It’s the 10th anniversary of this site

January 14, 2019 • 10:00 am

The first post on this site was put up on January, 14, 2009, exactly ten years ago today. Here it is, under the URL https://whyevolutionistrue.com/2009/01/14/hello-world/:

As I’ve recounted before, I started this website at the request of WEIT’s publisher, Viking/Penguin. The model I envisioned was Neil Shubin’s “Your Inner Fish” website, meant to publicize and explain the genesis of his eponymous book; and my intent was simply to do that and—perhaps once every few weeks—post a bit of new scientific information that supported the truth of evolution.

Well, the bailiwick of the site grew—and grew rapidly, as you can see if you consult the “Archives” on the left side of the website (it lists every post in chronological order). Here are the first twenty posts in reverse order (click on the links if you want to see any), and they include not just publicity for WEIT and evidence for evolution, but philosophy and accommodationism.

The site became more than an evolution site and more than a book site; it became a chronicle of my enthusiasms (including travel, food, ducks, and cats), my thoughts, tentative, half-baked, and firmly held, and anything that caught my interest.

Here is the first “Saturday felid” on February 7, just three weeks after I dedicated the site to posts about evolution:

Here’s the first Caturday Felid, a week later, featuring Matthew Cobb’s cats, Ollie and Pepper as kittens (they’re now 13!):

Part of the first anti-accommodationist post, put up on April 29, 2009:

The first Hili dialogue didn’t come for over four years—on September 5, 2013 when I first visited Hili, Andrzej, and Malgorzata:

Hili dialogues, now a daily feature of this site, actually began with dialogues on the website Racjonalista,  the precursor of Listy. Pia was Hili’s predecessor, a very tiny tabby who liked to argue with Andrzej. I posted one of these on December 8, 2013:

124 thoughts on “It’s the 10th anniversary of this site”

  2. Hooray and congratulations!

    I also add that it’s magnanimous to keep the site advertisement-free. It’s a small difference that makes a big difference.

    I think there’s a quote about learning that no matter what, there’s people who will give you grief, and the key is to decide whether to let it drag you down? I can’t recall exactly.

  5. Congratulations for the anniversary and the fact that you have educated so many of us, not just in evolution or science, but in so many areas.

    I wasn’t around at the very beginning, but I have been a subscriber for a long time.

  6. Congratulations and Happy Anniversary! I can’t remember when I started following your site, but I know it was a long time ago!

  7. This site has afforded me the opportunity to think about and discuss many topics that otherwise probably would not have crossed my mind. This is why I visit it several times each day. Congratulations on your tenth anniversary and may there be many more years of thought provoking posts.

    1. FWIW – when I’m late to a post and there are 100+ comments my first move is CTRL+F “Historian, Diana, Ken, etc.”. Thanks to the many regular commenters here for the interesting, polite, and well founded discussions that take place here.

  8. I’ve always liked that the general tone, when discussing those hostile to reason, tends to remain kind. It’s been a good reminder to be polite when it’s tempting not to be.

  9. Thank you and Congratulations!PCC(e). I don’t weigh in often, so I’m letting you know that your WEIT website is a part of each day. As someone who teaches a university course in evolution, I find your science posts particularly interesting and useful.

  10. Congratulations, Jerry, and profound thanks for providing this platform for those of us who frequent, and comment, on your posts.

    Thank you, thank you, thank you!

  12. … it is sure to add to the public’s understanding of evolution.

    I can’t argue with the sentiment, sadly, there are so many for whom evidence counts less than what they would like to believe.

    Thanks for not giving up though. 😎

  14. Thanks for the effort over the years. I echo Historian’s comment above in that there are things here I never would have thought about and the discussions help form my opinions. It’s thanks to WEIT that I can go on and on about how they got Determinism only half right in The Good Place.

    WEIT has filled in a big intellectual stimulation gap and I’ve made a few new friends too!

    1. Exactly my feelings. I start every day with WEIT, and find it intellectually very stimulating. I also enjoy keeping up with the cut & thrust of US politics, particularly in the last few years.

      Here’s to the next ten years, Jerry.

