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Down Under Punditry in the Middle East

Archive for the ‘Blogosphere’ Category

Ohh Behave!

Thursday, September 29th, 2005

The results of yet another survey about blogs has indicated that in the UK at least, most people have no idea what a blog or podcast is.

Proponents of the latest Web trends were warned Tuesday that the rest of the world may not have a clue what they are talking about.

 

A survey of British taxi drivers, pub landlords and hairdressers — often seen as barometers of popular trends — found that nearly 90 percent had no idea what a podcast is and more than 70 percent had never heard of blogging.

 

“When I asked the panel whether people were talking about blogging, they thought I meant dogging,” said Sarah Carter, the planning director at ad firm DDB London.

 

Dogging is the phenomenon of watching couples have sex in semi-secluded places such as out-of-town car parks. News of such events are often spread on Web sites or by using mobile phone text messages.

That would explain half of the search engine queries that appear in my referrals list.

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Majority of Journalists Use Blogs

Wednesday, September 28th, 2005

The results of a survey conducted by PR and Marketing firm Euro RSCG Magnet and Columbia University has found that journalists are increasingly turning to blogs for their information.

 

The survey’s findings include the following:

 

  • More than 51% of journalists use Weblogs regularly, with 28% relying on them for day-to-day reporting (this is above the percentage of the general US population that reads blogs)

  • 70% of journalists who use blogs do so for work-related tasks.

  • 53%  use blogs for finding story ideas

  • 43% use blogs for researching and referencing facts

  • 36% use blogs for finding sources

  • 33% use blogs as a way of uncovering breaking news or scandals

  • 68% of journalist respondents agree that blogs will become a more popular tool for corporations seeking to inform consumers

  • 56% of journalist respondents agree that blogs will remain an independent and unorthodox means of disseminating information.

    •  

    Despite these relatively high figures, only 1% of journalists believe blogs are credible. What does this tell you about the journalists?

     

    As the Aaron Kwittken, the CEO of Euro RSCG Magnet, said:

    “The findings of this year’s study simply validate what we have known for some time: that blogs are playing a more significant role in the way information is transmitted to readers and journalists alike, and may profoundly alter the media and communications landscapes. The fact that the media are using blogs for reporting and research also demonstrates that blogs have an enormous potential to not only influence the general public, but to influence the influencers - journalists and the media - as well.”

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    Betrayed

    Wednesday, September 22nd, 2004

    Do you remember how I mentioned that I was contributing to The Man Blog, the brainchild of my friend Mike Jericho? Well, things were ostensibly going well. That is, until one of the contributors showed their true colors. In Mike’s own words:

    This page is down due to an untrustworthy leftist scumbag whom I (mistakenly) thought could be trusted to contribute to debate fairly and decently.

     

    Access passwords were given out to other scumbags, and the site cache deleted.

     

    The site will return as soon as (whatever is left) is restored.

     

    - Mike Jericho (Man with firearms and a short temper)

    I happen to know that Mike invests much time, energy and love into his site. How someone could do this is beyond me. I am currently in the process of trying to find out who this person is.

     

    G-d help them if I find out.

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    Strengthening the Bad

    Tuesday, September 14th, 2004

    Like the internet itself, the blogosphere can be used for doing a tremendous amount of good. Here is a prime example of this. And let us not forget about Forgerygate. However, blogging can also be used to strengthen the bad.

     

    Reading Meryl Yourish’s blog this morning, it was with utter disbelief that I saw this:

    Apparently, some teenaged girl trying to impress a boy she had a crush on made a video of herself masturbating, and the boy put the video up on a file-sharing network. Kevin Aylward of Wizbang included this video in his “10 Spot” linkfest.

    —-

    In the comments, Kevin’s defense is a multi-part answer:

     

    I don’t want to rain on your parade with facts, but A) I didn’t link directly to the video, B) Most if not all of the links (according to a later post) do not work, C) I’m pretty certain the link had already appeared on FARK, D) The article doesn’t prove it’s the girl in question (and not a p0rn star).

    What is sadder than Kevin’s poor attempts at self-justification is the fact that he is undoubtedly generating alot of traffic through this exercise in irresponsible behavior.

     

    I ask Kevin this: Did you for even a minute consider that your actions are possibly contributing to the emotional distress that this young girl is, no doubt, undergoing? While you are not solely responsible for the situation - there are plenty of people willing to publicize this video - you are using your popularity in the blogosphere to disseminate it to more people. You are thus part of the problem. And for what? For increased readership? Is it worth it?

