommends me long-form content, in either Search or Suggested Videos, from somebody I've never seen before.
Those successful youtubers grew their audience publishing regularly and then switched to publishing irregularly after.
Sovietwomble has had a stable following (and even growing) for years. He doesn’t always stream, but yet he is very consistent in his timetable. He hardly loses many people when he doesn’t stream for a while. The guy never goes on holiday though, but not because he fears losing subs.
Perhaps it depends on what kind of content creator we are talking about. Is it the shock and awe / latest greatest / hype train type of content?
Perhaps it depends on what kind of content creator we are talking about. Is it the shock and awe / latest greatest / hype train type of content?
waynesonfire(1)
I took a 6 month sabbatical and am just now interviewing for work again. It's been one of the best decisions of my career and I would highly recommend everyone who can to save up and make it happen for themselves. I worked for over a decade before feeling burnt out and realizing I needed to make a change. Fortunately I'd been saving for this for quite a while, knowing I'd want to do it eventually. It's been amazing to have time to myself to ponder what I want out of the rest of my work life, enjoy hikes in the middle of the week, work on a side project, level up my cooking game, and spend time with friends and family without regard for having to return to work at the end of several week long vacations. I'm eager to get back to work and am already looking forward to my next sabbatical and how it will affect my future self. Live a little leaner, save up, and take some time for yourself. We don't have much of it.
Here's a relevant TED talk I found to be inspiring: https://www.ted.com/talks/stefan_sagmeister_the_power_of_tim...
Here's a relevant TED talk I found to be inspiring: https://www.ted.com/talks/stefan_sagmeister_the_power_of_tim...
I am just returning from a 10 month sabbatical, my second deliberate one in the past 5 years, and one of several career breaks I have taken since I started working in tech in the late 90s. I also highly recommend it. For me weekends and even annual leave doesn't reach the same level of relaxation that I can hit when I know that there is no job hanging over my head, and no countdown to when I need to return. (Running out of cash would be a fairly hard limit, of course, but in our industry it's easy to put enough money away to live without work for a year every few years.)
One thing I don't feel is that these sabbaticals have necessarily been some kind of radical life-altering experience. I pretty much just did the same stuff that I enjoyed doing anyway, but I did it entirely at my own pace, with zero pressure or stress. I'm not really seeking enlightment, I'm just seeking peacefulness.
As I am getting older, I am thinking that perhaps instead of doing my usual 1-2 years at a couple of different companies and then breaking, it might be nicer to have a consistent job that would allow me to break and come back. I have returned to two companies in my employment history - one after spending a year overseas, and another that I returned to part-time as a remote freelancer during COVID. Unfortunately I don't think many companies are inclined to offer this as a formal benefit, especially in countries where months-long parental leave isn't a thing. I suppose people who enjoy these kinds of sabbaticals and come back refreshed and hopefully more productive are still enough of a minority that it isn't seen as something that would be in a company's interest to promote.
One thing I don't feel is that these sabbaticals have necessarily been some kind of radical life-altering experience. I pretty much just did the same stuff that I enjoyed doing anyway, but I did it entirely at my own pace, with zero pressure or stress. I'm not really seeking enlightment, I'm just seeking peacefulness.
As I am getting older, I am thinking that perhaps instead of doing my usual 1-2 years at a couple of different companies and then breaking, it might be nicer to have a consistent job that would allow me to break and come back. I have returned to two companies in my employment history - one after spending a year overseas, and another that I returned to part-time as a remote freelancer during COVID. Unfortunately I don't think many companies are inclined to offer this as a formal benefit, especially in countries where months-long parental leave isn't a thing. I suppose people who enjoy these kinds of sabbaticals and come back refreshed and hopefully more productive are still enough of a minority that it isn't seen as something that would be in a company's interest to promote.
I took two sabbaticals last decade, the first 6 months and the second about a year.
After the last, I started a new job full time for about a year, after which I transitioned to working just Monday - Wednesday (8 hour days). I'm in year 4 of this schedule. For me, I think this works better than full time and occasional sabbaticals. I have not approached anything near burn out.
After the last, I started a new job full time for about a year, after which I transitioned to working just Monday - Wednesday (8 hour days). I'm in year 4 of this schedule. For me, I think this works better than full time and occasional sabbaticals. I have not approached anything near burn out.
If you don’t mind me asking, how did that transition come about? Same employer, or did you seek out work that offered this?
As someone who just started a sabbatical last month, one thing that’s on my mind is future sustainability. I don’t want to be back in a position where I have to do this for sake of sanity.
A mon-wed schedule sounds promising, but it definitely seems like the employer is #1 key.
Even if my now-former employer offered me that option, it would have never actually worked due to the culture there.
As someone who just started a sabbatical last month, one thing that’s on my mind is future sustainability. I don’t want to be back in a position where I have to do this for sake of sanity.
A mon-wed schedule sounds promising, but it definitely seems like the employer is #1 key.
Even if my now-former employer offered me that option, it would have never actually worked due to the culture there.
