For Whom The Del Toils

Some remarkably inaccurate statements are made about the blogosphere and its inhabitants. Those that come from without – such as Andrew Marr’s intervention last year – can be forgiven, at least, after full value has been extracted from passing adverse comment on the author. Those from within are just bewildering, especially that posted today on the Maily Telegraph site by our old friend Dan, Dan the Oratory Man.

Hannan discusses the apparent toll of blogging on its practitioners, observing that James “saviour of Western civilisation” Delingpole is under doctors’ orders to take things easy (one might more readily sympathise with Del Boy, were his approach not so venal and unpleasant).

Dan then bemoans the expense of blogging, suggesting that he could make more money from turning his ramblings into copy for the benefit of the dunghill that is Grubstreet. Having on occasion read his oeuvre, I have to say that on this point he is in Ron Hopeful territory.

But it’s when Hannan gets onto the idea that blogging burns out its practitioners that he really sells the pass. “Few blogs last more than two years” he proclaims, then gives in example Iain Dale, who scaled back his blogging activity (Dale still posts occasionally) after seven years.

And, on a personal level, having just celebrated the second birthday of Zelo Street, I have to tell Dan that I’m just getting warmed up. There’ll be no burning out in this part of the blogosphere any time soon.