  15. Congratulations! Thanks for all the hard work.

    The comments here are among the best I’ve found on the interwebs. In fact, they are so good that it’s sometimes intimidating to put my own ideas out there. Not because they would be dealt with harshly but because they are not developed to the level of many of the other readers. “Me no like censorship, me want free to talk” does little to stimulate conversation. All this to say that comment count may not be the best indicator of overall interest in the posts. Just because I have little to add doesn’t mean I haven’t taken much from the post.

    1. Just because I have little to add doesn’t mean I haven’t taken much from the post.

      +1

      This applies the stats for science posts that don’t have a fold: if I don’t have anything sensible to say (likely), there won’t be a click through.

      1. Hell, never let not having something sensible to say get in the way of saying something, has always been my motto, anyway. 🙂

    2. Indeed. A post with a lot of comments can be a bunch of people fighting with a troll or they can be a good conversation — the volume alone is a tricky measure. Engagement itself is a tricky thing to measure but I’m sure this site has a few metrics. A good indicator is “follows” and it seems these numbers are pretty robust.

    3. My sentiments too. Sometimes I find that what I wanted to say has already been said, much better, by someone else and it’s superfluous of me to add anything.

  16. This site has been a real escape for me. I look forward to it everyday. I have learned so much about the natural world through your photo posts. I have to say my favorite bits are your personal travelogues! Now that I am retired, my income is 85% social security, so travel is out of the question. Thanks for making me feel like I’ve been all over the world.
    Congratulations on 10 years of interesting, funny and informative posts!!

  17. Congratulations, Jerry.

    I echo Neil W.’s sentiment about comment count. I will add something when I think I have something worthwhile to add, but I read most posts.

    I am glad that you chose to expand your posting topics to a more eclectic selection, too. No, I don’t always agree with you, but you always make me think, and when I do disagree, I work at making sense when I comment, which is all to the good.

    Also, you have drawn together a great group of people, here. Another benefit.

    L

  19. As a faithful reader over the years I’ve learned a great deal about evolution, of course, but you and your insightful commentariat have opened my mind to many fascinating and provocative ideas, like determinism, free speech, and the wooly thinking of religious apologists. And you do us a great service when you keep us posted on developments concerning the world’s most important cats!

  21. Congratulations Jerry! I don’t know how you are able to sustain the volume of high quality posts that you do, but I can’t adequately express how much I appreciate it. I’ve been reading here since day 1 and this is hands down my favorite website.

    Because of the quality, and qualities, of your articles and the ambiance you maintain here the commenters here are also in general well above the ordinary and they are in turn a large part of why this is my favorite site.

  22. In many ways I think this website can be considered your ‘Magnum Opus‘, more than ‘WEIT-the-book’ or even ‘Faith vs Fact’
    (I’m somehow convinced the latter took way more effort than the first).
    But this website, for 10 years, everyday at least one post, and often 3 or more, is not normal (in Heather’s words). Has there ever been a day you skipped? So at least 3650 days times at least 2, but probably closer to 3 (per day), that is probably well over 10.000. And dozens of comments per post. And at least half of them far from frivolous. I lift my (imaginary) hat. Not normal indeed.
    It is an absolute monument.

  23. My day is not complete unless I have come to the WEIT site to see what is going on. Stimulating, evocative and endlessly fascinating. And although the science posts are sometimes way about my pay grade, I appreciate the time and effort you put into them and I learn something new almost every day. Thanks!

  24. Congratulations!

    It’s so nice to see how the site has both grown and stayed the same since its inception. Promoting evolution and cats is truly the Way of the Lord our God, Jesus Christ, who giveth to us the cat and puteth him in the ceiling.

  27. 1.Check eMail 2.Msg Friends&Relations (still alive) 3.Check Prof Coyne 4.Check Ed Brayton 5.Check Hemant Mehta 6.Pour 1st ChemEx – I’m a late ’37 w/ high mileage and plenty of rust but I hope to enjoy your work until the Long Sleep returns (ref Mark Twain’s comment “…at no inconvenience…”)Congrats on good work and thanks for sharing. Many happy reruns.

  29. I’ve felt biologists are the best since I worked as a secretary for zoologist Frank Bronson at UT! They are always people with catholic interests, if I may say that, and your posts here confirm that.

  30. Congratulations and many thanks for all the effort you expend on this!
    As I recall, and it is ten years, I came to your site originally through PZ’s blog, something I stopped reading a number of years back.

