Today is this blog’s 14th Anniversary.
On February 5, 2002, I – a fairly recently divorced guy with a couple of kids and a fifteen-year-dead “career” as a pundit, working at a dotcom that was already circling the drain – read an article in Time magazine about “the new generation of conservative intellectuals”. They directed me to, of all people, Andrew Sullivan – who was a conservative, at the time – and in a sidebar, explained what a “blog” was.
Starving for an outlet, I ran out to “Blogger.com”, signed up, and started writing. And I’ve kept at it, most weekdays, ever since.
I got lucky – I got a couple of back to back Instalanches bright and early and, on one notable day back in 2004, simultaneous plugs from Instapundit, Hugh Hewitt and James Lileks – which pretty much put me on the map.
Blogs surged, of course, and then settled back into the social media pack behind Twitter and Facebook. What was once a huge, bustling blogging scene in the Twin Cities is now a couple of blog superstars – Ed Morrissey, Lileks and the Powerline guys – and a small, hard core of people who just love to write; I’m one of them.
Up until that first couple of Instalanches, this blog got maybe 10 hits a day. I’ve been holding steady around 1,000 visits every weekday for most of the past decade or so – not enough to make it a fulltime job, too many to be anything but thankful for the opportunity I’ve been given.
And it’s been an amazing opportunity. It led, of course, to meeting a group of amazing friends; Brian, Chad and Atomizer from the Fraters (Brian emailed me back in 2002, the first person to tell me that there were other bloggers in the Twin Cities), John and Scott from Power Line, Lileks, King Banaian (blog is long gone), Brad, the Stroms and the Stewarts, the tireless Mr. D, Enge, Gary, Ryan, Foot, and too many others to mention.
And it led to the show, of which much more next month.
Anyway – thank you all for indulging my little outburst this past almost-decade-and-a-half.
Congrats Mitch. You’ve lasted longer as an A list blogger than I did as a Minnesotan!
Congrats, Mitch! It’s been an amazing run. Thank you for all the great writing and for fostering the community that gathers here.
Happy anniversary, Mitch!
Thanks, Bob, Mark and Tom!
Congrats Mitch, you’re on my list of blog superstars!
Happy Anniversary!
Happy Blogaversary, Mitch! There is something fun in noting that you were writing for a living but still found the need for a creative outlet in writing. Maybe “today 20 years ago” in six years?
Mazel Tov!
My wife was the one who told me I ought to look into this blogging thing, back in late 2004. I started to poke around trying to find some Minnesota blogs and hit upon SiTD almost right away. I’m not sure how, now. Settling in to read to read this daily over the next couple of months showed me that a blog could be both fun and substantive – and never include a photo of a cat. It gave me the encouragement I needed to start my own blog in February of 2005, which also led to me making lots of good friends, including one who I introduced to my daughter, which led to the first MOB wedding and the first MOB baby blogger. And it all can be traced back to Shot in the Dark!
Congratulations. I’ve been a reader for nearly that long. You’re one of the blogs that got me interested in blogging for myself.
Happy Anniversary. I remember you filling in one time for Hugh Hewitt and I said, “Is that the Mitch Berg I know?” It was. Been hooked on your blog ever since. Good stuff!
Congrats, Mitch!
I, too, stumbled across your blog and now, it’s one of only three that I read daily.
I wish you continued success and blessings.
Thanks for letting me contribute, even though some of my comments might be considered caustic to libidiots.
Congrats on reaching 14 years, Mitch. I have enjoyed reading SITD on a regular basis since about 2006. I moved from Brooklyn Park to Des Moines in 2010, but I still like tuning into your NARN show on streaming when I can. Keep up the good fight, sir!
Congrats and Thanks!. I think it was Hugh Hewitt promoting the Northern Alliance that got me pointed in your direction.