One possibility is https://4dayweek.io/. I'm not affiliated with them at all.
Must be wonderful to actually have the luxury to step away... I'm living the American dream - to work a non-rewarding job for no other reason other than health insurance. How do people manage these sabbaticals? Are they just wealthy enough so they don't need income?
You can buy your own insurance policy. You only chose to use your company provided insurance because they pay for half of it and no rational person takes on a large expense for no reason. If you can afford to take six months off and travel to Europe you can afford to pay full rate for insurance for 6 months while you do it and they go back to a half priced company policy when you get back.
They may pay half, or most, or all, or none. OP didn't say explicitly?
But... you may not be able to get your own with any tax benefits if your company offers something and you choose not to take it. That's my understanding anyway. And... health insurance is just totally hosed in the US, with regulations like that on the books.
Take employers out of the equation. Let everyone buy their own, and/or, institute some basic govt policy, and let people buy private on top.
If you're buying for a family, it can be prohibitively expensive. Even a few years back (2016/207), high deductible plans for some of my colleagues were north of $1500/month with $10k deductibles for 2 people in their 50s with an early 20s kid.
But... you may not be able to get your own with any tax benefits if your company offers something and you choose not to take it. That's my understanding anyway. And... health insurance is just totally hosed in the US, with regulations like that on the books.
Take employers out of the equation. Let everyone buy their own, and/or, institute some basic govt policy, and let people buy private on top.
If you're buying for a family, it can be prohibitively expensive. Even a few years back (2016/207), high deductible plans for some of my colleagues were north of $1500/month with $10k deductibles for 2 people in their 50s with an early 20s kid.
For a family yes it gets crazy. But as a self employed mid-thirties person it wasn't too terrible. $300/mo, $1,500 deductible, etc.. Yes expensive, but doable for someone determined enough.
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And... in a few years, you won't be mid-thirties any longer, through no fault of your own...
I'm not in my mid thirties any more. Just no longer buy my own insurance and instead am on my wife's employers. I can report though in early 40s rates haven't changed a lot yet. Maybe in my 50s.
> Are they just wealthy enough so they don't need income?
There's a sliding scale here. Few are wealthy enough that they don't need income forever. But many can save up enough to take a few weeks or a few months off. More like a long unpaid vacation.
There's a sliding scale here. Few are wealthy enough that they don't need income forever. But many can save up enough to take a few weeks or a few months off. More like a long unpaid vacation.
I had a friend live like a hermit for a year. He never spent money on anything he didn't absolutely need. To see him, you had to go to his place as he never went out. All of this was leading up to him taking a planned sabbatical and traveling through SE Asia. When he returned, because everthing was so much cheaper for him there, he had way more savings left than he anticipated. That afforded him the freedom to continue the sabbatical visiting as many national parks as he could. Eventually, he returned to the grind.
You just need to be disciplined.
You just need to be disciplined.
I take 1/6 of every paycheck¹ and put it in a CD ladder. This enables me (in theory) to take every seventh year off. I would be taking next year off except I ended up taking an unplanned 6-month break last year because of Covid, so I'm going to wait until 2025 for my next sabbatical. One key thing is to live a far below your means as possible.
⸻ 1. I also put half of any “extra” income that comes my way and if I slide money that I don’t use into that fund as well.
⸻ 1. I also put half of any “extra” income that comes my way and if I slide money that I don’t use into that fund as well.
[deleted]
If a knowledgeable person on your team is burnt out and considering a new job, a long (paid) vacation can be advantageous for all.
I'm sure it would be but I've never heard of that happening.
I once went to my manager saying I was worried about burning out bc of pushing so hard on a project with a legal deadline. Asked him to consider/look into options for me to take a month off unpaid at the end of it.
He said he'd talk to leadership about it and get back to me. I got fired the next day.
I once went to my manager saying I was worried about burning out bc of pushing so hard on a project with a legal deadline. Asked him to consider/look into options for me to take a month off unpaid at the end of it.
He said he'd talk to leadership about it and get back to me. I got fired the next day.
This is where I would have lawyered up. I don't know where this happened to you, but over in Europe I'm pretty sure this is illegal and I'd be gunning for some sweet, sweet money.
Unless they're in a legally protected class or live in Montana, his or her employer can fire them for whatever reason they want (and the employee can leave for whatever reason they want as well).
Do try to remember that there are other countries than the USA.
I know that. But this happened in the US, if I remember, where getting let go for just about any reason is legal.
You replied to GP, who was replying to GGP, who made no mention of their location.
Most managers don't have the luxury of being Gabe Newell from Valve. They'll just fire you as soon as you sound like your numbers are going down with some cause. Even if in the long run it'll be better, most managers only work at companies for 4 years, under VPs who only work their 6 or 7 years. The long term health of the team isn't a priority for anyone.
I tried to quit 2 months ago due to burnout. My manager told me to rather go on extended sick leave, and contact him in 6 months if I felt like coming back.
I just quit last month for burnout reasons. I’ve had my foot on the gas for…19 years.
