The Case for Blogging in the Ruins

In an era defined by algorithmic curation and synthetic content, one writer is championing a radical act of digital defiance: the personal blog.

Joan Westenberg's recent manifesto, 'The Case for Blogging in the Ruins,' cuts through the noise of AI-generated feeds and corporate social platforms to argue for something profoundly human. Her thesis is simple yet revolutionary—when the digital world feels like it's collapsing under its own weight, independent publishing becomes an act of sovereignty.

The timing couldn't be more critical. As global tensions rise and digital consolidation accelerates, the humble blog emerges not as a relic of a bygone internet, but as a necessary tool for maintaining individual voice and creative control.

Westenberg frames her argument within a landscape of systemic decay—both digital and geopolitical. The metaphor of 'ruins' isn't hyperbole; it's a precise diagnosis of our current moment.

We're witnessing the enshittification of platforms that once promised connection. Social media networks have transformed into engagement farms, prioritizing advertiser value over human discourse. Meanwhile, AI tools backed by venture capital firms like Y Combinator flood the zone with synthetic content, making authentic human voice more scarce—and more valuable—than ever.

The backdrop isn't purely digital. Westenberg invokes the specter of NATO war games and rising global tensions to contextualize our online experience. When the physical world feels precarious, the digital realm becomes both escape and battleground.

Against this backdrop, the act of blogging takes on new meaning:

• It's a declaration of independence from platform control
• It's a commitment to long-form, thoughtful discourse
• It's a refusal to surrender creative ownership
• It's an archive of authentic human perspective

The core argument centers on ownership and authenticity in an age of digital dispossession. When you blog on your own domain, you're not just publishing—you're building.

Westenberg argues that platforms are rented land. Your content, your audience, your digital identity exist at the whim of algorithms and corporate strategy. A blog, by contrast, is owned property. It's a digital homestead where you set the rules, control the experience, and build lasting value.

When everything is optimized for engagement, choosing to write what you actually think becomes a radical act.

There's also the matter of human connection. Algorithmic feeds optimize for outrage and virality, but blogs optimize for depth. They create space for nuance, for developing ideas over time, for building relationships with readers based on substance rather than spectacle.

In Westenberg's view, the blog is a time capsule and a signal flare—simultaneously preserving authentic perspective while cutting through the noise to reach those still searching for genuine human voice.

Westenberg's case isn't purely philosophical—it's grounded in technical reality. The barriers to independent publishing have never been lower.

Modern static site generators, affordable hosting, and open standards mean anyone can launch a blog with minimal technical knowledge. The infrastructure exists; what's missing is the cultural will to abandon the convenience of platforms.

She points to the irony of our moment: we have more powerful tools for independent publishing than ever before, yet we've surrendered our creativity to walled gardens designed to extract value from our attention.

The technical argument extends to discoverability. While platforms bury organic content behind paywalls and algorithmic filters, blogs participate in the open web. They can be linked, referenced, and discovered through search—creating pathways that don't require permission from corporate gatekeepers.

Most importantly, blogs are future-proof. A post written today will remain accessible decades from now, while platform content can vanish overnight when a company pivots or shuts down.

Westenberg's essay ultimately serves as a call to arms for creators, thinkers, and anyone with something to say that can't be reduced to a character limit.

She challenges the notion that blogging is dead or outdated. Instead, she argues it's more necessary than ever—a way to maintain creative sovereignty when everything else is being consolidated and controlled.

The path forward is clear: start writing, publish on your own terms, and build something that belongs to you. Not for likes, not for shares, but for the simple act of preserving your voice in an increasingly synthetic world.

In the ruins of the old internet, blogging isn't just a choice—it's a survival strategy for the soul of the web.

Westenberg's argument reframes blogging from nostalgic hobby to contemporary necessity.

Her case rests on three pillars: ownership of your digital space, authenticity in an age of synthetic content, and resilience against platform decay. In a world where NATO prepares for conflict and Y Combinator backs AI that threatens human creativity, the blog becomes a quiet but powerful form of resistance.

The message is clear: don't wait for platforms to improve. Don't hope for algorithmic mercy. Build your own space, write your own words, and contribute to the open web that still exists beneath the ruins of the social media age.