     

    This is not the first time that Kevin has ostensibly pursued a greater readership at all costs, without regard to the consequences of his actions. I recall seeing a plethora of links to a Paris Hilton video on his site a while back.

     

    This is all a real shame, since Kevin does also blog about worthwhile topics (which is reflected by Wizbang’s relative popularity in the blogosphere). If he concentrated on quality blogging, he could also strengthen the good.

     

    With the Jewish holiday of Rosh Hashana approaching, we reflect on our actions and their intended and unintended consequences. I would advise Kevin to do the same.

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    What Forgerygate Has Taught Me

    Monday, September 13th, 2004

    I am following with great interest the developments of Forgerygate here, here, and here. It is amazing how the blogosphere has been able to influence public perceptions, and make the mainstream media really sit up and take notice. In the grander scheme of things, this may even influence the results of the US election. Which may also have repercussions here in Israel.

     

    Wow.

     

    But something else is striking me about this emerging story. I guess it really struck me when I read this post on the qualifications of some of the bloggers covering this story.

    When he’s not in his pajamas, John H. Hinderaker, “Hindrocket” of Power Line, is affiliated with the Claremont Institute for the Study of Statesmanship and Political Policy and is a partner in the Minneapolis law firm Faegre & Benson. His practice history includes “twenty-six years [in] a broad-based and varied commercial litigation practice. A veteran of more than 80 jury trials, he has appeared in courts in fifteen states.” J.D. cum laude from Harvard; A.B. magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Dartmouth — yeah, I think I’ve heard of those schools. Scott Johnson, Power Line’s “Big Trunk,” is also affiliated with Claremont, and probably doesn’t wear pajamas to his day job as “an attorney and senior vice president of TCF National Bank in Minneapolis.” Power Line’s “Deacon” is Paul E. Mirengoff, a partner in the Washington office of mega-firm Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld (where his partners include uber-Dems Bob Strauss and Vernon Jordan). In addition to government service in the Office of the General Counsel of the EEOC, his credential include an undergraduate degree, summa cum laude, in 1971 from Dartmouth College, and a J.D. in 1974 from Stanford Law School, where he served on the Stanford Law Review.

     

    The Godfather of law bloggers, of course, is the InstaPundit himself, Glenn Reynolds. Again, his blog bio is pretty modest, but if you dig a bit deeper, you’ll find that Glenn Harlan Reynolds is the Beauchamp Brogan Distinguished Professor of Law at the University of Tennessee College of Law. (Endowed professorships are a very big deal, even for a full professor at any law school.) His legal and popular-press publications list is a mile long — the top-tier law reviews in which he’s published scholarly articles include Columbia, Virginia, Penn, and Wisconsin — and he has a BA from Tennessee in 1982 and a JD from Yale Law School in 1985.

    This comment to the post even reveals a “deity” lawyer.

     

    We are not dealing with people who ostensibly have alot of free time. We are dealing with people with real careers and real responsibilities. So what amazes me is how these bloggers find the time to not only blog extensively on stories such as Forgerygate (amongst others), but also conduct extensive research as part of their blogging. For instance, how do they have the time to perform analyses on the typography of documents and 1970s era typewriters? (In Glenn Reynold’s case, I have no idea how he finds the time to generally blog so prolifically and continue his day job). You could say that these bloggers are working in their professions and doing the job of journalists.

     

    Which brings me to one of the following possible conclusions:

    1. These bloggers are bono fide geniuses, who can blog extensively, without letting it affect their day jobs.

    2. These bloggers are smart, but are perhaps blogging to the detriment of their day jobs.

    3. These bloggers have “interns” who help them blog, so that it does not adversely affect their day jobs.

     

    I suspect that the answer is 1. For instance, the Power Line lawyers have amazing credentials and senior positions. I doubt they could get away with neglecting their careers. In the case of Glenn Reynolds, he is blogging with the full knowledge of his employer.

     

    But whatever the answer, I find their blogging output amazing. And they are not only influencing hearts and minds, but also actual events, as indicated by Forgerygate.

    Posted in Blogosphere, Main Page | 2 Comments » | Read more..

    Blog Fiction

    Wednesday, August 25th, 2004

    Quentin Tarantino now has a blog? (hat tip: Jeff Jarvis)

    Or is this just another prank?

    Posted in Blogosphere, Main Page | 1 Comment » | Read more..