Questions About Instapundit Day

79 Comments

Michelle • May 17, 2012 @8:12 am

I'm a fairly new reader so I didn't know you did this last year, nor do I follow instapundit. However, I've seen blogs in my reader get taken over in similar fashion and spammed, so I wasn't clear (and @'d on twitter to ask.) Sorry for the confusion!
Shawn • May 17, 2012 @8:13 am

Wow… I feel like a fool. but in mitigation, I was not a Popehat reader this time last year…. *shrugs*
perlhaqr • May 17, 2012 @8:15 am

I remember it from last year!

It's just a bit shocking when the update rate goes from 2 or 3 times a week to 5 pages in one day.
Vomer • May 17, 2012 @8:16 am

Ah, that explains it. As a fairly new reader I was somewhat confused when a blog that is generally thoughtful and well considered all of a sudden turned into Fox and Friends as filtered through Boing Boing.
TJIC • May 17, 2012 @8:19 am

Uh…doah.

On the bright side, my emailed "WT*?" comment was much nicer in tone than my pugilistic norm.
RyanE • May 17, 2012 @8:22 am

I'm also a new reader, and thought Patrick's account had been hacked by an anti-Obama Conservative.

Fun fun!
SPQR • May 17, 2012 @8:32 am

I remembered.
silvermine • May 17, 2012 @8:34 am

I remembered.
Debra • May 17, 2012 @8:38 am

I'm just so relieved this blog didn't get hacked!
Thraxatron • May 17, 2012 @8:40 am

I had a vague memory of last year, but when I saw 50+ posts in my popehat feed and they all lacked a title I just said "welp" and hit "mark all as read"
Grandy • May 17, 2012 @8:52 am

I should point out that "being duped" (so to speak) is not a crime nor does it reflect badly on anyone. We've got several people posting in this thread who weren't readers last year and it was pretty obvious from some of the emails that these people were relatively new readers.

And yes, Ken should probably add "will people think we've been hacked or taken over by some other content[sic] provider" to his list of "what we were thinking".
Wilhelm Arcturus • May 17, 2012 @8:55 am

I remembered it from last year, when it caused me great mental consternation as I thought the site had been hacked. Instapundit isn't a place I visit, so it was (and still is, really) outside of my satire context.

Clearly a couple of those were face value, given Patrick's history.

This year, no concern, just a "Oh, it is that time again at Pophat."
David • May 17, 2012 @8:59 am

@Vomer, It's interesting to note in passing that the single largest volume of traffic this blog has ever experienced occurred on a day when, and because, BoingBoing linked to us. What does that say about the price of tea in 中國?
Wilhelm Arcturus • May 17, 2012 @9:06 am

@David – 中國 Ooh, I recognize the character for "middle" from my futile attempts at Japanese, so I am going to guess that the other is for "kingdom." Not that I did not know you meant China. I'm just pleased that I remember something from classes I took 20+ years ago.
Dustin • May 17, 2012 @9:12 am

Heh, I had no idea what was going on. I thought maybe some one had accidentally redirected their twitter feed? I just shut my eyes and hoped it went away eventually.
ttl • May 17, 2012 @9:15 am

Does this mean there will not be a Popehat TV interview with Krapper Keeper? Disappoint.
Scott Jacobs • May 17, 2012 @9:22 am

I just assumed that Patrick had had a stoke…

Just like I assumed last year…

I have yet to be proven wrong, btw…
David • May 17, 2012 @9:28 am

@Dustin, In such times, think of England.
Patrick • May 17, 2012 @10:00 am

I have a few followup questions:

1. Do you, our readers, think that we provide this site primarily to: a) entertain and inform ourselves; b) entertain and inform you; or c) some combination of the two?

2. Assuming that the answer is b or c, do you understand that not every post will or can be uniformly entertaining and informative to you? And can you live with that?

3. Assuming that the answer is b or c, do you understand how much unpaid work, in terms of reading, writing, and behind the scenes maintenance that you only notice when it isn't in place, goes into providing this site?

4. If the site momentarily fails to entertain or inform you, do you believe that you can effect change by leaving comments or sending emails or tweets of this sort?

I don't know how long I can handle _______'s weird ramblings. My first thought was that he discovered crystal meth, but I guess the hacking theory is possible. Or ________ just decided to start sucking (I hope not; I'm way too lazy to sift through hundreds of regurgitations a day to find one possible __________ post. I sincerely hope Popehat will be fixed, this is bullshit.)