  34. Congratulations Jerry on 10 years of posting WEIT. Like others I can’t remember how long ago I signed on but getting close to five years. It was just after I left PZ Myers site because I didn’t like the tone. Every morning it is feed Kofi the cat then WEIT and coffee for me. I have learned a lot and have been entertained as well. Appreciate the hard work and commitment. Many thanks. By the way, I think the regular commenters here are a class act as well.

  35. Happy Birthday, WEIT. Long may it continue. It’s interesting to see the early posts mentioning HWSNBN; how times change.

  36. Congratulations, PCC(e). Easily my favourite website. You really do not need any other. And to think when I learned there was a website along with the book, I didn’t think it could possibly be as good as the book. Boy was I wrong. Thanks for all that you do.

  38. Thanks for a great website, Jerry! I’m looking forward to the first WEIT Conference. I would submit a paper and, hopefully, it would have lots of cat events and good food.

  40. My thinking about and appreciation of many things has been immeasurably broadened and changed for the better because I’ve been following this site, both because of PCC(E)’s posts and the comments and insights of readers.

  41. I am a little verklempt right now.
    In addition to the many benefits it has given you, it has also granted me many benefits. Probably the greatest is my current hobby of macrophotography. I began photography simply because I thought it would be fun to post in Readers’ Wildlife Photos here. Imagine that!
    So thank you, Jerry. 🐛–>🦋

  42. Congratulations, boss.

    For a decade now, pound for pound, inch for inch, post by post, the best and most-pleasant place to visit in cyberspace.

    And the best is yet to come.

    1. “For a decade now, pound for pound, inch for inch, post by post, the best and most-pleasant place to visit in cyberspace.”

      Yup.

  45. I have gained an enormous amount of interest and pleasure from your site Jerry. Thank you very much. Here’s to another ten years, at least.

  46. Since discovering WEIT, I have been visiting it several times each and every day.

    This site has been invaluable to me, and I am most grateful for its existence, both for the posts on so many diverse subjects that I probably wouldn’t otherwise encounter and for the enlightenment I also receive from so many of the contributors to the comment section.

    From Rio de Janeiro, muito obrigado.

  47. Congratulations on your tenth birthday.

    I discovered this website (which I mistakenly called a bl*g in my first comment) shortly after its inception and it has been a daily addiction ever since, thanks to the mixture of interesting and thoughtful posts (including the science posts which are mostly accessible to this non-scientist) plus the civil and thoughtful contributions of its readers.

    WEIT (the book) is easily the most readable defence and explanation of evolution I’ve read; FvF is one of the very few non-profession-related books I’ve bought in the last 25 years.

    Long may you run.

  49. Congratulations and thank you. When I first found this, I was going to “like” a post. When there was no “like” button, I ended up commenting. I think about how thankful I am that there was no like option. Thinking, writing, and engaging on here is something for which I am incredibly grateful.

    1. First – dittos to all of the kudos posted thus far. Regarding “Likes” – I think that there is a way to Like, but believe that you have to be logged in to your own WordPress account. Maybe WP folks can elucidate.

  50. A lot of effort goes into producing this sight. I don’t know how you do it, but I’m glad you do.

  52. “For he’s a jolly good evol, for he’s a jolly good evol
    For he’s a jolly good evol (pause), only creationists can deny
    Which no sane can deny, which no sane can deny
    For he’s a jolly good evol, for he’s a jolly good evol
    For he’s a jolly good evol (pause), which no sane can deny!”

    Congrats!

    1. Love this, great…it made me happy as I sang it inly.

      btw…whenever I read/hear shit about supernatural dumbness going around, I think of your panther icon. For me, you have proven the debate is over. I can’t say I actually understand it, if this is faith so sue me. Either way, I feel confident knowing that physics doesn’t get altered on a whim. Many readers here I respect beyond my ability. You sir are one. The magnet that is Jerry attracts more than mere ore.

  53. Congratulations Jerry! I wish I knew the exact date I started following WEIT, but I know I’ve been reading for at least 6 years. I can’t imagine not having learned what I’ve learned over those years, from you and other readers. And along with the many learnings, are gastronomic delights, detailed peregrinations, and good music…not to mention many LOL’s. Thank you for your Herculean efforts, and just for being one of the coolest human beings on the planet.

