I see that Steven Den Beste is saying he has stopped writing essays for his site (at least for now). He lays out his reasons which, in large part, as I understand it, is based on being worn down by people who would email him with unwelcome comments.
If this is the case, the world is a lesser place because of it. That's not to say I agreed with everything he had to say nor the way he said it (not that I'm in a position to judge). But at least he laid out his thoughts in a rational manner paving a road through the wilderness that is the Internet.
I can only imagine the time and effort he must have put into his long essays as I find it sometimes difficult just to do the short links and occasional short essay I do (even taking the weekend and most holidays off as I do).
In any case, it's his life and if doing what he was doing wasn't rewarding to him, he has every right to go off and do something that is. But I get the feeling, to extend the metaphor quoted on his site: painters gotta paint, singers gotta sing, and writers gotta write. I figure he'll turn up somewhere, somehow.