My management really wanted me to do the sick leave thing. My therapist would have backed me up if I needed proof.
I chose not to take that offer because I didn’t want a timetable looming, and I wanted to be truly free from any pressure to return. The role was also very customer facing, which put me in a weird spot about what to tell the community.
I think I might have been more open to it if I hadn’t already been there for 8+ years and feeling the itch to do something new.
The door is still open, but I don’t have to walk through it.
I sometimes have to take a minute to reflect on how good we have it in this industry.
My management really wanted me to do the sick leave thing. My therapist would have backed me up if I needed proof.
I chose not to take that offer because I didn’t want a timetable looming, and I wanted to be truly free from any pressure to return. The role was also very customer facing, which put me in a weird spot about what to tell the community.
I think I might have been more open to it if I hadn’t already been there for 8+ years and feeling the itch to do something new.
The door is still open, but I don’t have to walk through it.
I sometimes have to take a minute to reflect on how good we have it in this industry.
Make sure to really take your time, assuming you can afford it. It took me 3 years to get back on my feet after a major case of burn-out and I was done with the business world for a long time after that.
It's helpful to hear anecdotes like this. My minimum time will be 6 months, but I have entertained up to a year depending on how these 6 months go. Thankfully I've saved enough to cover even more time if I really need it.
I hear you on the business burnout. That's the part I could see taking...a good while for myself.
I hear you on the business burnout. That's the part I could see taking...a good while for myself.
Much strength, mail me if you feel like.
This is HN, you can just say "Gabe" and we'll get your point! :)
Kottke has a paid membership system, and in the post he notes he’s not closing it down and doesn’t expect _everyone_ to cancel their sub.
Personally I have finally come to terms with the fact that I am burnt out. This post is inspiring and I appreciate the author's honesty about his struggles. I hope soon I can take well well needed rest to recharge, and hopefully feel better about my life.
I'm about to read it, just wanted to glance at the comments first.
Man, I know your feel. It was end of last week when I realized I'm facing burnout.
I've no idea what to do with it. Ideally I know that break would be good but yeah, I need to work because I like not to starve :/
I hope this post will inspire also me somehow.
But in the meantime - I hope you'll beat it fast.
I hope this post will inspire also me somehow.
But in the meantime - I hope you'll beat it fast.
Seems it's a good time to step away. Come back in a year with a less crazy market and mind.
I see myself in Jason Kottke's writing about burnout. I used to occasionally marvel that I got paid (and paid pretty well!) to solve problems in software. The past few years I've felt mired in Jira/Agile hell, working on machines slowed by corporate-mandated anti-virus and whatever other spyware, building software that is often thrown away due to unrealistic requirements or just plain bad requirements gathering.
I've also become a father, which is obviously a time-consuming and stressful endeavor.
Oh, and there's this pandemic going on, so I didn't get to see much of my Mom while she was dying, but I did feel like I saw some extra ugliness in society in general.
I'm not sure which of these (or other) factors have contributed more or less to my feeling this way. I've been starting to think about taking some time off, although I'm not sure how much I'll be able to swing. But if there were a clone of me out there, and I could press a button to approve a 6 month sabbatical for him, I'd definitely do it.
It's easy to look at the superficial and think, "man this Kottke guy had an easy gig, he doesn't deserve a 6 month break", but if he's feeling similarly to me, I don't begrudge him. Like the Chinese expression says: Only the wearer knows where the shoe pinches.
I've also become a father, which is obviously a time-consuming and stressful endeavor.
Oh, and there's this pandemic going on, so I didn't get to see much of my Mom while she was dying, but I did feel like I saw some extra ugliness in society in general.
I'm not sure which of these (or other) factors have contributed more or less to my feeling this way. I've been starting to think about taking some time off, although I'm not sure how much I'll be able to swing. But if there were a clone of me out there, and I could press a button to approve a 6 month sabbatical for him, I'd definitely do it.
It's easy to look at the superficial and think, "man this Kottke guy had an easy gig, he doesn't deserve a 6 month break", but if he's feeling similarly to me, I don't begrudge him. Like the Chinese expression says: Only the wearer knows where the shoe pinches.
I just want to say, every one of your bullet points resonated with me - work hurdles, fatherhood, aging parents, societal ugliness. Let me be your clone and perhaps you can be mine - go take the sabbatical.
Huge fan of kottke, he should take all the time he needs. I will say there's no way that tree isn't pot-bound though.
Agree. Bigger pot will probably do wonders for it.
Kottke.org defined a kind of blogging which expresses wonder in the world around us, a format which has been cloned and bent to the shape of SEO a million times since. More Kottkes and fewer content farms in the future please. My newsreader will be a less inspiring place until he returns.
(Although… 24 years is a hella long time without a break. Sabbaticals traditionally come after 7 years. So no pressure to come back anytime soon Jason.)
(Although… 24 years is a hella long time without a break. Sabbaticals traditionally come after 7 years. So no pressure to come back anytime soon Jason.)
>> "What good is a blog without a thriving community of other blogs?"
