July 3, 2013
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Legacy
Legacy
I was reading a comment by @baldmike2004 and he mentioned the fact that he's been "pitching the idea of blog as legacy for a long time." This got me to thinking about those who've shut down their sites and the loss of what could very well have been a Legacy.
Now, I know that some people look at their blogs and think, "Ugh... I'll be glad to get rid of this horrible history of me as a teenager/student/transient/web designer/gubernatorial candidate" and are keen on being one of those whose sites were "shut down by owner".
So I don't expect everyone to relate to what I'm about to say.See, I will occasionally go back and read some of the things that I've written since my Xanga birth in March 2001. I'll read them and think things like, "Man, I sounded so dumb
", or "Wow, that was really good! 
" or even, "Hmm, maybe I should post this again... 
" (yes, I do think in complete, emotive sentences). But what strikes me the most is the fact that, if I keep all of these writings and ramblings, someday my children and perhaps even my grandchildren will have an opportunity to get to know me in a way that wouldn't be possible otherwise. Xanga has become a sort of family heirloom. Much like the way old photo albums were passed between generations.Call me crazy, but I believe it's important, as a sort of teaching opportunity, for my children to know that I've met, endured and overcome the same challenges that they themselves may face. By preserving my blog (online, as well as archived), my kids (and my kids' kids) now get a chance to understand more about where they came from and perhaps it'll help them decide who they want to be. I want them to ask questions about my TBO series, my Year In Review posts or my Random Dove Thoughts. I want them to see the joy and pride I had in my family. I want them to enjoy the same passion I have for music and my desire to share what I've created with the world.
This is why I will never, ever, shut down my blog.
Comments (14)
Yup. Hear, hear!
I know! Some of the stuff I wrote was REALLY dumb and it's hard to re read that, however, some of it was from the bottom of my heart and I think people would really get me more if they read it. How cool would it be to have my Grandmother's thoughts, throughout many years of her life recorded like that? We'd know her in a way we never got to.
I too think in complete emotive sentences! I dont know how I feel about my past writing. I regrrt deleting what I did but I also dont always enjoy reading past things, sometimes.
@happyworld_ofharibo - Yeah, I was sad when I saw that some of your awesome posts were gone. Especially the ones that included me. lol
@aSeriesofFortunateEvents - That's EXACTLY what I mean!!
OOOOOO, upside down emoticon. Hmmm, perhaps tis true about you thinking in emoticons and all. LOL
I honestly thought XANGA was a time machine and that it would continue to function as a blog even when the servers were gone. That it would be so cheap to copy the data in years to come and that l life meant life.
That the data would be there for centuries.
How sad is that, that people need to make a business out of it to survive.
Why don't they make more business and keep with original commitments.?
It don't make sense.
yup - it's like a time capsule...I'm not shutting down either, in fact if the whole internet crashed forever I would go back to writing in long hand. 2001 - Wow! Are you a charter xangan?
@mlbncsga - Yeah, I'm a VERY old school Xangan. lol
I feel the same way about my blog, no matter how embarassing it is.
I completely agree. I don't read my archives often but it is interesting to see how much things have changed in my life and how I have changed. I'm very glad they offered everyone the opportunity to download them. It will be awesome to have such a clear record of the past.
WeAreXanga Indeed!
I'm the same way. I will never delete anything I write.
Why would anyone be keen on being one of those sites that was "shut down by owner"? Is there something I don't know about that?
I agree.
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