Republican wake up call? Hit the snooze button

The Republicans are coming. The Republicans are coming. Just in case you were wondering what was causing that clickety clacking noise, it’s the rumblings and keystrokes of a conservative revolution (a true oxymoron if ever there was one) on the Web.

After getting their asses handed to them on Nov. 4, the Republicans have done a little soul-searching and they’ve realized that if they ever want to win a national election again, they’re going to have to figure out this thing we call the Internets.

Read more at Another Dead Canary

WordPressDirect: No fuss blogging or spammer’s delight?

Michael Kinsley’s recent piece in Time online asked the question: “How many blogs does the world need?” Kinsley was wondering if, at this point in the history of the Internet, there was anyone out there without a blog?

The opportunity for us all to express an opinion is wonderful. Having to read all those opinions isn’t. In 2004 there were probably still more people reading blogs than writing them. Not so now, or so it seems.

I came across Kinsley’s piece after seeing a mention on Mashable about a new service for the would-be blogger who wants a blog but doesn’t actually want to, you know, do any writing.

Meet WordPressDirect, a blog-in-a-can service that will have your blog up and running in no time and all you have to do is enter some key words to describe what you’d like your blog to be about. WordPressDirect then scrapes different user-generated content sites, such as YouTube and Yahoo Answers, looking for content that matches your key words.

Read more at 800 Pound Guerilla

Suicide on Justin.tv sharpens focus on social media

He’s not the first person to commit suicide in front of a live audience and, sadly, 19-year-old Abraham K. Biggs of Pembroke Pines, Fla. probably won’t be the last. According to reports popping up on the Web, Biggs took some pills Wednesday night and then laid down on his bed while users on Justin.tv watched. Mark “Rizzin” Hopkins at Mashable gives a detailed account:

After an unspecified amount of time, one forum member in particular from India became concerned by Biggs’ lack of movement and hunted down the actual name and location. He then pleaded with the forum to call the Miami-Dade police department, but was met with cynical replies declining to intervene on account of his “troll status.”

After several unsuccessful emails by the forum member to Miami-Dade police, he borrowed his father’s mobile and spoke to a number of policemen who didn’t take the call seriously, but directed him to the Broward County Sheriff’s Department.

Approximately an hour later, Biggs’ door was busted down and BSO and paramedics arrived on the scene. After quickly confirming his status, covered the camera.

I wonder how long it will take for someone to blame Biggs’ death on his use of social media, in this case the BodyBuilding.com forum where he interacted with other members and Justin.tv, which allows users to stream live video, share videos and chat. Honestly, I’d never heard of Justin.tv before tonight. By this time tomorrow, I’m guessing a lot more people will know about it.

Read more on 800 Pound Guerilla

Federal court should reject attempt to identify anonymous critics

An attempt by two landlords to identify two dozen people who posted comments anonymously about the apartment buildings where they live is nothing more than an effort to intimidate critics and should be denied, Public Citizen and the American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Northern California said in a federal court brief filed today in California.

Read more at Public Citizen

For the faint of heart, Digg is still a wild, untamed territory

I think of Digg as the wild, wild west of the social networking world. You post comments and links there at your own risk. The mob’s reaction to spammers and those who break etiquette or post something unpopular is not for the timid. Frontier justice is swift and often merciless.

That’s not all bad; the system, despite its flaws, usually succeeds in propping up interesting stories and burying those that are not.

So, I wasn’t surprised to read about the sexist reaction on Digg to a Fast Company story about the most influential women in Web 2.0. The anonymity of the Web emboldens a lot of jerks out there. I found the article interesting and worth a read, even if lists like that are often thinly-veiled attempts at getting linked to by the people you’re flattering.

Read more at 800 Pound Guerilla

D.C. voting rights rally

I’ve been shooting a lot of protests lately. This picture is from the Veterans Day rally in support of giving D.C. representation in Congress. In D.C. we pay taxes but don’t get to elect anyone to Congress. I think they call that taxation without representation.

Posted at Cosmic Smudge

Fundraiser gives incoming lawmakers inappropriate intro to money in politics

The incoming Democratic freshmen of the House of Representatives are about to get their first lesson in good old boy politics. Unfortunately, the example being set by Reps. John Dingell (D-Mich.) and Nick Rahall (D-W.Va.) is exactly the kind of initiation these new members don’t need.

Dingell and Rahall are hosting a Washington, D.C., fundraiser Wednesday to help the newly elected Democrats retire their campaign debt. According to the invitation, political action committees (PACs) are encouraged to contribute $20,000 apiece, while individuals are asked to consider chipping in $10,000 each.

What’s wrong with this picture? Before they’re even sworn in, these 23 lawmakers will be exposed to the quid pro quo relationship between elected officials and their wealthy benefactors – lobbyists and corporate power brokers.

Viva La Revolución

If you believe a recent Wired article, I’m starting this blog a few years too late. Blogs are done. Finished. Kaput. They’ve been tossed into the media dustbin, right on top of newspapers and television news.

In his article, Paul Boutin argues that social media, such as Facebook, Flickr and Twitter, have made blogs obsolete. Who has the time to craft well-written blog posts when you can get instant, 140-word gratification on Twitter?

If I totally agreed with Boutin, I suppose I wouldn’t have started this blog. In fact, I started this blog specifically because of social media.

Read more at 800 Pound Guerilla

Sunset in Montvale

The view at sunset from my friend Mike’s property in Montvale at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains in western Virginia. Mike, who has 50 something acres, uses this cabin as a barn, though it was a hunting lodge at one time.

Posted at Cosmic Smudge

Letter to President-elect Obama

On behalf of our members, staff and program directors, we offer our enthusiastic and heartfelt congratulations to you and Vice President-elect Joe Biden on your momentous achievement. You inspired millions of new public citizens across our nation – people young and old of all races and creeds who breathed life into the ideal of American democracy by passionately engaging in this election.

We share in the country’s tremendous pride at the extraordinary accomplishment your election represents – a testament to our common belief that America is a land of limitless opportunity, where hard work and steadfast purpose give each and every one of us an opportunity to fulfill our dreams.

Read more at Public Citizen

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