This is something I feel every time I think about getting back into blogging. A post wasn't quite the scream into the void it is now. Back then you'd at least get a few views and a comment or two if you wrote something compelling. Sometimes a lot of views and someone you don't even know liking your words enough to share them.[0]
I don't know if it's the context shift or the fact that newsletters are ascendant but drafting a newsletter doesn't feel as useless as drafting something in WordPress. Even with 0 subscribers.
[0] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4719730
This is something I feel every time I think about getting back into blogging. A post wasn't quite the scream into the void it is now. Back then you'd at least get a few views and a comment or two if you wrote something compelling. Sometimes a lot of views and someone you don't even know liking your words enough to share them.[0]
I don't know if it's the context shift or the fact that newsletters are ascendant but drafting a newsletter doesn't feel as useless as drafting something in WordPress. Even with 0 subscribers.
[0] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4719730
Currently on my 4th month of a Sabbatical and not looking back. It's great to explore and find joy in the world offline again.
I also no longer feel the need to be validated by the work that I do but really by how I feel and I feel good.
I also no longer feel the need to be validated by the work that I do but really by how I feel and I feel good.
Could you expand on that?
Something about “not feeling the need to be validated by work” sounds appealing and is bubbling in my mind recently, but I’m not sure how that looks day to day.
Something about “not feeling the need to be validated by work” sounds appealing and is bubbling in my mind recently, but I’m not sure how that looks day to day.
Last year I started cycling off of social media. I normally do 30 days on and then 60 days off. Rinse and repeat. Its definitely has re-shaped a lot of how I view my life and what's truly important and what's just white noise bogging my brain down.
I'm not surprised by his move to unplug for an extended period of time. A lot of older people I work with (40-50's) are unplugging their social media, and starting to limit a lot of their screen time and their kids screen time.
I feel like a pendulum is starting to swing away from being accessible 24/7 and always feeling like you need to be constantly plugged into everything.
I'm not surprised by his move to unplug for an extended period of time. A lot of older people I work with (40-50's) are unplugging their social media, and starting to limit a lot of their screen time and their kids screen time.
I feel like a pendulum is starting to swing away from being accessible 24/7 and always feeling like you need to be constantly plugged into everything.
Maybe, like his tree, his pot is way to small and he is root-bound.
The fig trees pot is to small.
Perhaps Kottke too needs a larger pot to explore, grow and plant roots.
It's also lanky and lopsided because it's trying to get more light.
Wish more people had the financial freedom to just take a break. Everyone needs it, only a few can do it.
Only six months? That's not enough. That's trying to hold on, afraid it will go away. At least take a year, but really, just take off. Do your sabbatical - your time on the open water - but then move onward. Life is short; you will have very few opportunities like this one. You might not ever be as popular and successful as you are now, but you might, and likely in a completely different way. Your blog might fall apart even if you stay, and then what will you have? But for sure, you won't get many chances like this in life; the world changes, something will change in your life or your world, and the opportunity will vanish.
I'm of a similar vintage and original web background to Kottke. I don't habitually read his site but I've been aware of him for decades and my wife is a subscriber. I'm my own boss, but where he got into blogging, I mostly stayed on the web treadmill which has been a grind for 20+ years.
But while I work a lot and have a few struggling fiddle leaf figs myself, I don't feel burnt out. A few years ago I lucked onto a hobby that makes me some money but most importantly gets me away from the desk. I'm guessing he needs the same.
His existence is browsing the web! A few minutes of searching would suggest some options: repot the plant, prune and/or notch it. Or depending on the house, move it outside. Or give it away and start another one or another type of plant. Because as others have suggested, the plant is the perfect parallel - he needs a bigger pot, he should get away and outside. Take the kids away any chance you can get. Organise a family trip with whoever can make it, because sometimes if you wait until everyone's available, you will be waiting for years.
I'm assuming he shares custody of the kids which might tie him down a bit, but other than that, if anyone has the freedom to explore new pursuits and take little energising trips, it's surely a blogger writing about things they find online?
But while I work a lot and have a few struggling fiddle leaf figs myself, I don't feel burnt out. A few years ago I lucked onto a hobby that makes me some money but most importantly gets me away from the desk. I'm guessing he needs the same.
His existence is browsing the web! A few minutes of searching would suggest some options: repot the plant, prune and/or notch it. Or depending on the house, move it outside. Or give it away and start another one or another type of plant. Because as others have suggested, the plant is the perfect parallel - he needs a bigger pot, he should get away and outside. Take the kids away any chance you can get. Organise a family trip with whoever can make it, because sometimes if you wait until everyone's available, you will be waiting for years.
I'm assuming he shares custody of the kids which might tie him down a bit, but other than that, if anyone has the freedom to explore new pursuits and take little energising trips, it's surely a blogger writing about things they find online?
I've been a big fan of Jason since I came across his blog in the 2000s. I wish the best for him and his tree.
I've been reading Jason every day for the last 20-something years. I love his writing voice and his perspective on the world.
