peacefare.net

Knock knock

It doesn’t happen often, but it did this morning:  0 pageviews, even at 9 am European time.  The Middle East had been up for hours.  The Balkans and the rest of Europe for an hour or so.  Yet somehow no one had found it necessary to read peacefare.net.  How disappointing!

Not really, and the moment did not last, but it does make me wonder whether the effort is worthwhile.  I admit that what I publish on peacefare is not much more than what I am thinking at the moment, plus any more serious reflections that have found their way into print elsewhere.  And now also wonderful contributions from my Middle East Institute interns, currently the very capable and assiduous Gregor Nazarian and Ilona Gerbakher.  They have been writing up Washington events, something I find very helpful since it is impossible to get to all the interesting ones.

The question is whether this is a worthwhile effort.  While my WordPress software and Google Analytics provide lots of data on visitors and pageviews, they don’t provide a feel for what people are thinking.  Nor do they tell me when you are reading peacefare.net on an RSS feed or an email subscription.  I get some feedback in the comments on peacefare and appreciate it, even when it is sharply critical.  But often I don’t hear back much, except for the occasional hit on the “like” button or the several tweets per day referencing peacefare, which are always appreciated.

So this post, on what promises to be a slow day, is a plea I guess for a bit more vibe back from readers.  There are lots of ways:  the like button is the simplest (but not the most nuanced), comments are always welcome (even when they specify that I am an idiot, provided there is good supporting argumentation), tweets (citing @DanielSerwer) and emails (to daniel@peacefare.net) make their way to me, citations and links to peacefare.net are terrific.

What do want you to hear more about?  What less?  How is what you are reading here useful or interesting?  How is it boring or annoying?  How could it be improved?

Most of all, I would like to hear from those of you with something to contribute.  I never intended peacefare.net to be a one-voice outlet.  But I have failed, with some few and warmly welcomed exceptions, to get others to pitch in.  Posts are not hard:  500-800 words, focused on a compelling thought or current event connected to peace and war.  Send them to me:  daniel@peacefare.net  I can’t promise to publish everything I get, but I can promise to read it and seriously consider it, with of course the possibility of editorial changes.

Knock knock.  Who’s there?  Peacefare.net, hoping to hear from YOU!