I shall toil at a reduced volume December 1, 2022 on Drew DeVault's blog

Over the last nine years I have written 300,000 words for this blog on the topics which are important to me. I am not certain that I have much left to say.

I can keep revisiting these topics for years, each time adding a couple more years of wisdom and improvements to my writing skills to present my arguments more effectively. However, I am starting to feel diminishing returns from my writing. It does not seem like my words are connecting with readers anymore. And, though the returns on my work seem to be diminishing, the costs are not. Each new article spurs less discussion than the last, but provides an unwavering supply of spiteful responses.

Software is still the same mess it was when I started writing and working, or perhaps even worse. You can’t overcome perverse incentives. As Cantrill once famously noted, the lawnmower can’t have empathy. The truth he did not speak is that we all have some Oracle in our hearts, and the lawnmower is the size of the entire industry.

I have grown tired of it. I will continue my work quietly, building the things I believe in, and remaining true to my principles. I do not yet know if this is a cessation or a siesta, but I do know that I will not write again for some time. Thank you for reading, and good luck in your endeavours. I hope you found something of value in these pages.

Here are some of the blog posts I am most proud of, should you want to revisit them today or the next time you happen upon my website:

• Cryptocurrency is an abject disaster
• Don’t sacrifice the right ideas to win the right words
• Framing accessibility in broader terms
• It is important for free software to use free software infrastructure
• Open source means surrendering your monopoly over commercial exploitation
• Sustainable creativity in a world without copyright
• The complete guide for open sourcing video games
• Utility vs usability
• We are complicit in our employer’s deeds
• Why I use old hardware