Il Est Mort

A few months ago I noted that my web host was unable to accept any more updates to my Online Video Gallery. He had changed servers and could no longer spare the space. He did allow it to stay up with the current content, however.

On that same host, I kept a small library of images, and other small files.

Last week I noticed that i was no longer able to connect to that library via my FTP software. I was distracted, so I didn't bother to investigate it at the time.

Tonight I see that the entire website is missing. All of my videos, all of my photos, all of my minor files are just ... no longer there.

As a consequence you may notice some broken links on 'old' articles. Sorry, until I find a new host I probably won't be able to fix them. Even then (whenever I get around to it) the chances are that I won't reload the files and change the link URL.

(However, I have deleted the links to these now-nonexistent webpages from my sidebar.)

Add this to the recent developments on YouTube, which has begun to delete or otherwise render unusable videos which are scored with 'unauthorized' music (even though I bought the CDs from which the music came).

Consequently, the 'old' Cogito Ergo Geek doesn't look much like it use to.

The future of Cogito Ergo Geek is also now questionable. It will take a lot of time and effort, and a bit of money, to recover the resources which were once available, but are now dead, Dead, DEAD!

I'm disappointed because of the untold hours of work which have gone into creating this minor blog. It has been a hobby, an avocation, an outlet and a means of relaxing from the cares of the world for me. For my readers it has been the occasional source of information, amusement, and cheerful ridicule.

At this point I'm wondering whether to continue with this project.

My personal life has changed dramatically since July 27, 2008 (when SWMBO's doctor informed her that she has lung cancer), and I have been contributing at a much slower pace than has been my usual practice for the past four years (since the blog inception in December 15, 2004).

I would rather not discontinue the blog. It would be like losing a child ... a fantasy child, perhaps, but real to me.

My readership has been fairly consistant for the past few years. I rarely register fewer than 200 page-loads a day, averaging between 1500 and 2000 page-loads a week (depending on whether I've found a topic of common interest).

I'm no Kim du Toit; I have a total of just over 200,000 hits, total; Kim would get that many hits in a slow day.

On the other hand, Kim turned in his badge a couple of months ago, so who knows whether it is wise to know when your day as a blog author is over?

For now, I'll continue to write in my desultory manner. (Huh? I just lost my cursor ... is God trying to tell me something? Oh never mind ... it's back.)

Whether I decide to continue blogging, and rebuild the website, or whether I just give it up for a while and go fishing, depends on a lot of factors. Most important, I guess, is whether I can find the initiative to make the effort required to resurrect the website in the manner in which I would prefer ... a full-service blog that talks about shooting-sports issues and only incidentally provides a service to my readers.

In other words, if I can get the gumption to start actively competing in USPSA matches on a regular basis, I'll probably be more inclined to want to continue the writing, too.

I won't know until I survey the past articles, and find out how much content has been rendered useless (due to broken links), whether it's worth the effort to resurrect the old girl.

So ... watch this spot. Whatever I decide, I'll let you know my decision in advance so that, if I decide to discontinue the Blog, you'll have plenty of time to remove the link from your Bookmarks.