There's no other blog I read as consistently or as enthusiastically. I hope he gets the time out he needs from his sabbatical. I look forward to the next 20 years of reading his work.
There's no other blog I read as consistently or as enthusiastically. I hope he gets the time out he needs from his sabbatical. I look forward to the next 20 years of reading his work.
He should probably plant the fig tree outside, at this point. (Not sure how that fits in to the analogy.)
Kottke was very formative to my first big "deep dive" into the web and truly being blown away by the community / what would you could create. He was one of the original patreons.
Side note: what happened to his social bookmarking site he was working on?
Side note: what happened to his social bookmarking site he was working on?
kottke heavily shaped my thinking during peak RSS years. I miss it. social media taints the deep reflective thought he's fostered for over 20 years. I wish him bountiful inspiration on this journey.
I have to admit, I will miss the blog.
Post the demise of RSS it's one of the few places I check in on directly every few days.
What are your other favorites that might help me fill the gap?
What are your other favorites that might help me fill the gap?
> Post the demise of RSS it's one of the few places I check in on directly every few days.
What do you mean by this? I saw the announcement in my RSS reader before seeing it here.
> What are your other favorites that might help me fill the gap?
I actually just purged a lot of my media consumption for "burnout" related reasons of my own, but can second some of the recommendations Jason included at the end of the post like Colossal and Open Culture. He also posted this a couple years back:
https://kottke.org/18/04/blogging-is-most-certainly-not-dead
What do you mean by this? I saw the announcement in my RSS reader before seeing it here.
> What are your other favorites that might help me fill the gap?
I actually just purged a lot of my media consumption for "burnout" related reasons of my own, but can second some of the recommendations Jason included at the end of the post like Colossal and Open Culture. He also posted this a couple years back:
https://kottke.org/18/04/blogging-is-most-certainly-not-dead
Kottke is not a blog I follow. I don't know why but nevertheless the domain feels reputable to me. I know I've read a small number of articles there over the years, none of which I specifically recall, but that must have been good enough that when I look at this domain I think "this is going to be thoughtful, not bombastic or trying to sell me something". Now I will look and see if this recollection is correct...
>>> the plant is listing so badly to one side that the whole thing tips over without the weight of water in the pot
It is listing towards the light of the window. All trees do it. Give it a 180 deg rotation and maybe it will straighten up. Good luck.
It is listing towards the light of the window. All trees do it. Give it a 180 deg rotation and maybe it will straighten up. Good luck.
Fittingly, that tree seems to mostly need a larger place to grow, much like the author.
Good for him. I hope he comes back in a few months with renewed energy for the next evolution of kottke.org, but even if not, or he heads in a different direction entirely, he deserves it.
Silkscreen was my go-to font choice for my blog back during the 9rules network days. Lots of memories just came back to me designing my site and using that font.
> My plant is not ok.
That pot is too small for such a large plant.
That pot is too small for such a large plant.
More room for roots, and a bracing system will help. (and it will help the plant).
people posting things on the internet just isn't that much of a novelty anymore
frankly nothing "internet" is a novelty anymore
no one needs your edgy take, nonlinear thinking, "challenging ideas"...its all just blah blah blah
the world needs people to build houses, not websites
get used to seeing more old-tyme content creators sign off for good, most of their bits had just been reduced to noise anyway
frankly nothing "internet" is a novelty anymore
no one needs your edgy take, nonlinear thinking, "challenging ideas"...its all just blah blah blah
the world needs people to build houses, not websites
get used to seeing more old-tyme content creators sign off for good, most of their bits had just been reduced to noise anyway
chrismeller(10)
Jason posts a handful of cool links each week and occasionally writes a few paragraphs about them. He also sometimes produces a podcast. As far as I can tell, this is the full extent of his job.
It’s really hard to imagine getting “burnt out” from this. It sounds exactly how many people actively enjoy spending their free time: surf the internet for fun and take a few minutes sharing a couple cool links with your friends.
It’s really hard to imagine getting “burnt out” from this. It sounds exactly how many people actively enjoy spending their free time: surf the internet for fun and take a few minutes sharing a couple cool links with your friends.
I disagree.
Firstly, I believe you underestimate the amount of work Jason does and the amount of stress he is under.
I've read Kottke.org since I was a kid, and it's the only blog I still regularly read. There's a reason it's the only website I've looked at everyday for the majority of my life: consistent excellence. Anecdotally, whenever Jason has a guest writer come on his blog, I can tell before I even read the by-line. It's just not the same quality.
And that doesn't happen for free. I imagine it takes a huge amount of work and thought to successfully curate The Whole Internet into something that people actually want to read for 24 years. Remember that his livelihood depends directly on driving traffic to his website — there's no safety net or wiggle room. This sounds incredibly stressful to me.
Secondly, in another comment you claim that because other people with different jobs might be burnt out from those jobs, it is not reasonable for Jason to feel burnt out from his job, and therefore his sabbatical is unwarranted.
