TL;DR
The author argues that the blog — a durable, addressable medium for extended thought — is better suited than algorithmic social platforms for sustained intellectual work. Drawing a parallel with Denis Diderot's encyclopedic project, the piece urges a return to formats that preserve context, nuance and cumulative argument.
What happened
The essay invokes Denis Diderot's decades-long Encyclopédie project — which faced bans, ecclesiastical condemnation, collaborator desertion and covert censorship — as a historical reminder that durable infrastructure for ideas requires care and persistence. It contends that modern information architecture has been reshaped by advertising-driven platforms into feeds optimized for immediate engagement and provocation, not for slow, cumulative thinking. By contrast, blogs offer permanent URLs, updateability, and space for long-form, provisional argumentation in the Montaigne essay tradition. The author outlines what makes a blog valuable: a clear perspective, posts that build on prior pieces, a defined target reader, consistent home domain, and acceptance that value accumulates rather than depends on single viral moments. Finally, the piece notes that discovery tools — search engines, RSS readers and newsletters — still provide durable routes to find and sustain readership.
Why it matters
- Durable URLs and independent hosting preserve context and make arguments discoverable over years, not hours.
- Format shapes discourse: blogs can accommodate nuance and iterative thinking that feed-based platforms tend to penalize.
- An intentional blog approach lets authors accumulate a coherent body of work rather than fragmenting ideas into ephemeral posts.
- Relying on ad-driven platforms cedes control of how knowledge is organized and prioritized to commercial incentives.
Key facts
- Denis Diderot's Encyclopédie spanned 28 volumes and took more than two decades to complete.
- Diderot's project was banned twice and condemned by the Catholic Church; collaborators and his publisher also created obstacles.
- Blogs are described as personal but public, permanent yet updateable, and capable of hosting both short and very long pieces.
- Social platforms present content in algorithmic, personalized feeds that prioritize immediate engagement and short attention spans.
- Effective blogs typically have a distinct perspective, posts that reference and extend earlier work, a specific target reader, and a consistent domain with permanent URLs.
- Many blogs fail early: the author notes most are abandoned after only a few posts.
- Search engines index blogs in ways that can sustain readership for years; RSS readers and newsletters remain discovery channels.
What to watch next
- Whether more writers consciously migrate back to independent blogs and away from feed-optimized platforms — not confirmed in the source.
- How search engines and feed readers evolve as discovery layers for long-form content — not confirmed in the source.
- Platform policy changes or ownership shifts that affect where durable work can be hosted and referenced — not confirmed in the source.
Quick glossary
- Blog: A regularly updated website or section of a site where individual posts are published at permanent URLs; often supports long-form, linked content.
- RSS: A web feed format that allows users to subscribe to updates from websites and aggregate them in a reader, enabling chronological discovery.
- Algorithmic feed: A stream of content ordered and personalized by a platform's algorithms to maximize engagement for each viewer.
- Long-form: Content that is substantially longer than a typical social post, allowing for detailed argumentation, evidence and nuance.
- Permanent URL: A stable web address for a specific piece of content that remains valid over time for referencing and discovery.
Reader FAQ
Is blogging obsolete?
No — the piece argues blogs remain valuable because they provide permanence, context and room for extended thinking.
Will people find blog posts without social platforms?
The author says search engines, RSS readers and newsletters still serve as discovery mechanisms for blogs.
Do social platforms support serious, iterative argument?
The essay contends platforms optimized for rapid engagement flatten nuance and incentivize provocation over sustained exploration.
How do you start a blog that lasts?
not confirmed in the source
01 JAN 2026 8 MIN READ The Case for Blogging in the Ruins Photo by Vas / Unsplash In 1751, Denis Diderot began publishing his Encyclopédie, a project that would eventually…
Sources
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