The Spike

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Emotions

I am feeling some emotions after receiving all those comments yesterday. It has been a very long and strange journey trying to discover why the traffic to this website dropped like a stone a few months ago. I assumed that it was because everyone was sick of me. I got really quite down about it. It didn’t help that I am a patchy poster at the best of times, so many of you reasonably thought I was taking a break or being lazy and thought nothing of it.

Tracking down the problem to a no mail-out thing and then isolating and fixing the issue has been a bore and I am grateful to Holly of GattoWeb for her assistance.

It’s not completely over, many of you are still finding that the newest post doesn’t appear on the website until 24 hours later and many who are subscribed and logged in are also being told they are not. It’s an ongoing battle. Please, if you have any anomalies like this, let me know. Either by leaving a comment or sending me an email – esther@onthespike.com.

One troubleshooting trick you might try is to track down the “manage subscriptions” option, delete everything you can find on there and then re-subscribe, but I am well aware that this is the kind of tech admin that quite rightly is unappealing and goes un-done.

I don’t actually have anything else for you today, so here is a link to a column I wrote for the iPaper yesterday, about boundaries.

Cover art lightbulb photo by Christian Dubovan on Unsplash

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Comments

  1. Anonymous says

    September 23, 2021 at 8:46 am

    Good to hear from you again

    Reply
  2. Anna says

    September 23, 2021 at 8:52 am

    We would never be sick of you! Sorry the webaite/email thing hasn’t been working, just FYI this isn’t showing on the website for me right now

    Reply
  3. Lisa W says

    September 23, 2021 at 8:55 am

    So happy to be receiving notifications again!

    Reply
  4. Sophie says

    September 23, 2021 at 8:57 am

    We have all been missing you like crazy, you numpty, and being very politely British about leaving you alone. Next time there’s a hiatus I suggest that we bombard you with emails even (especially?) when you’ve said it’s half term and you’re busy.

    Also I am v happy to admit to missing all the Spikers too *waves hysterically*.

    Reply
    • Frances says

      September 23, 2021 at 10:33 am

      *waves back hysterically and hopes silently that you all like me…

      Reply
      • Cindy says

        September 23, 2021 at 10:37 am

        Waves back then realises you’re waving at someone behind me so pretend I’m swatting a fly.

        Reply
        • Frances says

          September 23, 2021 at 8:15 pm

          No, I’m definitely waving at you!

          Reply
    • Sophie says

      September 23, 2021 at 4:23 pm

      Waving very vigorously at every single one of you, especially the fly-swatters.

      Reply
    • Sarah says

      September 23, 2021 at 8:30 pm

      Me too! I read everything you wrote in the Times over the summer, but I missed the Spike posts! Not to mention all the comments, source of top intel like using silicone cupcake cases to freeze my children’s batch-cooked food and the importance of multiple pairs of scissors…

      Reply
  5. Joanne says

    September 23, 2021 at 8:57 am

    Hi Ester

    Its great to have you back. I had assumed you had just stopped posting. I missed you.

    Joanne

    Reply
  6. SarahBee says

    September 23, 2021 at 9:00 am

    I had also not been receiving alerts, until yesterday. But in a direct mirror to your thinking, I though *I* had been doing something wrong to not receive them!

    Reply
  7. Caroline says

    September 23, 2021 at 9:00 am

    Good luck. Hateful tech.

    Reply
    • esthermcoren says

      September 23, 2021 at 9:07 am

      I KNOW. god it’s so bad isn’t it.

      Reply
  8. Aphra McHugh says

    September 23, 2021 at 9:13 am

    I have so missed The Spike and thought you’d stopped writing. Very pleased to hear you never left and there are loads of posts for me to catch up on!

    Reply
  9. Siân says

    September 23, 2021 at 9:20 am

    Yes I thought I’d posted something bad about Beauty Pie and had been blacklisted! Love your writing.