This makes no sense. Anyone can get burnt out from any job, and if they have the privilege to do so (and I do agree with you that it is a privilege), they should take time off. In a similar vein, if someone suffers from depression, that person should seek therapy if they can, regardless of whether someone else has life circumstances that are worse.
It makes no sense to prevent someone from taking time off (or seeking therapy) just because their life isn't as bad as someone else's. Instead, we should advocate for better working conditions (or access to therapy) for those who cannot afford the privilege.
Firstly, I believe you underestimate the amount of work Jason does and the amount of stress he is under.
I've read Kottke.org since I was a kid, and it's the only blog I still regularly read. There's a reason it's the only website I've looked at everyday for the majority of my life: consistent excellence. Anecdotally, whenever Jason has a guest writer come on his blog, I can tell before I even read the by-line. It's just not the same quality.
And that doesn't happen for free. I imagine it takes a huge amount of work and thought to successfully curate The Whole Internet into something that people actually want to read for 24 years. Remember that his livelihood depends directly on driving traffic to his website — there's no safety net or wiggle room. This sounds incredibly stressful to me.
Secondly, in another comment you claim that because other people with different jobs might be burnt out from those jobs, it is not reasonable for Jason to feel burnt out from his job, and therefore his sabbatical is unwarranted.
This makes no sense. Anyone can get burnt out from any job, and if they have the privilege to do so (and I do agree with you that it is a privilege), they should take time off. In a similar vein, if someone suffers from depression, that person should seek therapy if they can, regardless of whether someone else has life circumstances that are worse.
It makes no sense to prevent someone from taking time off (or seeking therapy) just because their life isn't as bad as someone else's. Instead, we should advocate for better working conditions (or access to therapy) for those who cannot afford the privilege.
I didn't say his sabbatical is unwarranted; he can spend his life however he pleases. I simply said that I think it's extremely tone deaf and sneeringly privileged for Jason to describe his current state as "burnt out." This is a very strong term referring to a state of extreme mental anguish induced by an unreasonable and inescapable level of overwork that applies more to people forced to work 60+ hour weeks at minimum wage than to people whose livelihood is posting cool links a handful of times a week. As I said in another post, it would be equally tone deaf for a millionaire to unironically describe themselves as being "impoverished" due to a small cut in their yearly bonus or an underperforming investment.
If Jason simply wrote that he's sick of maintaining his blog and wants to try something new, that would be perfectly fine.
>I imagine it takes a huge amount of work and thought to successfully curate The Whole Internet into something that people actually want to read for 24 years.
I disagree. Plenty of prolific Reddit and Hacker News posters do the same thing in their spare time.
>Anecdotally, whenever Jason has a guest writer come on his blog, I can tell before I even read the by-line. It's just not the same quality.
Isn't that because they usually post more long-form original content (e.g. https://kottke.org/tag/Tim%20Carmody) than cool links?
If Jason simply wrote that he's sick of maintaining his blog and wants to try something new, that would be perfectly fine.
>I imagine it takes a huge amount of work and thought to successfully curate The Whole Internet into something that people actually want to read for 24 years.
I disagree. Plenty of prolific Reddit and Hacker News posters do the same thing in their spare time.
>Anecdotally, whenever Jason has a guest writer come on his blog, I can tell before I even read the by-line. It's just not the same quality.
Isn't that because they usually post more long-form original content (e.g. https://kottke.org/tag/Tim%20Carmody) than cool links?
I enjoy the irony of calling the author “ tone deaf”.
I'm not saying curation is the world's hardest job but stakes are a bit different when you've become popular enough to make a living off of it. It's like being a Youtuber -- folks donate to you because you add value to their lives via your content. Even if generating links and paragraphs seems low-effort to you, to do it well every day for 24 years you can't shut off your consumption of media and you need to stay in a certain mindset. You are always a bit concerned about whether you are delivering value too. Every job takes a psychological toll and one that involves being "on" for 24 years certainly warrants taking a break.
It's also clear that Jason has other things going on in life and wanting to clear your plate and reset is very human and understandable.
It's also clear that Jason has other things going on in life and wanting to clear your plate and reset is very human and understandable.
I think people react here because of the term “burn out”. It’s usually used when you’ve been under high stress for a longer period and you completely collapse and is unable to do any work.
Losing motivation for a project and moving over to new things is very different from a burn out.
Losing motivation for a project and moving over to new things is very different from a burn out.
> I think people react here because of the term “burn out”. It’s usually used when you’ve been under high stress for a longer period and you completely collapse and is unable to do any work.
Yeah you're probably right, though it's so annoying when people can't contextualize the usage of terms like "burn out" -- what's "high stress" or "a longer period?" Isn't that subjective?
> Losing motivation for a project and moving over to new things is very different from a burn out.
Is it though? I googled "burnout" and got "Burnout is a form of exhaustion caused by constantly feeling swamped." If someone says the reason they are taking a break is because they are burned out, who is anyone to say that's not what they're experiencing?
If you've heard of Chinese water torture, it's one little drop at a time over a long period of time -- seems entirely plausible that 24 years of being in non-stop curation mode could make someone feel exhausted and constantly swamped.
