It’s been a long time coming. I didn’t honestly see it coming, but it came, nonetheless.
The Silent Sunday Linky is no more.
I’m done with it.
I’m done with waking up Sunday morning’s and dreading having to constantly remind people to follow the rules.
I’m done with people taking the piss in every which way possible – posting numerous photos, adding titles, using words in the photo just to say something, rather than doing themselves real justice and sticking to a photo WITH GOOD HEARTFELT REASON, people thinking that just because I’m not around for a week, they’re going to bend the rules etc.
I saw and viewed every single post, every single week.
I’ll be honest; to everyone who took the piss, you made me sad. You made me really, really sad. I had never, ever planned to open up Silent Sunday, and many of you seemed to have forgotten that I’d been doing it long before the Linky existed.
To everyone who thought it would be a laugh to bend the rules and poke fun while I worked hard to maintain your Linky for you, you made me cross. It’s fucking shit to have to give up your entire Sunday to shout at fully grown, perfectly capable adults who really should know better and were pretty much ungrateful.
To those who simply chose not to read about Silent Sunday and the how/why/what the fuck on the very obvious SIlent Sunday page, I feel sorry for you, because it makes me think you were clearly there just to jump on a bandwagon, for a bit of publicity. I’m sorry, but my blog is not here just as a publicity platform for you. You seem to forget this is my personal space.
To those who bitched about my Silent Sunday posts being “sub standard”, or left comments on so many of my Silent Sunday posts, whining and complaining about the Linky instead of just emailing me in private to discuss with me directly, you made me really REALLY disappointed. I thought you were more mature than that. I thought I might be able to count on you a bit more.
But you know what? It wasn’t all bad.
To those of you who have contacted me on twitter to tell me “screw you, I’m still gonna post a Silent Sunday anyway”, this makes me a teeny bit proud of you. I thank you immensely for your support.
To those of you who have emailed me (omg you’re so lovely!!! Emailing me to thank me? LOST FOR WORDS.) telling me how you’ve enjoyed Silent Sunday over the 10 months, how it’s improved your photography, how some of the best pictures you’ve taken have been since doing SIlent Sunday…well that just pretty much makes me chuffed to bits. I don’t even know where to start with the feelings on that one. Humbled, awed, proud, impressed, gobsmacked, thrilled…as long as good has come out of it for someone, I am happy.
I was always destined to be a teacher, since I was about 6 or 7; I remember my mom telling me. I never knew what I would teach, or how I would teach it. But I guess, having previously done music and now photography, it was always going to be something within the arts. I don’t profess to have taught anyone any photography. But I do hope I’ve shown you what you can do with simple instruction. I’m a self taught photographer, having only been doing this seriously for nearly 2 years, so I don’t claim to be in any position to teach people more than anything above high level amateur – that’s like a goat leading a flock of sheep.
Or something.
But I do hope to have been able to show you what you can do with any camera you have on you. I have posted Silent Sunday photos from my iPhone(s), my point and shoot, my amateur level dSLR and my semi-pro dSLR. And I don’t think anyone has called me up on my choice of equipment yet. I hope I’ve been able to show you what you can do with a bit of imagination, a bit of thought and something that can actually capture a photograph; a moment in time. That’s all.
Anyway, I’m rambling now, as ever, and I don’t write to you readers very often. So, I’m just going to say thank you for your support, but it’s time to claim my blog back now. And my Sundays. Now that The Smalls are at school, I have that fucking important chance to claim my sanity back. I have the chance to use my one and only quiet day of the week in the way that I should be using it.
And that’s not shouting at the general public for really pathetic reasons, causing me immense amounts of stress.
As for me? Well by the time you read this, you’ll see I’ll have already posted my Silent Sunday for 11th September. But no, there’s no Linky. I’ll still be posting, as and when, and the badge will still be available if you want it. If you want to remove it, I have absolutely no problem with that. I’m not stats hungry, so don’t worry about linking back. 
I will ask you not to leave links to your blogs asking me to “please just have a quick peek” in the comments on my posts either; such comments will be removed/not published. This is my blog. Not an advertising free-for-all space. You would do well to show some respect and remember that.
So I guess I’ll see you on twitter, with the #SilentSunday hashtag,
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Thank you for this post and I'm sorry to hear it has turned into more of a chore than a joy. I only started my blog less than 4 weeks ago, but I enjoy joining in with the Silent Sundays. In fact I find myself taking photos during the week, looking at them and saying, "Oooh, that'll make a lovely Silent Sunday this week!" Thank you for the lasting impression you have left as I think the concept will live on for a long long time. Hopefully you can still enjoy looking at all the submissions each week and think proudly to yourself, "I started that" and realise how it not only enhances people's blogs, but also brings a community of bloggers together and allows us to appreciate each other's work. And shame on the individuals that ruined it for you! Enjoy having your Sundays back, and thank you!
For the 1st time in a long time, I didn't post last week & with K'Boo starting school I have been a little Pre-occupied and not read blog posts ….
Jay, honey I have LOVED your Silent Sundays. I have taken part for as long as I've know about it & to the best of my knowledge I've stuck to your rules….
Why? Because it was such a bloody good idea; because I loved that you invited others to share something that they felt proud of; because you encouraged creativity; because you made others realise they ere better than they thought they were; because it made people try harder, think out of the box, communicate without words & finally it opened up a lot of praise, sharing & and an opportunity to use their words afterwards.