    Reply
    • esthermcoren says

      September 23, 2021 at 9:41 am

      LOL! That is so like me though

      Reply
  10. Jennie says

    September 23, 2021 at 9:26 am

    Yesterday’s email was the first one I’ve received since the beginning of April. When you stopped writing Recipe Rifle I remember you thoughtfully warned us in advance so I have been a bit worried about you recently. Glad you’re ok, even if you’re probably tearing your hair out with tech issues.

    Reply
  11. Louise says

    September 23, 2021 at 9:27 am

    Would just like to confirm that you are one of my most favourite writers out there. SO glad that the Spike is back on track 😊

    Reply
  12. Cindy says

    September 23, 2021 at 9:46 am

    Yes I’m having that problem where I can only find this through the email, the website shows nothing, and I can’t see other comments. I don’t know if it’s a full 24 hours for me before it appears though, just a few. So heartening to see everyone flooding back in like Hulk reversing the snap (we’ve watched a lot of Disney Plus). It’s been a weird time and this felt like one more weird thing, I’m pleased you know what happened now. Your ipaper articles recently have all been really great, by the way. I used to be a lot better with boundaries in the way you describe but I felt like I didn’t want to be seen as rude or abrupt or blunt, and adapted myself. I’ve been less happy though since and become kind of a walkover. I think the forced un-socialising and some other knocks over the past year has made me reevaluate that a little. Of course we all want to BE KIND but kindness alone doesn’t make up a fully functioning personality, it should be just a background given, a tab that’s always open, you have to also be able to look into your breakfast spoon in the morning and respect what you see. Boundaries in marriage is a difficult one. This time next year I will have had the same amount of time with my husband as without, and part of that before time I was a baby and then there were a lot of exams and stuff so I couldn’t really fully appreciate it.

    Reply
  13. Martha says

    September 23, 2021 at 10:12 am

    An eternal bore.

    Take heart that so many people have missed you and from the measures that many have gone to to welcome you back into their inbox. Esther, to put it simply, we love you! x

    Reply
  14. Ali says

    September 23, 2021 at 10:13 am

    I had noticed you had stopped posting too, but put it down to the summer holidays. Lack of email notifications, plus me deciding to delete all social media apps off my phone in August, meant that I was in a Spike free zone (not good). I was very happy to get an email from you yesterday with a link to a post. Thank goodness you are back so that you can tell me what to read and wear. Twitter and Facebook have crept back onto my phone last week for work, but I have not reinstalled Instagram even though it was the ‘fun’ app rather than a ‘work’ app. Ironically I very much enjoyed reading your social media post yesterday and then wasting a good fifteen minutes reading the comments. Maybe we just need stuff to waste our time on?

    Reply
  15. R B says

    September 23, 2021 at 10:35 am

    Great to have you back! Could definitely relate to the “we are the same person”. The most irritating phrase I hear is “you would love this movie, this book, this person” It brings out an angry fighting thing in me. No! I will make my own judgements, if that makes sense?

    Reply
  16. Sarah says

    September 23, 2021 at 10:48 am

    Hello! Received this email though have unfollowed/refollowed for good measure. This post is still not showing up on the site (on my phone or laptop) though, when I click through to it from the email it shows no comments. The post is also not showing in the reader section of my WordPress app. Sorry v boring but hopefully helpful x

    Reply
  17. Sarah Robson says

    September 23, 2021 at 11:30 am

    I love getting your posts and have had no problems receiving them. I’m so sorry to hear you were feeling down – it’s understandable. Take care Sarah

    Reply
  18. G says

    September 23, 2021 at 3:05 pm

    First email today in a long time! I thought ‘what comments yesterday?’ and had to go looking.

    Reply
  19. Stacey Archibald says

    September 23, 2021 at 4:31 pm

    Here in NYC I had not seen your blog emails since late spring. I thought you were just taking a break, pleasantly surprised to see your email yesterday (Wednesday). Last thing I can remember was book recommendations blog entry. Glad your still blogging!