Yeah you're probably right, though it's so annoying when people can't contextualize the usage of terms like "burn out" -- what's "high stress" or "a longer period?" Isn't that subjective?
> Losing motivation for a project and moving over to new things is very different from a burn out.
Is it though? I googled "burnout" and got "Burnout is a form of exhaustion caused by constantly feeling swamped." If someone says the reason they are taking a break is because they are burned out, who is anyone to say that's not what they're experiencing?
If you've heard of Chinese water torture, it's one little drop at a time over a long period of time -- seems entirely plausible that 24 years of being in non-stop curation mode could make someone feel exhausted and constantly swamped.
The emotional experience of an activity is 10% the activity itself and 90% the framing around the activity and what it means for your life.
It's not the surfing and posting links. It's the knowing if I don't surf and post sufficiently interesting links every day, I can't afford my health insurance. The stakes are much higher in the latter.
It's not the surfing and posting links. It's the knowing if I don't surf and post sufficiently interesting links every day, I can't afford my health insurance. The stakes are much higher in the latter.
>[K]nowing if I don't <perform satisfactorily at my job>, I can't afford my <life necessities>"
is true for literally everyone except the independently wealthy. It is a lot easier to not stress over for someone for whom "the activity itself" is a non-demanding job, than for someone whose job is inherently extremely emotionally or physically draining.
As an extreme example, suppose my parents bestowed on me a trust fund. It affords me a monthly allowance that lets me live an upper middle class lifestyle without having to otherwise work. The only requirement to get this allowance is to have an earnest phone call with my mother for an hour each week. Failure to do so results in the trust being revoked. Saying that I'm "burnt out" from "knowing if I don't call my mom this week, my whole income disappears" would be absurd. The ease of my carefree lifestyle is more than enough to offset the mild stress of having to remember to call my mom on a weekly basis.
is true for literally everyone except the independently wealthy. It is a lot easier to not stress over for someone for whom "the activity itself" is a non-demanding job, than for someone whose job is inherently extremely emotionally or physically draining.
As an extreme example, suppose my parents bestowed on me a trust fund. It affords me a monthly allowance that lets me live an upper middle class lifestyle without having to otherwise work. The only requirement to get this allowance is to have an earnest phone call with my mother for an hour each week. Failure to do so results in the trust being revoked. Saying that I'm "burnt out" from "knowing if I don't call my mom this week, my whole income disappears" would be absurd. The ease of my carefree lifestyle is more than enough to offset the mild stress of having to remember to call my mom on a weekly basis.
Why are you so invested (given your several posts in this thread) in trying to get the rest of us to lack empathy? He says he feels burnt out. He feels burnt out.
Yes, and that's why jobs are more stressful than hobbies even when the activity is the same. I think you're just restating my point?
The parent comment was, essentially, "Why is doing X stressful for Kottke who does it for work when I do X for fun and don't find it stressful at all?" And the answer is... Kottke does it for work and you do it for fun.
The parent comment was, essentially, "Why is doing X stressful for Kottke who does it for work when I do X for fun and don't find it stressful at all?" And the answer is... Kottke does it for work and you do it for fun.
You can get burned out from anything, though. I like pizza, and look forward to the next pizza I get to eat. But if you made me eat pizza every day for 24 years, I'd want to take a long break from eating pizza.
maybe people just need to take a break from the internet? especially people who have been a part of the internet for almost the whole time of the commercial web.
It really rubs me the wrong way that someone claims to be "burnt out" from a job that probably requires an average of an hour or two a day of non-taxing work. I'd love to see Jason say with a straight face that he's "burnt out" to a minimum wage worker who works 12+ hours days, 7 days a week, or even to your average office drone who spends 8 hours a day pushing TPS reports without any breaks in a soulless cubicle. It just seems really tone deaf and privileged, especially given how much Jason has loved to post about issues regarding privilege as of late.
It's on the level of someone saying they're "malnourished" because they had to give up a daily diet of Michelin Star-level restaurant food.
It's on the level of someone saying they're "malnourished" because they had to give up a daily diet of Michelin Star-level restaurant food.
And I would like to see that minimum wage worker in America say they're "burnt out" to third-world country workers. You would think the old "think about the starving children in Africa" retort would die out by now... Just because things can be worse doesn't mean things aren't bad. Making things better, not worse, should always be the goal.
On the same note suicidal or depressed people can similarly be called privileged, spoiled, or what have you, but that would seriously be tone-deaf.
On the same note suicidal or depressed people can similarly be called privileged, spoiled, or what have you, but that would seriously be tone-deaf.
I got the same feeling.
Wish I had the luxury to tell my boss , hey I'm burnt out, be back in 6 months or so.
Wish I had the luxury to tell my boss , hey I'm burnt out, be back in 6 months or so.
The term used to be ennui in this case - but burnout makes you sound more like you’re “one of us” I guess.
I really feel like you're reading too much into the term "burned out". You can get sick of doing anything and lose the spark. I've never managed to do anything consistently for half as long as he's run his blog. It's kind of amazing to me he lasted this long.
