I remember well how, on this day in 2007, I logged in to WordPress and started a new blog. Then, fatefully, I let Ari have the keys. In fairness, though, it was mostly Ari’s idea. The rest of this post is pure self-indulgence and a stab at one or two FAQs so I’ll put it under the fold.
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For a while it was just the two of us, writing to each other. This might seem exceptionally foolish, but really it’s only slightly foolish: the history department here stretches over some four floors in a building designed to isolate its inhabitants from each other and we actually don’t see each other that often.
Why, at this late date in the Internets’ history, and god help us, on the eve of a presidential election year, start a blog? Here were some of the reasons. We’ve run up slightly over a thousand posts and now have eight posters, six of them better informed and mannered than Ari and me.
The first commenter who wasn’t me or Ari was silbey, followed closely by ac. They’re still with us, bless them, and we’ve since had around 22,000 comments.
The banner picture: it’s a barn about a mile from my house. It looks iconically western—it’s a working farm, with a railroad running behind it, and mountains in the distance. But I don’t live in an iconically western neighborhood; I live in a standard-issue suburban neighorhood—which is not to say it’s not typically western, just not iconically western. Yet you come to the edge of it and there’s the very image of the American West. One of many reasons for the title of the blog, too.
Big drivers of referrer traffic: Josh Marshall at TalkingPointsMemo, BitchPhD, Crooked Timber, Matt Yglesias, Unfogged, Cliopatria, Ben Smith at Politico, Kevin Drum at Mother Jones, Jason Linkins at Huffington Post, Hilzoy at Obsidian Wings, Andrew Sullivan, Lawyers Guns and Money, the Nielsen-Haydens, and foremost, William Gibson, whom I have thought awesome since before I was out of high school and who gave this blog its unofficial motto:
History can save your ass.
Thanks to all of you for reading. Will the second year be better? We have hope.
68 comments
October 27, 2008 at 12:53 am
joel hanes
History can save your ass.
Let us hope our minds will follow.
October 27, 2008 at 4:14 am
ac
I don’t know about silbey, but I came here looking for pictures of eric dressed as George Washington, from the days of his teenage band, the Valley Forgers. Never did find them.
October 27, 2008 at 4:44 am
kid bitzer
i think i got here from henley’s high clearing.
October 27, 2008 at 5:11 am
kid bitzer
and then from here I went off to hike, leering.
October 27, 2008 at 5:48 am
kid bitzer
but mostly: happy birthday.
the tdih is the awesomest, even better than the comments sections.
if only history had been this much fun when i was young, i never would have wasted my life studying it.
or living through so damned much of it. marx had it wrong; the first repetition is already mind-numbing tedium.
it’s the second time, when packaged in an essay of about a 1,000 words with a catchy graphic or two, that it finally becomes interesting and enjoyable.
you guys do great work here. many happy repeats.
October 27, 2008 at 6:10 am
shani-o
I found you guys through PostBourgie and every day I’m glad I did. I’ve learned so much. (And who knew Davis had such wit in its faculty? Makes me almost wish I’d stayed in CA.) Happy bday!
October 27, 2008 at 6:20 am
The Modesto Kid
Happy blog-day! I came here from A White Bear’s site.
October 27, 2008 at 6:37 am
Vance
Thanks, Eric and Ari, for what you’ve made here. It’s been a great ride for me as a reader (and I’m having fun contributing too).
October 27, 2008 at 7:13 am
S.
De-lurking to wish you a happy birthday! I got here from BitchPhD.
October 27, 2008 at 7:16 am
Jay C
I found you guys via the estimable hilzoy at Obsidian Wings: so, hilzoy: if you’re reading this: thanks!
And mazel tov to EOTAW.
Many happ.
October 27, 2008 at 7:35 am
Sybil Vane
I love birthdays. Go have some cake for breakfast.
October 27, 2008 at 7:50 am
RobinMarie
“..in a building designed to isolate its inhabitants from each other and we actually don’t see each other that often.”
Humorously, the architect actually intended the design of the building to encourage random social encounters, but apparently between strangers walking around lost.
I suppose he didn’t consider that walking around a building fairly reminiscent of a large prison actually makes you nervous about who you are going to run into around each corner.
October 27, 2008 at 7:54 am
ari
Especially when said building houses a history department. Filled with the likes of Eric.
October 27, 2008 at 7:58 am
bitchphd
Happy bday to one of the bestest blogs on these here internets.
I personally like how that building makes it scary to go across the bridge to the offices where Eric lives. Nice way to cut down on the office hours.
