Rabbit Holes

I wonder, just how many off-topic excursions have I made here over the years?

Just off the top of my head, there was wet shaving, although I wrote a great long article summarizing the whole hobby which I didn't post; pool, my pool shed, and a great whacking long article about pool tables that I also didn't publish; posts about cars, like "All-Time Best-Looking Roadsters"; movies (even including some reviews!), although some of those, like "Ten Best B&W Movies (and Then Some)," tangentially touched on photography (category, black-and-white); watches; coffee and home coffee roasting (I gave up coffee in 2018 because it seemed to be messing with my heart); and a fling with toasters (I currently use a restored vintage Toastmaster from the '50s–'60s era, which is cantankerous and broken again but, true to reputation, keeps on toasting). Diet and nutrition was pretty big for a while there, and chased a few readers away. Non-photographic books; music, such as the post about Doc Pomus and "Save the Last Dance for Me"; audiophile and stereo posts, venturing even an occasional review and at least one article about vintage gear from the "silverface" era; sports, usually American football, but also tennis and track, and a couple about thoroughbred horse racing, that last one another topic that led to some backlash; and some posts on aging. I actually wrote a post about aliens (tl;dr: of course they exist). House design. And one about washing machines, do you remember that? There's a demographer who thinks access to automatic washing machines is a great basic divider between wealth and poverty worldwide. I've delved into the history of Christmas on more than one Yuletide. There were at least two posts, across a considerable interval, about jumper packs for car batteries, of all things—and then I inadvertently lost $400 earlier this year because of a dead battery. Long story. I should read TOP.

Of course there are a lot more...there are almost 500 posts in the "Off-Topic" category list.

My current rabbit hole is typing, and here I spent a whole day this past week preparing a big long article about keyboard layouts that I was going to post tomorrow for "Open Mike." What can I say? It's what fascinates me at the moment. But loyal readers are complaining, and when loyal readers complain, I figure the fault is mine, not theirs. So that one will be shelved along with those others. I checked back, and yep, they're right, there are too many posts about keyboards.

Suffice to say: the news is that I have calmed the roiling waters and accepted my fate, and have grudgingly gone back to a normal cheap membrane keyboard similar to the ones I've been using for the past 30 years. "I yam what I yam," said Popeye, my hero when I was a toddler. There's more to say about it—much more, and I know you'll take my word for that—but I'm kind—I'll spare you.

You're very patient with me, and thank you for that. There's a columnist in me struggling to get out!

—Your Wayward* Editorial Director

*Definition: "difficult to control or predict because of unusual or perverse behavior," which made me laugh.

Original contents copyright 2024 by Michael C. Johnston and/or the bylined author. All Rights Reserved. Links in this post may be to our affiliates; sales through affiliate links may benefit this site. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. (To see all the comments, click on the "Comments" link below or on the title of this post.)

Featured Comments from:

Andrew: "Usually I enjoy the off topic posts. Movies, toasters, washing machines, cars, coffee, tea, all good. But the keyboard posts were a bridge too far for me. Those and Ctein’s parrot posts."

Mike replies: Understood. I think the real problem is when I get too deep into something and batter people with multiple posts. I think I've done, what, five on keyboards? If it's one post, or two with a decent interval in between, then they're easily ignored if they don't appeal to you.

MarkB: "Yeah, 'Keep TOP Weird.' Without the off-topic posts, I wouldn't know that you're a real human being with varied interests and a knack for communication. You're not 'chasing an algorithm' to get 'eyeballs' and 'click-throughs'; which is why I've stuck around (for over a decade) and am a loyal Patron. I consume a lot of other media, but you and nytimes are the only ones I pay for where the value is consistently greater than the cost."

Mike replies: Thank you, Mark. That's a nice compliment.

Joel Becker: "Keep TOP Weird!! I have enjoyed the keyboard series. Especially as you chase the 'Natural' keyboard—I hate 'Natural' keyboards, find them uncomfortable and unusable, and so it's been fascinating seeing how the other half lives.  ;-) 

"Don't get me wrong, I understand the obsession with a perfect keyboard. I know what my perfect keyboard is, and I have two of them. They move with me from house to house and job to job."

Comments

[John Krumm]

I still think you should start a mostly off-topic substack, get it out there. Link there from here if you think you have a good one. You can call it Off TOP. I've waive my usual consult fee.

[robert e]

It seems a shame that you keep drafting posts that never get seen. And I, for one, enjoy the off-topic posts as much as the on-topic ones.

But I also sympathize with peoples' need for a photography-centered "space", and how that need might be threatened by off-topic posts. This was highlighted by the recent (and welcome) posts about actual photographs. I also understand that not every draft meets your standards for publication.

Possible solution? My understanding is that Typepad accounts allow for both a home blog and secondary blogs. What about a secondary blog for such "iffy" posts, for those of us who enjoy your off-topic meanderings? If you're worried about the added workload, turning off comments on that blog should preempt a great deal of it, as well as the phenomenon where a handful of readers goad you deeper into particular rabbit holes that interest them.

It would help "Keep TOP Weird" while the home blog satisfies the purists.

Though I have to disagree with the notion that movies are off-topic. Movies are a gold mine of photographic idea and examples, problems and solutions. Personally, I would not consider appreciation of any kind of 2D art off-topic, but especially not an art form that happens to be made of photographs!

[DavidB]

Off topic posts are, to me, more interersting than the on-topic posts. Go figure!

[Anton Wilhelm Stolzing]

I miss Putin and porn in this list, though admittedly these are dangerous and controversial subjects.

[Ronny Nilsen]

I for one would love to read the keyboard/typing article! I also hunt for the keys but should really learn touch typing properly to get more speed.

Maybe let the Patreon supporters read the article? Please?

[Sean]

I’m unsure whether the ratio and length of off-topic posts are a sign that your photography world and interest in it have shrunken, but I know mine has, and I suspect I return to TOP each day out of habit. I highly valued your considerable insight on photography, but it all seems like another era now. You’ve earned the goodwill of many of your readers because of your contribution to the culture. You're at the helm of TOP. Maybe some of these posts signal an ill wind brewing, or maybe we're in new waters with new challenges. You have the trust of your readers, but you could do with a couple of big lands, Cap'n.

[Stephen F Faust]

Count me in as another who greatly enjoys your off-topic posts, sometimes even more than the photography-related ones (keeps things from getting boring).

As someone with a variety of non-photo interests I tend to get obsessive when researching something new, and (fortunately or unfortunately) I am just getting into a new obsession -- metal detecting. Man, now THERE'S a rabbit hole, and one similar to photography in that the equipment is an integral and enhancing or limiting factor to the hobby itself.

Anyway, I've gotta get back to YouTube and spend the next few hours watching people metal detect on the beach (the question of "what is the best sand scoop" is still unanswered). :)

[Richard Tugwell]

Yeah, and this one was the worst of the lot!

[Steve Renwick]

On the other hand ... this may just be the reason for your being a writer for the New Yorker. Yes, you can claim that, even with only a couple articles.

Talk about rabbit holes and trivia. Those guys will write about ANYTHING, and make it interesting. They make NPR look like a bunch of pikers. 10,000 words on the technology behind Yale locks, with a sidebar on the Yale name? Notta problem!

You do generally recognize when enough is enough. So I say, keep at it.

As for QWERTY et al., I'm surprised that you've never delved into Reverse Polish Notation.