I just get the sense that his interest in it is waning, and he doesn't want to just "check the box" every day. It's his right. Just because some people live in terrible conditions, doesn't mean he can't be sick of his job.
I'm curious, would it have bothered you as much if he'd just said: "I'm sick of this blog and I'm quitting it?" because that's basically what he did, except he promised to come back (I wonder if he'll regret that promise in six months).
I just get the sense that his interest in it is waning, and he doesn't want to just "check the box" every day. It's his right. Just because some people live in terrible conditions, doesn't mean he can't be sick of his job.
I'm curious, would it have bothered you as much if he'd just said: "I'm sick of this blog and I'm quitting it?" because that's basically what he did, except he promised to come back (I wonder if he'll regret that promise in six months).
I agree with everything you wrote. This is the crux of my annoyance:
>I'm curious, would it have bothered you as much if he'd just said: "I'm sick of this blog and I'm quitting it?" because that's basically what he did, except he promised to come back (I wonder if he'll regret that promise in six months).
Yes, this is exactly how he should have phrased it. "Burnt out" is a very strong term that refers to a state of extreme mental anguish induced by an unreasonable and inescapable level of overwork. It feels insulting and sneeringly privileged coming from someone whose job is to surf the internet for a few hours a day and sometimes post about it.
It is as if someone unironically described themselves as "severely clinically depressed" after their favorite sports team lost a game, or someone in the top 1% sincerely calling themselves "impoverished" after a slight cut to their yearly bonus (or the recent bloodbath in the stock market).
>I'm curious, would it have bothered you as much if he'd just said: "I'm sick of this blog and I'm quitting it?" because that's basically what he did, except he promised to come back (I wonder if he'll regret that promise in six months).
Yes, this is exactly how he should have phrased it. "Burnt out" is a very strong term that refers to a state of extreme mental anguish induced by an unreasonable and inescapable level of overwork. It feels insulting and sneeringly privileged coming from someone whose job is to surf the internet for a few hours a day and sometimes post about it.
It is as if someone unironically described themselves as "severely clinically depressed" after their favorite sports team lost a game, or someone in the top 1% sincerely calling themselves "impoverished" after a slight cut to their yearly bonus (or the recent bloodbath in the stock market).
While I see where you are coming from, that's your definition of "burnt out", but it is not the only valid one, and many obviously don't require the condition to be as extreme as you do for the term to be valid.
I don't know anything about Jason, so I can't make an informed call on whether I think he is overly exaggerating things by using the term.
I do think there is at least a version of "burnt out" that just means you are really tired, because you have put a lot of effort into something for a long period of time, to the point that you are questioning whether it is worth it to you to continue doing it.
However, yeah, some people probably say "I'm so burnt out on 'X'" because they've spent over a half hour on it, and it still isn't done. That doesn't qualify, in my opinion.
I don't know anything about Jason, so I can't make an informed call on whether I think he is overly exaggerating things by using the term.
I do think there is at least a version of "burnt out" that just means you are really tired, because you have put a lot of effort into something for a long period of time, to the point that you are questioning whether it is worth it to you to continue doing it.
However, yeah, some people probably say "I'm so burnt out on 'X'" because they've spent over a half hour on it, and it still isn't done. That doesn't qualify, in my opinion.
> Yes, this is exactly how he should have phrased it. "Burnt out" is a very strong term that refers to a state of extreme mental anguish induced by an unreasonable and inescapable level of overwork.
If that's the crux of your objection, we can put this to bed. From Wikipedia:
> According to the World Health Organization (WHO), occupational burnout is a syndrome resulting from chronic work-related stress, with symptoms characterized by "feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion; increased mental distance from one’s job, or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to one's job; and reduced professional efficacy".
So, it's the amount of stress over time, not amount of work per day. He says he's sick of following the news every day to write about it on his blog. I can see how reading the news every day, even when you don't want to, can be stressful. Even if I didn't, the point is that he does.
If that's the crux of your objection, we can put this to bed. From Wikipedia:
> According to the World Health Organization (WHO), occupational burnout is a syndrome resulting from chronic work-related stress, with symptoms characterized by "feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion; increased mental distance from one’s job, or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to one's job; and reduced professional efficacy".
So, it's the amount of stress over time, not amount of work per day. He says he's sick of following the news every day to write about it on his blog. I can see how reading the news every day, even when you don't want to, can be stressful. Even if I didn't, the point is that he does.
I think burnout is unique to an individual, and can simply be bought on by prolonged working on something (anything) that doesn't deliver the results you expect.
If the blog poster expected to be happy, or to have riches for example, and neither occurred at the level they expect (especially now 24 years in) burn out occurs.
If the blog poster expected to be happy, or to have riches for example, and neither occurred at the level they expect (especially now 24 years in) burn out occurs.
Is it possible that running a blog is not as easy as you think?
You sound burned out.
Godspeed, Jason. Be well and see you on the flip (in whatever way you deem fit).