5. Many weblog authors, such as Instapundit, do not provide a commenting option at all. Others do provide such an option, but their authors barely read reader comments, and rarely respond. We provide a comment option, read comments, and frequently respond. What purpose, if any, does that serve?

6. Assuming that the answer to question 1 is a, do you think we could give a shit about your opinion?
Dwight Brown • May 17, 2012 @10:04 am

1. I kind of sort of vaguely remembered something similar some time ago.
2. I figured it is y'all's site, y'all can run it how you want. It isn't my place to say anything.
3. I did suffer from some mild consternation that the link in Patrick's barbecue pitmasters piece seems to be broken. Mostly because I wanted to see who the pitmasters were, and if any of them were in Austin. I was also curious which ones Patrick had been to.
David • May 17, 2012 @10:06 am

Ken and Patrick are attorneys. They're coarse and rough and irritating and they get everywhere. Not like Grandy and I. We're application developers. We're soft and smooth.
Grandy • May 17, 2012 @10:07 am

We will see that the link is either fixed or perferrably reposted. Because people like BBQ.
Grandy • May 17, 2012 @10:08 am

David and I also may or may not be robots. Awesome robots, though. Like the Iron Giant. Not Daleks.
Dan Weber • May 17, 2012 @10:26 am

I demand a refund.
Patrick • May 17, 2012 @10:26 am

This is the barbecue link. I can confirm that it was changed at the source.

I've eaten barbecue by Skylight Inn, Scott's, Pitmaster (Raleigh), Cook's, and Bob Gibson. All of them were great.
Jack • May 17, 2012 @10:31 am

This was well executed and funny in hindsight. I am thankful that I just raised my eyebrows in surprise rather than voice complaint. But Patrick, it seems that you (PH writers) willfully trolled your readers, and in your comment above are now complaining and berating them for having been successfully trolled.
Patrick • May 17, 2012 @10:34 am

Jack, reexamine your assumptions.

The answer to question 1 may be different for different authors.
Ken • May 17, 2012 @10:34 am

I wasn't reading this time last year, so lacking a basis for comparison, I figured some sort of hilarity had ensued (which, as is usual in these matters, I missed), and comments had been shut off. I was present at Cafe Hayek when the trolls succeeded in flinging enough poo around to get commenting shut down.
Ry Jones • May 17, 2012 @10:36 am

I remembered and thought it was pretty funny. Glad to see the BBQ link fixed, because that was the only link I clicked.

To fool RSS readers, though, you'd have to change the format a little – InstaPundit has started putting the first so many characters as a title, which makes reading harder.
Dwight Brown • May 17, 2012 @10:41 am

Thanks, Patrick.

I haven't been to Franklin Barbecue yet; there's an insane cult around that place, with people lining up in the wee hours of the morning for barbecue that's generally sold out before the place even opens. I just haven't been able to get up that early.

I regret that I have not spent a lot of time in the Carolinas, so my experience with barbecue there is lacking. I wouldn't mind getting up there one of these days and doing a barbecue tour.
Al • May 17, 2012 @10:48 am

The real crime here is that no one had thought to coin InstaPopehat yet.
Sam Devol • May 17, 2012 @10:51 am

It would have been more appropriate on April 1st…
Grandy • May 17, 2012 @10:53 am

Sam Devol, we prefer more subtlety than that.
ZK • May 17, 2012 @10:57 am

Follow up questions, in case you weren't asking rhetorical questions:

1. C. I don't think people would blog if they didn't find it personally interesting, and if having at least *some* readers wasn't a factor, people would just shout in an empty room instead.

2. Yes, and Yes. Do you actually get mail critical of a post's informative or entertainment value? Besides on Instapundit day, obviously.

3. I'm sure it takes a ton of work, and I know exactly how much I've paid for it (nothing + nothing, carry the nothing…).

4. No. But you could probably take the fact that people actually care enough to complain as some sort of compliment. Better shape up, or they'll take their 0$ elsewhere!

5. I hope it provides some sort of entertainment or sense of satisfaction to the authors? If not, that's too bad, as it certainly provides this for us readers, which Instapundit Day surely puts in contrast.