    Reply
  20. Anonymous says

    September 23, 2021 at 7:19 pm

    Yay, you are back! I thought you had given all this up and were taking a break. I do enjoy seeing your emails pop up into my In Box!

    Reply
  21. Joanna Green says

    September 23, 2021 at 9:54 pm

    Techmin done. Really quite pleased with myself. It’s lovely to have you back, Esther.

    Reply
  22. Anonymous says

    September 23, 2021 at 10:03 pm

    Very happy to see you back – assumed you were v busy or taking a break.

    Reply
  23. Cara says

    September 23, 2021 at 10:21 pm

    I’m overjoyed when I click on The Spike from my phone favourite websites and there is a new post! I haven’t signed up for emails because I enjoy the surprise factor so much. I just thought you were busy recently so have been waiting patiently… I got such of seeing that Irish book cover though!
    Thanks for keeping going, sorry about the tech woes and worry that caused. I think it’s well established you’re very beloved and appreciated

    Reply
  24. Anonymous says

    September 24, 2021 at 1:09 am

    Don’t worry Esther we all have tech issues and your beautiful, funny words and sense of community kept me personally laughing and smiling through lockdown. And I’m sure I speak for the wonderful community you have created we look forward to your words because we know, sometimes, how hard it is to write them. Will unsubscribe and resubscribe if needed. You go girl x

    Reply
  25. Elizabeth Ross says

    September 24, 2021 at 12:22 pm

    I assumed you were on a break! Glad to see you back.

    Reply
  26. Alex Walters says

    September 24, 2021 at 3:18 pm

    I am SO happy to see new Spike content in my emails again! I had assumed it had come to an end, and am over the moon to see that it’s still going! Missed you!! 🙂

    Reply
  27. sharoninscotland says

    September 24, 2021 at 9:21 pm

    I thought that life etc had got in the way…………so glad it was technical and you are back! x x

    Reply
  28. Annette says

    September 25, 2021 at 9:43 am

    Hooray, lovely to have you back!

    Reply
  29. sam says

    September 25, 2021 at 11:12 am

    sorry you felt we deserted you, like others i thought it was a kids on holiday thing, plus i wondered whether you had been writting a novel.
    these pandemic months leave us wondering about lots of things we took for granted not being available for some reason or other.

    Reply
    • esthermcoren says

      September 25, 2021 at 11:44 am

      You’re so kind. No need to be sorry xx

      Reply
  30. Sarah says

    September 25, 2021 at 1:22 pm

    I’m so glad you are back. I thought you were taking a break over the summer.

    Reply
  31. Crummymummywhodrinks says

    September 25, 2021 at 8:04 pm

    Your eco periods post was the first one in my in box for like ages… but I check in anyway because I thought you wrote sporadically (and the emails go to an account I don’t frequently use – but used to when I signed up). Anyway for gawd’s sake don’t stop writing – it’s so wonderful to have you write what all of us are thinking… Also the least you engage on social media the better your head is. My husband has never been on any social media, ever. Not Facebook, Twitter, Instagram – nada. I think he has the right idea. It’s just one big show boat/soap box/ troll booth – go on a walk or paint your toenails instead.

    Reply
  32. Flopsy says

    September 27, 2021 at 10:45 am

    I got the Eco Periods post on 22/9 and before that How to Listen so Kids will Talk (is that right?) on 6/4. Both v useful but I have been wondering what on earth to wear in the interim. I’m going to look so jazzy tomorrow now I’ve caught up. It sounds like you have figured out the problem but how flipping annoying for you – and us! So glad you’re still posting on clothes, thank you. I really have found it helpful.

    Reply
  33. Peabody bites says

    September 27, 2021 at 11:48 am

    I usually read the post through Feedly and then click through for the comments – sometimes posts have been showing up there but inconsistently.
    I actually went back to your book the other day to re-read the paragraphs on how much you would rather be alone at home while the child naps at lunchtime than pretending to be “flexible” and going for lunch in a pub. It was so reassuring (third baby has thrown me for a loop a bit!) and it’s still so funny!

    Reply

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