Weblogs.com And The Aftermath
Given that news article followups on the weblogs.com shutdown have appeared today, and other flack is flying, I'll risk some retrospective comments.
Now, I don't think this was "a 9/11 of sorts for the weblogs.com bloggers". Not because 9/11 references are sacred, but rather the metaphor seems wrong. Rather, this was a Howard Dean implosion of sorts, complete with a "Dean Scream"-like remix contest. Very similar dynamics. The center of the firestorm claiming that a minor event had been blown out of proportion, that opponents took advantage, it all sounded very familiar. But deeper, it's another moment when an overhyped promise of social change goes down in, err, flames. Or, just to take one notable comment:
Anyway, I got out of it. Now onto the next time I'm attacked. I want to be ready for it. I want to make sure my track record is available to the press, and that there are people to disagree with the flamers about the danger (they grossly exaggerated it, no surprise, but no one but me said otherwise). And finally, turning the focus on the flamers, so if they're hiding anything, a conflict of interest, a reason to doubt their competence, this has to come out at their moment of greatest vulnerability. Maybe one more huge shitfest. I imagine the ones with something to lose will be much more careful already.
Here is the Blog God, importuning the Great Satanic Powers (aka BigPress), hoping they shall smite his enemies, almost literally seeking the lamentations of the women.
Long live blogocracy!
It's all about gatekeepers.
I've said about the RSS/Atom Wars: "How can you route around big media, revolutionize society, create new forms of participatory democracy, solve deeply complicated social problems ... when "we" CAN'T EVEN AGREE ON A FORMAT FOR WEB SITE CONTENT SYNDICATION?!
Now crank it up to "handling stressed server".
YEARRGH! [Deanish Scream]
By Seth Finkelstein | posted in cyberblather | on June 23, 2004 11:59 PM (Infothought permalink) | Followups
