And that’s it for 2025. It was the year i finally quit my job of sixteen years. I’m grateful to have worked in an environment where i was able to (re)invent my job to tackle the biggest issues facing tech journalism. I experimented with digital publishing and grappled with funding, all the while writing about the most interesting people and companies of our time.
It’s been a blast, but it’s been harder and harder to ignore the overall direction of the industry – my brand of tech journalism is dying a painful death. I don’t regret my decision one bit, but i long for a job where i can once again make an impact. Let’s hope 2026 delivers on that front.
Reading
I switched from Kindle to Kobo, but i mostly read paper books (and low-key regret choosing a colour e-reader). I’m happy that i didn’t set myself a reading goal this year, because i’d have failed. I couldn’t bear to pick up a book while in the process of quitting. I read “only” 29 books this year, but i managed to hit the 10,000-page mark thanks to The Count of Monte Cristo. I’d like to read a bit more next year, but most of all, i’d like to get back to writing about reading. I still haven’t formed an opinion on audiobooks, for example, and i have a whole collection of vintage e-readers to explore. Should be fun.
Writing
I’ve ended a sixteen-year streak of publishing in French to launch this new blog in English. These weeknotes have been a great excuse to write each and every week, but i’ve yet to find my groove. Fortunately, the IndieWeb Carnival forced me to step out my comfort zone and try out different voices. “But what is purple, really?” and “’tis the (small season)” were fine informative pieces, but i absolutely loved having a punt at fiction with “Rook ’n’ roll” and “They said the web was dead”. I’ll host the carnival next November.
Walking
I had a great year of hiking planned, but plantar fasciitis reared its ugly head during the summer. I’ve had a few bouts of heel pain in the past, but it was pretty mild and never lasted more than a few days. This time, i’ve had to stop walking for an entire month to ease the pain somewhat. I now have to wear custom orthoses, but even then, i can’t walk more than five kilometres on flat terrain before feeling some discomfort. It’s been heavily weighing on my mood, but i’ve been having a few pain-free days lately, and i’m hopeful it’ll get better.
And then
It was a gamble to forsake my French-speaking readership, but i feel it paid off, as Z1NZ0L1N is now read in 74 countries. I love getting mail from all over the world and discovering new blogs from people i’d never heard of before. My best wishes to all of you out there. Thanks for keeping the indie web alive.