6. I don't think the answer to 1 is actually A. I think it's C. I regularly explain my political opinions to my cats, and while they always listen carefully, I suspect it might be somewhat more satisfying if they were people, and could vote on, say, North Carolina ballot propositions.
Laura K • May 17, 2012 @11:18 am

I must have forgotten. And, silly as it sounds, my main question was "geez, is Patrick in crisis? How do I find out if the Popehat guys are all OK?"
such a cool Oroson Wells, 'War of the Worlds' live broadcast approach!
TPRJones • May 17, 2012 @11:39 am

I would never presume to tell you how to run your blog. But after I was sure it wasn't a hacking (some of the posts were clearly really by you guys, even if not up to your usual standards), I started to suspect y'all had gotten tired of doing things here and just sold out to some feed site or something. I almost unsubbed from the RSS but figured I'd wait one more day just in case. I'm glad I did.

I wasn't here last year and had never heard of Instapundit. Now that I have, I have to wonder who would take the time to read a site like that? It's so … uninspiring. A monument to mediocrity in blogging.

Oh, and the answer is probably 90% A with about 10% B. I like to pretend it's more like 80/20, but I know I'm only kidding myself.
SPQR • May 17, 2012 @11:43 am

"6. Assuming that the answer to question 1 is a, do you think we could give a shit about your opinion?"

Hell, I don't give a shit about my own opinion.
Crissa • May 17, 2012 @11:58 am

It's not that Patrick hasn't said stupid stuff before. But the format… If people wanted to read an instaputz-style RSS, they would.

…This is the first year I was actually reading posts as they came instead of only reading specific articles.
Bob • May 17, 2012 @1:12 pm

Fuck Blizzard!
Laura K • May 17, 2012 @1:18 pm

TPR "I would never presume to tell you how to run your blog…"

and yet, in detailing the distress and or/inconvenience the instapundit caused you and how "uninspiring" it was…you sorta just did.

I mean, I would never presume to expound on such an inconsistency in someone's comment…
Rick H. • May 17, 2012 @1:45 pm

I feel sort of dumb for commenting before, but relieved that no one gave a shit about my opinion.
Scott Jacobs • May 17, 2012 @1:50 pm

But Patrick, it seems that you (PH writers) willfully trolled your readers

Boy, are you ever gonna fucking hate April 1st around here…
Jack • May 17, 2012 @3:34 pm

Oh not at all, I remembered the Popehat April 1st from last year. And I am not at all complaining about the instapope thing, I am only expressing mild surprise that Patrick's comments seem to complain about their own successful ploy. Just odd, but I don't mean to make a big issue of it.
Xenocles • May 17, 2012 @3:47 pm

Is that what that was? I'll tell you one thing – the layout here doesn't work in your favor for that sort of format.
David • May 17, 2012 @4:09 pm

Actually, this whole site is one big trawl/troll/hoax. When Prof. Chomsky's ready, and not a minute sooner, he'll explain all his reasons for assuming these personae.
Mobyseven • May 17, 2012 @4:16 pm

Bugger. I only check my RSS reader sporadically, so I got to the reveal before I hit the actual Instapunditrolling.

Though I did look at the number of unread posts and think, "Huh, I didn't think it'd been THAT long since I checked Popehat," so that counts as a partial 'get' I reckon.

For those keeping track: +1 person who wasn't a reader this time last year.
Elam Bend • May 17, 2012 @4:43 pm

I didn't remember last year but have the site long enough to recognize poprhat syle humor at play. Even recognizing that, I was awfully sorry to see the comments closed, because I also like to see what the rest of you slobs are saying
Elam Bend • May 17, 2012 @4:47 pm

And I can't type on an ipad
Patrick • May 17, 2012 @5:17 pm

Jack, I guess I'm an old prude.

I was sentient before we had an internet, so sometimes I'm still astonished by the utter lack of manners on the part of some of our commenting audience. It amazes me, on some antediluvian level, when people like Crissa (see her comment above) and Maude LL (see the comment I quoted above), drop in one someone else's site and shit all over the place.

I took a break from this place for while, and when I came back, I appreciated that Ken had expanded the audience through his prodigious writing talent. He was probably aided by my absence. And yet, as crude as I can be, I'm astonished at how rude some of our new audience members can be. To step in to someone else's house (this site is still my house, though I'm reevaluating that) and shit all over the rug.

Of course, without any disrespect intended toward either Crissa or Maude, I banned both of those cunts. They can't read this, or if they can they can't reply.

But I'm astonished at the self-righteous sense of entitlement that, again no disrespect intended, some of you bleeding hemorrhoids display when you think that the person to whom you're displaying it can't figure out your names and addresses.

