the sunset notice ◉

the cia announced they’re shutting down the world factbook — eighty years of freely available country data, just gone. the statement doesn’t explain why, just says it’s been “sunset” and encourages readers to “stay curious about the world and find ways to explore it.” something about that phrasing makes me want to scream. you’re removing one of the best free ways to do exactly that. the factbook wasn’t glamorous, it was just… there. teachers assigned it, journalists cited it, kids used it for homework about uzbekistan at 11pm the night before it was due. a shared reference point that belonged to everyone by default. and now there’s a polite little notice where it used to be. i keep thinking about how many public goods disappear this way — not with protest or drama, just a quiet sunset and a suggestion to stay curious. as if curiosity can function without anything to be curious about.