Comments on: The Power of Blogs http://donklephant.com/2006/03/16/the-power-of-blogs/ Big Teeth. Huge Ass. Surprisingly Reasonable. Fri, 08 Aug 2008 18:33:21 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 By: Paul Silver http://donklephant.com/2006/03/16/the-power-of-blogs/#comment-8540 Paul Silver Sun, 19 Mar 2006 13:12:39 +0000 http://donklephant.com/2006/03/16/the-power-of-blogs/#comment-8540 My point of view develops from digesting lots of information. Blogs are one of the sources. The process of commenting helps me organize my thinking. My point of view develops from digesting lots of information. Blogs are one of the sources. The process of commenting helps me organize my thinking.

]]> By: GN http://donklephant.com/2006/03/16/the-power-of-blogs/#comment-8347 GN Fri, 17 Mar 2006 01:19:45 +0000 http://donklephant.com/2006/03/16/the-power-of-blogs/#comment-8347 Probligo, I think your illustration (the Swifties) is a good one. Development of the blogoshere was pretty embryonic at that point. the major success that SBV guys had was TV. they could pitch there sale without any resistance. Had they done that to a veteran in past daysin history other Veterans would have searched them out and kicked their collective asses, (not that violence is the answer, just that this is the first brutal vet on vet political crapola I have seen) the blogoshere is quickly becoming the "town square" where it is not so easy to peddle bullshit and not have to defend it. The technology certainly provides avenues for the false prophets but they have always been there. The internet provides a platform for me to speak ... and you to speak ... how many times have you been able to get your personal thoughts in a forum where they can be seen (heard) by those who are asking for your support? Thirty-five years ago, politicians knocked on your door, and spoke to you directly .... now they do so through the Fox Network by talking AT you. People are paying more attention (only recently) but as I said in another post they called their elected officials into the office, told them who was boss and said stop the bullshit and do your job ... NOW! That tanked the UAE ports deal. That is significant not because of the virtues or evils of the deal, but because they had an opinion and asserted that opinion on their employees (the Congress) and it will snowball and continue and that is good because that is Democracy at work. Hence, the optimism. The net is the first tool for the voter since the town square and we should use it. Probligo,
I think your illustration (the Swifties) is a good one. Development of the blogoshere was pretty embryonic at that point. the major success that SBV guys had was TV. they could pitch there sale without any resistance. Had they done that to a veteran in past daysin history other Veterans would have searched them out and kicked their collective asses, (not that violence is the answer, just that this is the first brutal vet on vet political crapola I have seen) the blogoshere is quickly becoming the “town square” where it is not so easy to peddle bullshit and not have to defend it. The technology certainly provides avenues for the false prophets but they have always been there. The internet provides a platform for me to speak … and you to speak … how many times have you been able to get your personal thoughts in a forum where they can be seen (heard) by those who are asking for your support? Thirty-five years ago, politicians knocked on your door, and spoke to you directly …. now they do so through the Fox Network by talking AT you. People are paying more attention (only recently) but as I said in another post they called their elected officials into the office, told them who was boss and said stop the bullshit and do your job … NOW! That tanked the UAE ports deal. That is significant not because of the virtues or evils of the deal, but because they had an opinion and asserted that opinion on their employees (the Congress) and it will snowball and continue and that is good because that is Democracy at work. Hence, the optimism. The net is the first tool for the voter since the town square and we should use it.

