Posted by: Billy Hollis on Wednesday, August 29, 2007 Sometime in the late 1990s, the Internet gave me something I'd been seeking all my life: contact with people who both cared about politics and didn’t think libertarians were all drug-smoking hippies. But when I think about how fast things have changed since then, sometimes it makes my head spin. Drudge Report, Coming Attractions, Liberty Unbound, Free Republic, Liberty Forum. And then 9/11 and the blog explosion. Instapundit, USS Clueless, Eject! Eject! Eject!, Andrew Sullivan (back before he lost his mind), Josh Marshall, Atrios, Lucianne, Captain’s Quarters, VodkaPundit, James Lileks, Mark Steyn, Little Green Footballs, PoliPundit, Protein Wisdom, IowaHawk, Democratic Underground, GeekPress, Econopundit, The Conspiracy to Keep You Poor and Stupid, The Corner, Tim Blair, Hit and Run.... At various times, I’ve read all of them in some depth, sometimes for serious discussion, sometimes just for entertainment (and I think the DU stolen election threads and the Free Republic creationism threads rank right up there with the humor sites). Then sometime in mid-2004, I ran across a link to QandO. I don’t remember who linked it; you know how promiscuous the blogosphere is. And I found a site that I felt... at home, I guess. The front page posters were literate, capable, reasonable, and pragmatic, but still libertarian in their general outlook. Not the isolationist libertarianism that took over places such as Hit & Run and Liberty Forum, but libertarianism that still saw a place for robust and engaged foreign policy in a world that was too small and too nuclear for us to live in isolation. After commenting a while, I submitted a piece to QandO’s attempt to launch an online publication, The New Libertarian. It was on RatherGate. And, in contrast to the technical writing that I usually do, it was fun. So one thing led to another. More articles, lots of commenting, some guest posts. When Jon got busy with his Senate responsibilities, I got a surprise email from Bruce, asking if I could fill in some of the posting gap. I had never seriously considered blogging regularly. I'd gotten some similar invitations, but being as busy as I am, I was very afraid I wouldn't be able to keep up a serious level of involvement. But joining QandO was just too good an opportunity to miss. I’ve greatly enjoyed being a front page poster for almost all of 2007. I enjoy it because we have one of the finest communities on the web. From my co-posters on the front page to our engaged and thoughtful commenters, QandO is unlike any other site I’ve ever frequented. We have true discussion here, and while tempers may flair, and the occasional trollish commenter stops by, in general we have a civil discussion that bring up perspectives I’ve never considered. McQ covered the history leading to this fourth anniversary of the blogs founding. So I'll just say Happy Birthday to QandO, and kudos to Jon, Dale, and Bruce for creating such a place. And massive thanks to our regulars. It's a genuine pleasure to write for folks who appreciate it as much as you do. |
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