  55. Looking for a place where the truth is more important than being “correct” is paramount to me.
    My motto: truth belongs to no one but everyone!
    I found that here, along with your honest personal approach backed by the readers comments who gather here in the lounge.

    I appreciate the output and the input, a place to organize my own thoughts, a place to mock religious ideology, to visit Stephen Barnard’s rancho, in short, to learn and gather. WEIT satisfies my tribal inclinations.

    Of course your attachment to New Zealand has nothing to do with it.
    Whakamihi Prof(E)

  56. I first read the book and then found the web site some time later. It remains the best single book on the subject for anyone who wants to renew or discover evolution. I am amazed at the diversity of knowledge that hangs around this site. The science and math goes far beyond my capacity but hopefully other experience and a little knowledge of history is worth something. It also helps to be retired – I have no idea how those with jobs do this. Without Professor Coyne I would probably need a job somewhere.

    1. It’d be amusing to know what readers’ first “sub” or comment was. Actually it might be embarrassing. Or worse.

    2. Mine was:

      The peppered moth story is solid February 11, 2012.

      So how about not what the peanut gallery wrote, but just the “article”.

  58. Congratulations on the 10th anniversary of WEIT, and thank you (and many commenters) for many new insights. I’m not sure when (or how) I learned about WEIT but it is now part of my morning ritual — make coffee, feed the cats, read WEIT while drinking said coffee. Again thank you from the Antipodes!

  59. There is no better way to greet the day than to check into WEIT, especially the nature and science posts and the polite discussions. There’s something for everyone and lots of opportunity for fun and edification. I’ve learned so much here, both from the site maestro and the brainy commenters. (I miss Ben. Has he reincarnated under a different sobriquet?)

    So felicitations, thanks, best wishes, Dr. and Prof. Jerry, PCC(E), Angry Catman, writer extraordinaire, all-round nice guy. My favourite curmudgeon. You’re bringing in the Chinese New Year of the Pig in fine style, with those delicious pork plates in Oahu.

  61. Congratulations, Jerry, on a tremendous ten years. This has been my favorite **website** for its entire life, and you have a unique talent to turn out quality posts every day while maintaining a civil and stimulating commenting environment. I hope you never get tired of it!

    Ned

  62. First, many congratulations on achieving the first decade of the site.

    I wondered when my browser’s URL first showed this site,
    maybe it was shortly after the purchase of some books?

    Dispatch estimate for these items: 21 Sep 2009

    “Bad Science”
    Ben Goldacre; £3.60

    “Galileo’s Finger: The Ten Great Ideas of Science”
    Peter Atkins; £6.29

    “Why Evolution is True”
    Jerry A. Coyne; Hardcover; £9.74

    “The Greatest Show on Earth: The Evidence for Evolution”
    Richard Dawkins; Hardcover; £9.99

    and was checking for any errata (as if!) for the book.

    This URL is now my first port of call each day.

    It has been a source of education, entertainment and enlightenment.

    Both the host and the commenters amaze me with the range and depth of their knowledge.

    Eg I have been to Hawaii several times,
    but the Prof’s current visit has shown me what I had either missed or had not fully appreciated.

    So add in “vicarious travels, food, . . .”

    A fantastic achievement, and I would pay to visit!

    Often I wonder how best to reward our host and fail, sowwy.

    Peter, Perth, Western Australia

  66. This is my go-to site, without fail, every day—and sometimes several times depending on posting. I feel guilty sometimes knowing what a chore it must be for Jerry to do this. On the several occasions that Jerry has fretted about lack of comments on scientific posts, I feel like I deserve detention. I absolutely hope he gets as much out of it as his readers!

  67. Congratulations, Jerry, on the 10 years, but more than that, compliments on all the work it has taken to create those 10 years of posts. This is the only “blog-like website” that I read, and really appreciate it.

    Happy as many more years as you find this fulfilling!

  68. One late statement for those who have subbed.

    When you say/read WEIT, how do you pronounce?

    Personally, wife and I say “we-it”…but do some say “weet” or “wite” or “we-ite?” Just curious. Stay cool WEIT folk’ll no matter the pronunciation.