]]> By: probligo http://donklephant.com/2006/03/16/the-power-of-blogs/#comment-8327 probligo Thu, 16 Mar 2006 21:05:15 +0000 http://donklephant.com/2006/03/16/the-power-of-blogs/#comment-8327 GN, I admire your optimism but I hold quite grave fears for the future "acceptability" of the blogiverse in matters politic especially. Just as one small instance from the last USP Election take the "Swifts" (there is a term that I have forgotten for the moment, is it '417'?) campaign against Kerry. Now I am using this to make the illustration and not to make any partisan comment. One could almost equate these "side campaigns" with guerilla warfare in the context of a wider public debate. That they at present fall outside of any electoral control is concerning. Oh, and they are not limited to the US. During the last NZ General Election several blog sites came to life with the intention, not of promoting a particular party or candidate, of providing "opposition" and criticism to other parties. As an instance, one blog that I spent some time at last year turned out to be the mouthpiece of the Campaign Organiser for one of the two major parties. His contribution to the party's campaign through that blog was probably small and inconsequential. On the other side of the coin is the (NZ example again) "sub-campaign" provided by the Exclusive Bretheren Church to the National Party. they spent reportedly over NZD1 mill on a campaign against the Green Party who were expected to take about 7-8% of the vote. And this is truly where I see the danger. In the normal world, there is a relative certainty that one can identify and be sure of the truthiness of a "news source". You might not read USA Today, or NYT, but you know who they are and the politic they follow. But if you are reading a blog page that is promoting ( or demoting ) a candidate or party then that certainty starts to evaporate. GN, I admire your optimism but I hold quite grave fears for the future “acceptability” of the blogiverse in matters politic especially.

Just as one small instance from the last USP Election take the “Swifts” (there is a term that I have forgotten for the moment, is it ‘417′?) campaign against Kerry. Now I am using this to make the illustration and not to make any partisan comment.

One could almost equate these “side campaigns” with guerilla warfare in the context of a wider public debate. That they at present fall outside of any electoral control is concerning. Oh, and they are not limited to the US. During the last NZ General Election several blog sites came to life with the intention, not of promoting a particular party or candidate, of providing “opposition” and criticism to other parties.

As an instance, one blog that I spent some time at last year turned out to be the mouthpiece of the Campaign Organiser for one of the two major parties. His contribution to the party’s campaign through that blog was probably small and inconsequential. On the other side of the coin is the (NZ example again) “sub-campaign” provided by the Exclusive Bretheren Church to the National Party. they spent reportedly over NZD1 mill on a campaign against the Green Party who were expected to take about 7-8% of the vote.

And this is truly where I see the danger.

In the normal world, there is a relative certainty that one can identify and be sure of the truthiness of a “news source”. You might not read USA Today, or NYT, but you know who they are and the politic they follow.

But if you are reading a blog page that is promoting ( or demoting ) a candidate or party then that certainty starts to evaporate.

]]> By: GN http://donklephant.com/2006/03/16/the-power-of-blogs/#comment-8319 GN Thu, 16 Mar 2006 20:03:15 +0000 http://donklephant.com/2006/03/16/the-power-of-blogs/#comment-8319 The power of Blogs is awsome, I think, because it creaes a venue(s) where anyone can give an opinion on the basis of their view of a particular topic. It is akin to the Friday night walks through town that I remember as a child. people realy mixed and communicated in a way that doesn't happen in the world of the Supermall. The more important influence for those who have deep or even passing interest in the political world or the state of the world in general is education. We teach one another things during these extensive and sometimes adverse commentarys ... things that we can't learn from the tube packages (Fox. MSNBC, etc.) where we perhaps get slanted op-ed type information. bloggers challenge one another to look deep to form opinions. I believe that it will have a strong influence in future ballot box results. It also creates a significant venting tool for frustration about almost every annoying part of our fast paced world. Great stuff! It is interesting that Centrist blogs, Left blogs, and Right blogs now seem to be visiting each other. Perhaps small town USA moved to cyberspace and we found it. The power of Blogs is awsome, I think, because it creaes a venue(s) where anyone can give an opinion on the basis of their view of a particular topic.

It is akin to the Friday night walks through town that I remember as a child. people realy mixed and communicated in a way that doesn’t happen in the world of the Supermall.

The more important influence for those who have deep or even passing interest in the political world or the state of the world in general is education. We teach one another things during these extensive and sometimes adverse commentarys … things that we can’t learn from the tube packages (Fox. MSNBC, etc.) where we perhaps get slanted op-ed type information. bloggers challenge one another to look deep to form opinions. I believe that it will have a strong influence in future ballot box results.

It also creates a significant venting tool for frustration about almost every annoying part of our fast paced world. Great stuff!

It is interesting that Centrist blogs, Left blogs, and Right blogs now seem to be visiting each other. Perhaps small town USA moved to cyberspace and we found it.

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