Having a week off, I didn't realise you'd stopped and I'm sad and angry that there were a few that abused your genius and popular meme.
Finally, yours is the 1st ever blog I read, some 333 days ago & I marked it favourite it still is. I've gone on to stay in the Twitter community, write a few blogs myself & communicate with some lovely, inspirational people.
I've laughed, cried, learned & supported many words in posts since then and taken note of some heartfelt messages that lie underneath ….
Thanks for the Silent Sundays – go spend some well earned time with your family (& Time-out for Beanie Mums)
I'm sad that the linky has caused you more trouble than it was worth, as usual there's always a minority who will ruin a good thing for everyone else by not following the rules.
I'm not a blog pimper by nature, but I will confess that your linky brought me more visitors than my usual posts and it was so lovely to receive comments from them too.
I didn't post every week as I didn't always have a suitable photo, plus I'm a bit of a procrastinator. I will continue to do a Silent Sunday however for as long as I have something to show people. It's a nice concept to post a simple photo and not feel the need to say anything once in a while.
RIP Silent Sunday. I've enjoyed it immensely, both your pictures and many from others. I've also enjoyed thinking about my own pictures. I did one today from the beach and tried to do the linky via my phone. I thought my phone wasn't displaying your page properly, but now I realize that it is indeed gone!
Thanks a bunch, I appreciate all the work you put into it. it has been a pleasure. And I'm still going to do one occasionally!
Thanks for all you have done and for the concept a fab one and it will live on as intended on my blog. Thanks for Silent Sunday x
Slow as usual I hadn't blogged much for ages so missed the closure of the linky but I will still post a Silent Sunday. Thx for the inspiration to use my photos in a different way. I've always used them to illustrate my blog but through SIlent Sunday I have become confident it just posting a photo. In fact my blog is becoming more photos than words and its not something I am afraid to do anymore. Anyway enoguh rambling I'll just finish by saying I enjoyed the experience and you expanded my horizons by introducing me to many who I'd not have met otherwise.
I feel as though I've stumbled (late as usual) across a wonderful thing, just as it ends. Having only just opened a Twitter account and seeing the Silent Sunday hashtag, I've done my investigating and ended up here. What a wonderful idea, and such a shame that you've got grief from people about it – but I completely understand why you'd want to spend your own Sundays living your life with your family, instead of wading through photographs. I'd love to add the button to my new blog and be proud to be a part of Silent Sunday anyway, as it seems to have developed into something of a phenomenon – a wonderful way to share images, and a legacy that's amazing. Many many thanks to you for this – its opened my eyes to so many other sites, people, photographers. Not to mention making me think more about what has been going on in my week that I want to share. Anyway, huge ramble – but thank you.
Gosh, I'm obviously behind the times but haven't been doing 'Silent Sunday's' often, however, love the concept and really enjoyed looking at some of the pics but SO SORRY to read all about the stress and anxiety that has been caused by some. I would like to say a big thank you for giving up and organising such a wonderful idea and helping it to grow, giving us bloggers the courage to take photos and share them with others, tell a story with no words of course and for your honesty as to why changes have to be made!
Hi, i just came across you blog entirely by accident and i love the concept of your 'silent sunday'. It speaks volumes. I am looking to delve a bit deeper into thoughts and motivations as part of my blog, as since i love photography this idea is perfect. i hope to get something going in the new year and will probably tie it into a 'Mantra for Monday' post (hmmm, that now sounds a bit twee in my head) anyway, i just wanted to thank you for the inspiration and if i do decide to go ahead with the idea i will be sure to credit you.
Hello. I put my first on yesterday because I had such an extraordinary picture. I knew someone, somewhere had started it, but had no idea who and thought it was a shame that that had got lost, which kind of sums up what you are saying. It's a great idea (within the rules) and am sorry you feel taken advantage of, but at least #silentsunday will continue in your honour. Hope you enjoy your day off and the pics taken without having to do anything else with them. Best wishes. Am glad I know where the credit lies now. X
I am stunned that you got a hard time over silent Sunday. I don't get the need to rant at other bloggers, it has been such a lovely insistitution I have so enjoyed seeing the posts, although never (till now) posted. There is so much more to the blogging world than I can fathom, maybe it is just a microcosm of life, I don't know. Anyway just really want to say how sad it is that yo got grief, love the style in which you reclaim your blog and glad that the idea lives on as it is a great Sunday institution.
Hi I am new to blogging and to be honest blissfully unaware of the rules and regulations of your type of blog. Of course in time I have learned and kept to the rules. However, back to you and you personal dilemma. I am so sorry and apologise if I have been part of this. I don't think I have directly as the link was lifted before I began but I cannot alienate myself who have taken advantage of the situation and abused you so dreadfully. I have also joined other linksy and enjoyed a degree of support that I might not have experienced. . So I am grateful however without your badge and other linksys I would not have developed and grown and remain very very grateful and will use you badge (with you appoval only) because I no longer keep the rules (since reading them more fully) I thank you from the bottom of my heart and wish you well Helen
Oh no! I just posted my first Silent Sunday for ages (from Love All Blogs) AND wrote 'this is my first Silent Sunday for ages' then posted a collage of 3 photos taken seconds after each other then I read your reasons for not hosting the linky any more and feel bad I just broke 2 rules! I will do better next week, I promise