October 27, 2008 at 8:02 am
Ralph Luker
I don’t commonly speak for all the Cliopatricians, but “Happy birthday, Edge,” from all of us!
October 27, 2008 at 8:10 am
ari
Thanks, Ralph. And everyone else, too.
October 27, 2008 at 8:16 am
dana
Do I get a cupcake out of this deal?
October 27, 2008 at 8:24 am
ari
It’s customary that you bring the cupcakes, dana.
October 27, 2008 at 8:31 am
JPool
Happy anniversary y’all. You do fine work with the public intellectual thang.
kb, who says farce can’t be entertaining?
dana, it’s a blog. You get virtual cupcakes.
October 27, 2008 at 8:35 am
rosmar
I can’t remember how I found this blog, but I’ve been subscribing to it for almost a year, so without even knowing it I got in on the ground floor.
Happy anniversary!
October 27, 2008 at 8:37 am
rosmar
I can’t remember how I found this blog, but I’ve been subscribing to it for almost a year, so without even knowing it I got in on the ground floor.
Happy anniversary!
October 27, 2008 at 9:07 am
Lori
How does a blog celebrate its bday? Party at Chuck E. Cheese, too much pizza and cake, socially scarring vomiting in the hamster tunnels?
October 27, 2008 at 9:12 am
Vance
I think cake is perfectly appropriate.
October 27, 2008 at 9:41 am
Fats Durston
Came for the … Hell, I don’t remember why … respite from grading?
Stayed for the repartee.
October 27, 2008 at 10:03 am
silbey
Happy birthday, everyone.
October 27, 2008 at 11:20 am
G.D.
Happy B-day to one of my favorite blogs.
*slow claps*
October 27, 2008 at 11:39 am
politicalfootball
Josh Marshall sent me over here. Happy birthday!
October 27, 2008 at 11:40 am
Jason B
Happy birthday!
I surfed in through Making Light, I think. I’ve enjoyed the material and the atmosphere here for a long time–long enough ago that I remember Ari begging for people to comment.
I even posted for a (thankfully) short while as “neocynic” (for a few weeks while I was not in charge of my me).
Thank you for allowing me to clown around in your smart-people space.
October 27, 2008 at 12:05 pm
katster
I don’t recall exactly how I got over here, but every time I came, the header graphic did that niggly “I think I’ve seen that before.” It’s reassuring to know that it’s somewhere around Sactown. :)
I’ve stayed for the history. It’s fun reading this blog.
And my condolences about having to work in the Death Star. ;) I thought Dwinelle was bad, but my pals have assured me that the Death Star is far worse.
-kat
October 27, 2008 at 12:22 pm
Sir Charles
Happy birthday guys. I love what you’ve done with the place.
October 27, 2008 at 12:22 pm
dana
It’s customary that you bring the cupcakes, dana.
Sexist.
But wait, you work in the Death Star? Is your history department fully operational?!?!!!!
October 27, 2008 at 12:29 pm
Jason B
That’s no small moon.
October 27, 2008 at 12:53 pm
PorJ
History can save your ass.
I prefer What you don’t know can kill you.
(Fred Friendly, President of CBS News)
Congrats on a fun year. You’ve killed a lot of productivity, but it happens and I wont hold it against you.
October 27, 2008 at 1:00 pm
ari
Is your history department fully operational?!?!!!!
It’s operational, alright, but we have problems with waste disposal.
October 27, 2008 at 1:20 pm
andrew
I’m glad to see that this blog seems to have gotten Eric to finally settle down.
October 27, 2008 at 1:52 pm
Ron Tunning
Happy anniversary! Like many others, I don’t recall how I first happened upon this blog but it remains among my favorites, largely because of the intelligent and witty discussions that emanate from both the posters and the commenters. Plus, I invariably learn something I didn’t know, or didn’t want to know.
Might I add that you’ve steered me to several other sites that I now frequent, including Rustbelt Intellectual.
Thanks for your contribution to worthy discourse. (Okay, I admit it. I come back hoping for more Jim Henson, convinced that he’s being channeled on the Edge of The American West).
October 27, 2008 at 2:03 pm
Ron Tunning
Oh, I forgot to add how fitting it is that Sen. Stevens, who’s long lived on the edge, was convicted on your anniversary.
October 27, 2008 at 2:05 pm
Brad
Happy Bday you lovely history folk.
October 27, 2008 at 2:07 pm
Vance
Also: holy crap.