In all candor, I preferred this site when we had a smaller reading audience, and I'm trying to decide what to do about that. I've lessened the audience by two today (I'll ban more of you tonight), but I'm still trying to figure out whether things fit and whether I'd be happier with my own gig.

Sorry to get so meta on you, but you asked for it.
Scott Jacobs • May 17, 2012 @5:55 pm

I'm astonished at how rude some of our new audience members can be.

The rudeness of those who have been here a while, however, stopped astonishing him ages ago…

I'll ban more of you tonight

Well, I'm fucked…
ZK • May 17, 2012 @5:57 pm

I expressed some negative sentiments about the length of the InstaPope day (not recalling the event from last year) but think I did so without violating the bounds of polite society. If I could, for one, remain un-banned, that would be awesome.
Scott Jacobs • May 17, 2012 @6:18 pm

And I do just want to be clear on something…

While "Instapundit Day" isn't exactly mu cup of tea (though some of it I did actually find interesting, and I did get the fun-poking at InstaPundit), and while I did forget this had happened last year and while I was… perplexed… I don't mind that it happened…

I mean, it's hardly at the level of "fuck I look like a moron" every April 2nd around here…

I love Patrick's posts. There is a wonderful biting, not-quite-cruel satirical quality to his work, and I love it when I see a new post from him.

Popehat would be a lesser place without you, Patrick. I know that now and again my word choice angers you, and I have never apologized for that, so…

Patrick, I'm sorry I frequently act like an unwitting jackass.

Please don't go.

And if you could avoid banning me, that would be a nice bonus.

But if it HAS to be one or the other, please stay.
SPQR • May 17, 2012 @6:27 pm

I come here for the snark.
matthew • May 17, 2012 @6:57 pm

David and I also may or may not be robots. Awesome robots, though. Like the Iron Giant. Not Daleks.

Daleks are not robots. I learned that here.

http://www.popehat.com/2010/10/14/maybe-the-universe-has-a-sense-of-humor-and-maybe-shes-a-geek-whos-into-british-television/

This blog is full of trickery.
Grandy • May 17, 2012 @7:04 pm

ZK, I wouldn't worry. It was inevitable that people would question this move. I can't stress this enough, but that's not a problem and never will be.
Joe • May 17, 2012 @7:55 pm

I wasn’t here last year at this time (including April 1). I actually ended up here one day in Nov. of last year searching on a telemarketing phone # that was one of those “card services scams”. I just got another one of those annoying calls on my mobile today – I think I’m starting to get POed enough to go after these guys in small claims court. Have amassed a ton of data courtesy of Surly Hobbit and others.

Anyway I’ve enjoyed the content so much that I’ve become addicted to Popehat as well as the commentary of some of the regulars. I didn’t get twisted out of shape by the interim posts – just figured some hard working folks were taking some well deserved time off. I think I’ve been pretty good about remembering I’m visiting someone else’s house and have minded my manners except for the few times I’ve had the irresistible urge to smack some other visitor (PNT, Terence, etc.) on the nose when they looked like they were starting to forget theirs.

Patrick – hope you don’t leave – or me either for that matter.
Hal 10000 (@Hal_RTFLC) • May 17, 2012 @8:22 pm

I wasn't a reader last year and I've never read Instapundit so I was very confused. But you guys have earned enough trust that I figured it must mean something.
TPRJones • May 17, 2012 @9:00 pm

Laura K: "and yet, in detailing the distress and or/inconvenience the instapundit caused you and how 'uninspiring' it was…you sorta just did."

Not at all. They are welcome to do what they want with the site. If I stop enjoying it I'll stop reading it and not think less of them for it. Commenting on the circumstances under which I would stop reading it is not at all the same as telling them what to do.
TPRJones • May 17, 2012 @9:06 pm

To be clear, I should add that I have no delusions that they care very much at all if I or anyone else read it or not. So perhaps it would have been best if I hadn't commented on it at all.
Joe • May 17, 2012 @9:50 pm

@Dwight – I used to live in Austin but Franklin opened long after I left in 1997. I get down there now and then to call on Dell so let me know if it is as great as they say. Salt Lick was where we used to go when I lived there – have you been there? No idea if they are still as good as I remember.

I have been to Lockhart Smokehouse in Dallas where I currently reside, and it really is as good as they say. Lean juicy brisket with a nice bark and BBQ brisket tacos. Brisket tacos and a beer – mmmmm.

