Twenty years. Hundreds of millions of page views. Thousands of articles. And quite a few arguments along the way.
On November 17, 2006, I published the very first post at Watts Up With That?. At the time, I envisioned a small, local blog about science, weather, technology, and whatever else happened to catch my curiosity.
I certainly didn’t expect what followed.
Next Tuesday, November 17, WUWT turns twenty years old, and I’ll be publishing a special anniversary retrospective looking back at the extraordinary journey from that first post to the website you know today.
I’ll revisit the beginnings of the SurfaceStations project, the volunteers who helped make it possible, the scientific controversies that followed, Climategate, and the sometimes astonishing reactions to asking questions about climate measurements.
There will also be some reflections on the critics, the cartoons, the friendships, and the people we’ve lost along the way. I’ll share a few personal stories I’ve rarely discussed, including the unexpected financial and emotional costs of keeping WUWT going for two decades.
Most importantly, I want to recognize the readers, contributors, scientists, volunteers, and supporters who made it all possible. Without you, this website would never have become what it is today.
Charles Rotter has also created a special anniversary illustration that captures twenty years of WUWT humor in one memorable image. I think you’ll appreciate it. There a deep hidden message in it.
So please join me here on Tuesday, November 17, for the full retrospective. That will be the only post made on WUWT that day.
Twenty years ago, I started a blog because I thought I might have some spare time.
I’m still looking for it.
— Anthony Watts