        1. Some acronyms are not pronounced- e.g. www.

          Some are nicely pronounced; POTUS

          Some are individually spelled : www

          For some, e.g. WEIT, I just say the whole thing “why evolution is true”, or just ditch it and say “my man Jerry’s … WEBSITE”

          Did someone suggest “vite”? Sounds like a German accent..

  70. Many Congrats on 10th anniversary, Dr. Coyne! Your site is one of the most wonderful places on the Internet. Kindly keep it going!

  71. Congratulations and Happy Anniversary. Thank you, PCC(E), for the excellent and amazing work you do here. It is not just ten years, it is ten years of 24/7 enlightenment.

  72. After the passing of SJ Gould I wondered if there would ever be another American to carry the flame for education in Evolutionary Biology: you have managed that in spades, though in a very different manner, and your excursions into other aspects of life in America are much appreciated, usually for their devastating correctness. Through our media (I am a New Zealander) most of what we hear about the USA is Trump and bad weather: you remind us of the true greatness of your country.
    Thankyou.

  74. The millionth comment isn’t the only milestone looming. The 2^16th (65,536) subscriber will be along before too much longer (a couple of years?), but probably after the millionth comment. Maybe closer to the 2^20th comment (1,048,576)?

  75. Congratulations, Prof. Coyne! May you have many more years of pleasure hosting this site.

    Congratulations to all the regular commenters too (esp. Grania!). You’ve contributed to making this a wonderful community.

    I’ve been a regular reader since early 2012 (via RSS, so no subscription – sorry). This is the only site where I read every post plus peruse the comments. It’s that good.

    βPer

  76. Cheers and congratulations Jerry! I am an avid reader of your blog, but hardly comment; and I would guess that there may be plenty other subscribers like me – just wanted to point that out!

  77. From my (somewhat warped) perspective, reading this site (plus the comments like the 70+ above) is a grand synopsis. It’s similar to taking the best of The Four Horsemen(DDH&H), plus some Attenborough,E.O.Wilson,Sagan, and of course many other (Sean Carroll, Dan Barker, etc.),stirring gently and garnishing with some Lewis Black and Penn Gillette. Thanks a million, PCC(E) for setting me straight on many topics, Epigenetics in particular.

  79. Congratulations – that’s remarkable and very much appreciated.

    In the earlier days of the web, I believed personal sites, rather than the flightiness of social media, would be the “homes” of the Internet – rather in the way you’ve mentioned you think of this one – places you could visit at leisure to learn about people, learn from them, and bask in ideas, thoughts, and amusing paraphernalia. Why Evolution Is True has turned out to be a rare island fulfilling that forecast, setting aside its value as a force for clarity, education and community.

    Long may it continue to happify and inspire. ^ ^

  80. Congratulations on your decennial, Jerry!

    I’m sorry that I don’t have the time these days to comment as often as I used to, but I’m very glad to be part of the “WEIT team”. Or is it a “fam”?

    /@

  81. I’m really late to the party here but wanted to make sure to say Congratulations and thank you for this website. I don’t know what I would do without it, as I’ve learned and gained so so much from every post.

  82. Congrgratulations. I remember loggin on here at roughly the time I was starting my PhD.Its always been a useful filter for news and views. You’ve reminded me that P Z Myers was someone I became aware of at around the same time. His site has been…lets be kind here…less useful

  83. Didn’t know I’d started reading so close to the beginning. Love it now and have always. Interesting, educational and full of really smart and clever folks. I don’t comment much but don’t think I’ve lost interest!

  84. Oh, and Congratulations, thank you and in my head it’s wite (ei is long i in German, which I’ve studied and which probably influences).

  85. Belated congratulations and, more than that, tremendous gratitude for all you’ve done and do to create such an online oasis. Perhaps the most telling testament to this site’s excellence is the way it’s accrued the most intelligent commentariat* on the web, bar none. An essay on Edge declares that “[t]he Salon was the engine of enlightenment
    ;” well, I can’t imagine a better revival of that time-honored tradition than WEIT. To use two of your favorite (ahem) words–you are literally amazing, Dr. C!

    *(er…and a few of us just here to appreciate your & their excellence. 🙂 )

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