Dear Reader,

Moving forward, I’m changing the format of new posts on the site. If you’re just here for the photos and the stories, then you don’t need to worry, nothing much will change for you.

So what’s changing?

On new posts, the trail specifics (distance, difficulty, etc. as well as transport information and maps) will sit in a pay-to-access, members-only area. I also intend to try and set up some kind of forum where members can interact with each other to swap recommendations, updates, gear tips, that kind of thing (though this is a little challenging and might take me a while to sort out).

Why these sections? They’re the parts I least enjoy writing. They’re fiddly, complicated, time-consuming, occasionally irritating and always dull. Besides, all of that information is out there for anyone willing to put in the time to find it, so if you read one of my posts and feel inspired to hike it yourself, you absolutely still can. However, if you find such research as tedious as I do, paying for a membership can save you the legwork. 

What’s staying the same?

• All 500+ posts that are already on the site will remain completely free. This change will not be retroactive.
• I’ll continue publishing some new route guides in full, free to access. I haven’t settled on an amount yet, but I’m thinking maybe one quarter of what I write.
• The photos and most of the writing on every new post will stay free to access.

Why are you making this change?

Over the past year or so, I’ve noticed that AI search tools have dramatically changed how readers interact with this site, and while I never started writing Taiwan Trails and Tales for money, recognition, or hits, I’ve found it thoroughly disheartening to feel that I am writing purely to feed LLMs that will bastardise my work to generate half-arsed, half-correct, and irritatingly impersonal snippets. The impact on my overall enjoyment has been such that I have, on several occasions, considered giving up entirely.

And I could quite easily just stop. After all, I have taken it upon myself to write; no one is forcing me to do this. I certainly don’t make any money from it (any donations I’ve received just about cover site fees), and it’s a real time sink, too. Between sorting through my photos, finding out about local history, researching and transport options, writing, editing, and going back to update older guides when things change, the hours add up to something comparable to a serious part-time job.

For most of the past decade, this work was something I did happily and purely because I wanted to and because it gave me a sense of satisfaction, so if I’m no longer getting anything from it, perhaps I really should give up writing. But after a little deeper consideration, it’s not that I no longer enjoy it. It’s that I miss the human connection of the early days when there was actual interaction and I had a sense that real people were reading, and at the end of the day, isn’t that what any author wants for their work?

So rather than allowing myself to grow resentful or throwing in the towel, I’m going to try something different. I understand that in doing so, I may lose some readers, but at least I will know those of you who stay with me get it. You are the people I have been writing for all this time. 

How can I access trail details in the future?

Since all existing posts will remain unlocked for now, you don’t need to do anything, but in the future, if you find a post that you want to read that’s locked, you can click on the membership button and purchase whatever plan suits your needs best through that. 

But I’ve already supported you through Buy Me a Coffee!

Thank you! Your support means a great deal, and as a thank-you I’d like to give you a year’s membership for free. Just get in touch through the site, Facebook or wherever you usually reach me, and I’ll send you a discount code. (Though please be patient, I am trying to work through this change while also juggling a variety of real work commitments.)

I hope you can understand why I’ve made this decision and that you will continue to be a Taiwan Trails and Tales reader. 

Happy hiking!

Ami