October 27, 2008 at 2:59 pm
kid bitzer
pay no attention to that, vance.
the atf is just in the tank for obama. like the fbi and cia, it’s filled with liberals.
so, you know, they just fabricated this whole story to help obama, and now they’re going to frame these totally innocent skinheads who are real americans from real america.
ah fuck. it’s going to be a long week. then, if we are very very lucky, it’s going to be a long eight years.
October 27, 2008 at 3:05 pm
Vance
This morning on the drive to work, my colleague wondered when this would happen. I told him about the earlier group, but we both knew that the well of such crazies is not in principle exhaustible….
October 27, 2008 at 5:04 pm
grackle
Congratulations, History dudes! It’s operational, alright, but we have problems with waste disposal. I thought that was what the blog was for.
October 27, 2008 at 5:06 pm
Colin
Happy Birthday. This is the best blog.
October 27, 2008 at 5:40 pm
Sandie
Felicitaciones!
October 27, 2008 at 6:40 pm
urbino
Happy berfday!
I got here via JMarsh at TPM, as I recall. Came for the history, stayed for the peeps. Nowadays, I’m mostly a distraction, but you let me hang around, anyway, which is cool. (To me, anyway.)
Also, cupcakes.
October 27, 2008 at 6:48 pm
ari
I still love that so much it hurts. For you!
October 27, 2008 at 6:50 pm
Rob_in_Hawaii
Happy Anniversary! I came over from Josh Marshall’s place a long time ago and have stayed around ever since, just hoping someone would show up with cupcakes. Mmmmm, cupcakes!
Now, I really should get back to grading papers — or preparing for my fourth class of the day….
October 27, 2008 at 7:01 pm
leapsecond
Happy birthday, though I have no idea how I found this blog, and don’t visit it nearly enough.
October 27, 2008 at 7:10 pm
dana
urbino, that made my week.
October 27, 2008 at 7:23 pm
urbino
You’re welcome. Are you unaware of the history of your own history blog, though?
October 27, 2008 at 7:24 pm
urbino
I still love that so much it hurts. For you!
Do you wear your fan garb often?
October 27, 2008 at 7:42 pm
ari
Young people today: no sense of history.
October 27, 2008 at 8:17 pm
bitchphd
Speaking of sense of history.
October 27, 2008 at 8:22 pm
LizardBreath
Happy birthday!
October 27, 2008 at 9:05 pm
jeffbowers
I’m not as learned (pronounced lurnd) as you folks, but I really enjoy reading the posts and the comments/banter. This is a great place to share and discuss knowledge of history without being too stuffy. Thanks to all contributors and especially to founders Ari and Eric. Kudos to all!
October 27, 2008 at 9:07 pm
urbino
B: heart, cockles, warm.
October 27, 2008 at 9:12 pm
Proud to be an Americaaaan… « Hungry Hungry Hippos
[…] h/t EotAW […]
October 28, 2008 at 12:53 am
albiondia
Happy birthday EotAW — many happy returns!
October 28, 2008 at 7:35 am
Cosma
Many happy returns! I was alerted to this site by a wise friend who sometimes comments as “rootlesscosmo” [no relation].
October 28, 2008 at 12:18 pm
davenoon
Fuck! I missed the birthday! Was there a party? Was cake served? Did anyone get loaded?
October 28, 2008 at 12:34 pm
ari
We got together for a party but scattered when it became clear you weren’t going to show. So I drank alone in a dive bar. Thanks for nothing, pal.
October 28, 2008 at 1:36 pm
washerdreyer
Congratulations. I’m assuming I ended up here via unfogged, but I don’t want to make any promises.
October 28, 2008 at 1:37 pm
SEK
What day it is? Birdday? I mithed birdday? Doopid Cod.
October 28, 2008 at 1:53 pm
dana
Are you unaware of the history of your own history blog, though?
Dude! philosopher! History is the Death Star. I think.
October 28, 2008 at 2:07 pm
kid bitzer
as i understand it, philosophy will tell us what such or such a kind of man will probably or necessarily say or do, whereas history tells us what alcibiades did or had done to him.
October 28, 2008 at 3:15 pm
Jason B
Well, philosophy can also inquire as to whether it was right for Alcibiades to do those things. Or to have them done unto him. Or for him to be done. Done wrong.
October 28, 2008 at 4:19 pm
urbino
But then they’d have to know of the existence and doings and doings-of of Alcibiades, which sounds vaguely historical to me.
October 28, 2008 at 4:28 pm
Jason B
Well, there’s that, of course.