Media Bloggers Association member

Many months ago, I applied to be a member of the Media Bloggers Association. There's been some delays in processing applications, but the organization looks like it's becoming more active now. Friday, I was informed "Your Application to the Media Bloggers Association has been approved".

In a strange planetary alignment, I had specified on my application that "my grasp of the internals of how Google works might be a solid asset given the ongoing connections between Google, country-specific censorship, and the impact of search on journalism.". And a big project being done right now is defending a lawsuit against a blogger, Maine Web Report, where apparently major aspects of the legal dispute involve Google advertisements and associated Google algorithms. I assume this wasn't cause and effect. But rather, it might become an amusing small example of right place, right time.

So, once more to the blog, as I write about this case's Google aspects, and see how that works out.

Disclosures: Part of the membership letter reads: "As a member you are expected to read these ALERTS and give serious consideration to blogging about the alert (we don't REQUIRE members to post but this IS a key part of being a member)". Nobody's offered me any money, or even said anything to me personally about the case. Writing about Google, however, tends to be positive to me in many ways (and Google doesn't sue!).

Seth Finkelstein's Infothought blog (Wikipedia, Google, censorware, and an inside view of net-politics) - Syndicate site (subscribe, RSS)