A few years ago, having read a number of articles comparing blogs and other online writing to the 17th- and 18th-century British essayists, I spent some time re

A few years ago, having read a number of articles comparing blogs and other online writing to the 17th- and 18th-century British essayists, I spent some time reading those essays. In general, I think the comparison is valid. The essays were published regularly, covered issues of both topical and lasting interest, had distinctive individual voices, and, when successful, generated public discussion. The best, such as Addison and Steele’s The Spectator, continued to be read for generations. If anyone is interested in dipping into them, a large collection is available at the Internet Archive: https://archive.org/search.php?query=-description%3AGoogle+AND+title%3A%22British+essayists%22 https://archive.org/search.php?query=-description%3AGoogle+A...