On the other hand hate to say it, but I'm not going to miss Crissa and not just because she made snarky comments to Patrick.
Windypundit • May 17, 2012 @10:05 pm

Instapundit day? Is that what that was? In all honesty, I thought it was a software glitch. When I saw all those posts without titles in my feed reader, I figured maybe you were using some sort of unified messaging platform and you'd accidentally sent a bunch of short messages as blog posts instead of tweets or status updates or whatever. I was just stopping by to see if you'd got it fixed yet…
darius404 • May 17, 2012 @10:15 pm

1. c) some combination of the two

2. Yes, and Yes.

3. I know it must be an awful lot of work, but I'd say no, I likely do NOT understand just how much has gone into this site.

4. If I have something particularly insightful to say, perhaps (and perhaps not). I do not have anything particularly insightful to say (or comment, or email).

5. Communication between authors and audience. An exchange of ideas, and (perhaps) meaningful discussion. If no one is interested in a blog, is there much point to it?

6. Likely not.
darius404 • May 17, 2012 @10:16 pm

Also, I would greatly prefer it if you didn't leave, Patrick. It's your prerogative though.
Dwight Brown • May 18, 2012 @5:41 am

@Joe: I do get out to the Salt Lick periodically, and I still like it, but I think the barbecue there has slipped a little since I first started going there 20+ years ago. (If you didn't know, they've opened a new Salt Lick location not too far from the Dell campus. Just something to keep in mind next time you're down.)

When we have out of town visitors, we still either take them to the Salt Lick in Driftwood, or load up the cars and drive to Lockhart for either Smitty's or Kreuz Market.

I haven't been to Lockhart Smokehouse, either, but I keep threatening to do the "three day weekend, drive to Dallas, do the JFK tour" thing, and I plan to make it a point to eat there when I do that.
Patrick • May 18, 2012 @6:12 am

I've been meaning to get to Lockhart next time I visit Dallas, which unfortunately won't be this year. I hear great things about the place.
John • May 18, 2012 @7:13 am

I'd request you not do it again, please. It was mostly uninformative. It lacked wit, one of the big draws at Popehat.
Dan Irving • May 18, 2012 @7:15 am

New reader here as well so Instapundit day was a bit of a surprise. Of course I did learn my lesson with Patrick's "New York Times Breaks Blockbuster Story On Torture Of Guantanamo Detainees." that, as @Wilhelm Arcturus put it, my 'satire context' would have to be re-calibrated to view this site correctly …

… or at least wait until the caffeine fully kicks in before making a comment …

… too tired … can't brain today ….
Laura K • May 18, 2012 @7:44 am

Patrick, please do not leave Popehat.
Lesley • May 18, 2012 @8:31 am

I thought the send up was genius. I love Instapundit day at Popehat. It cracked me up last year, and I thought it was even funnier this time around. Haters gonna hate, I guess.
Jack • May 18, 2012 @10:16 am

Patrick, got it, thanks for the detailed response.
raptros-v76 • May 18, 2012 @10:18 am

Crap, I missed Instahat day. The comedic effect isn't nearly as strong when it's not live. I did scroll through the feed and giggle, though.

The first time I experienced Instahat day, I got the joke pretty quickly; laughed uncontrollably at every insty-ism.
David • May 18, 2012 @10:23 am

If someone buys the bleachers, I promise to dedicate 10% of the kickback to charity.
Grandy • May 18, 2012 @11:27 am

As a reminder to you folks, both happy and unhappy and all spaces between, the best way to influence what goes on at Popehat is to become a member. Please note that "best", in that context, is relative.
David • May 18, 2012 @11:40 am

Our little splash in the Twitterverse:
PIUGoddess
timothy_watson
AblativMeatshld
ScottGreenfield
LibertyAlerts
Kusand
4FantasySports
TPRJones
polarbee
nollsch
ScottGreenfield
KidLazarus
stackiii
Tam • May 18, 2012 @11:59 am

Heh.
Scott Jacobs • May 18, 2012 @1:15 pm

God I love it when I have proof of my not getting the gag put out there for everyone to see…

:p
Jess • May 18, 2012 @1:29 pm

@Scott – well with two strikes in a row on April 1 you should be used to it by now
Wilhelm Arcturus • May 18, 2012 @4:15 pm

I suppose, on some level, it is nice to see that so many people care. There was lots of "has the site been hacked?" concern out there.
David • May 18, 2012 @5:06 pm

We did indeed appreciate the "heads up" info that came our way, insofar as it came in a spirit of love.