TOMORROW will be InstaPundit’s fourth bloggiversary. (Click here to see what I was writing about back when it started).

How has the blog changed? You may have a clearer sense of that than I do. I think it’s become a bit less opinionated — the older entries were mostly opinion; now I’m more likely to link to somone’s actual reporting, or to an item of news without commenting on it much. I tend to express my longer opinion-oriented takes elsewhere, at TechCentralStation or GlennReynolds.com, rather than here at the blog.

I think that the tone has gotten milder. This was never a rantblog, but I decided over a year ago, during the election runup, to try to be extra-conscious about word choice, and to avoid name-calling as much as possible. Over-the-top hysterics on other blogs turn me off even when they’re from someone I agree with, and I suspect many people feel that way. You can have strong opinions without strong language, and they’re usually more persuasive that way, or so it seems to me.

I’ve learned — well, come to appreciate, anyway — that there are huge numbers of very smart people out there, in all sorts of settings that aren’t usually thought of as smart-people settings. Every academic should have that experience.

The blogosphere has certainly gotten bigger, which I see as pretty much an unalloyed good.

The other thing I’ve learned: To take a vacation from blogging now and then. I’ll be away next week, and Ann Althouse, Megan McArdle, and Michael Totten will be filling in again. Austin Bay, as I mentioned earlier, will be filling in over on MSNBC at GlennReynolds.com. (My TCS column will run as usual on Wednesday).

See you guys next weekend. Enjoy the guestbloggers, who did a terrific job last time, and who I’m sure will do just as well this time.