So, yeah, as the headline says, We Hunted the Mammoth is going on an indefinite hiatus. For the last few months, I have been trying to make this work, but I’ve come to the conclusion that it won’t. As you know, I have been struggling to raise enough money to keep the blog financially stable, and that has been weighing on me.
But there’s a bigger factor: I’m simply burned out. I’ve spent the last thirteen years writing about some of the worst people in the world, and, well, it’s wearing me down. I’m deeply tired of these people and their endless hateful nonsense; it’s time to move on. (I am putting My AI Obsession on hold for now as well.)
I’m deeply grateful for all of the support you all have given me over the years. Some of you have been so generous with your donations that I don’t know what to say. I want to thank everyone who has donated to or otherwise offered assistance to the blog over the years.
I’m not shutting the blog down entirely. One of the things I have enjoyed the most about this blog over the years has been reading the comment section, and I don’t want to leave the regular commenters in the lurch. I’ll continue to post Open Threads and possibly even a few real posts from time to time, and I hope some of you decide to stick around.
I may return at some point to launch We Hunted the Mammoth 2.0, likely with a somewhat different focus, but right now, I don’t know for sure if or when that will be.
As many of you know, I have started up a new venture, hanging out my shingle as a writing coach; you can read more about this here. If you’re feeling stuck with your writing, I can help to unstick you. I am focusing most on academics but all nonfiction writers are welcome!
If you have thoughts you’d like to share, please post them in the comments below, or send them to me directly at dfutrelle at gmail.com.
Thanks for keeping us entertained and horrified all these years. Much love and best of luck with everything you do.
THANK YOU for all you have done. This has been a unique and very helpful work. Best of luck and much happiness, you deserve it!
I completely understand the burnout. I blogged about politics in a battleground state and hit the wall myself. Take care of yourself.
Thanks for surviving and for helping us to survive all these years. Take the time you need, and we’ll be here.
O noes! Thank you for a terrific blog. Good luck in your new ventures. Please return when you can.
I’ve long marveled that you could inhabit the land of hatred and not be consumed by the toxic inhabitants. How did you manage that for so long?
We’ll miss you, but you deserve a long rest. Your invaluable work has not been paralleled.
Thank you for the years of hard work. We’ll miss you.
I’ll miss you, David. Take care of yourself. Thanks for keeping this page going as long as you did. You kept a lot of people sane.
I’m sorry to see you go but glad you’ve put your own wellbeing first. I was worried about you a few times there. Take care ❤
Thank you for this website. This has been an invaluable resource when commenting to others on the internetz. By all means, your mental well being comes first. And good luck!
Pethaps if you return your focus could be on posting articles and links about healing from or escaping the Manosphere?
Thanks for what you’ve created, and good luck on your future endeavors.
It’s been a wild decade since I discovered this place, and I’m grateful for it.
*Hugs Dave* Take care of yourself. You did good work here.
Thank you and good luck.
Take care of yourself, Dave. I’m very grateful for the years you shared this blog, and the comment section also helped me develop my own views on things (It helped me realise and come to grips with my transness, for instance).
Hello.
Health first, take care of yourself ! With all you had shown here, the stress overcharge is sadly understandable. Hope you can recover from it.
Have a nice day and continuation, and hope your other work will be more satisfying !
That’s a sad note. Dave you gotta do what you gotta do for your own sake. Both to survive financially and keep your mental health in a good place.
One thing I’ve probably suggested before and I think is still worth looking at… Why don’t you decentralize authorship? I’m sure there are long time Mammotheers who would love to contribute to the blog themselves. If they were given the chance. Letting it be more on a hobbyist level for everyone contributing, yourself included. Set up a short basic style guide and code of conduct. Letting others submit posts.
I think that might work well and keep the community here together. Since you had made this into your job and that’s extremely stressful. Since that not only meant you constantly had to dive into a terrible environment on a regular basis, to find content, but also tied your livelihood to it. That’s going to burn anyone out.
It’s just a thought. Take care of yourself Dave.
Thank you for creating an invaluable resource for all of us who honestly did not know anything about this part of the net. Your writing has meant so much to me. All the best and take care.
Sad to see you go but absolutely your mental and emotional (as well as financial health) must be a priority.
All the best. And hopefully see you again one day.
Thank you so much David for all the work you do, and particularly for making and keeping this blog such a good place (no mean feat, as I’m sure we’ve all seen both here and in some other online spaces). I hope you are well and get less burnt, and wish you all the very best.
All the best, David!
Thanks for all your hard work David and good luck – it’s a testament to your humour, talent and community-building skills how long you’ve kept this blog going!
Thank you David for your fearless and necessary work. You were onto these charlatans from the very start and found a unique way to expose them for what they are. But I know as well it can be exhausting. Glad you have made the decision for your own wellness.
Aw David, I am so sorry to see this site wind up. It has been such a voice of sanity for so many years, as well as becoming such a valuable resource of information. Your hard work and willingness to wade through the dregs of humanity is so appreciated.
I think the internet jumped the shark earlier this year; with the loss of the good side of twitter, the inrush of chat gpt and AI art generation, it just doesn’t seem possible any more to tell what is real (true] and what is faked online. Being able to come here and read thoughtful commentary by so many people, and to commiserate during the dark times of the last president, was so helpful.
Years ago I saw a picture of a cat online, a real charmer, and was later very pleased to see that this cat was actually one of yours! I hope that you and they can be well and happy and stress free, and that life goes well for you. Thank you so much.
Thank you, David. Please take care of yourself.
Aw nooo. Will miss you and your amazing work. I’ve enjoyed your blog for years and even got my husband hooked on it more recently. If we win the lottery I shall keep you in mind. Thankyou again XX
If you have to step back and take a rest, do so. So sorry to read about the burnout; it can and sadly does happen to the best of us. And honestly…yeah, with all the nonsense around today it can seem like too much.
Still, many thanks for all you’ve done over the years, and it is good to know that the lights will stay on at the site for the time being so readers can still peruse it.