News at the Speed of Light

Must be remnants of sour grapes from the Rathergate debacle. Frank Barnako vice president of CBS MarketWatch had this to say:

"Bloggers Blew It: Much posting, little impact. No one reads blogs. Oops! I did it again. Better get under my desk before the e-mail flames arrive... Bottom line: Political blogging is like Ralph Nader. Nobody pays attention.

Despite all the anti-Bush screeds on Web logs, the frequent priming of wordy bonfires with Bush's National Guard duty records, the rush to judgment about missing explosives in Iraq ... it just didn't matter. All those opinions. All that Internet buzz. So little impact. Could it be not even bloggers trust what they read on blogs?

It's just that after the presidential election, it appears to me that the only readers of blogs ... are bloggers! They are a good group. Educated and engaged. But they're also like mice in a rotating cage: running in place, bumping into the same old people."

Frank even went so far as to blame Bloggers that posted early exit polls for a dive in the Dow Jones. Sounds more like professional envy to me because Bloggers aren't subject to the same rules as mainstream media.

Nevertheless, the jist of Frank's argument was this. Bloggers don't get the same volume of users as mainstream media. Hence, Bloggers are not as important because they only speak to other Bloggers, and the numbers don't add up to be of any influence.

So according to Frank's profound logic, millions of mindless minions sitting on the couch clicking a TV remote amount to more than educated, motivated Bloggers simply because there are more of them than us. Hmmm. Go figure.

Ok Frank, tell that to Dan Rather. BTW, has it not occurred to you that in order to read a blog one must also have a computer (or at least some sort of internet enabled gizmo). Last time I checked there were more people with TV's than computers. And everybody that has a computer doesn't necessarily have a Blog or even heard of it for that matter. So please explain how that somehow diminishes the Blogosphere? I mean really Frank, this isn't rocket science.

You see Frank, what you don't understand is Blogging is not a one-way monologue like most mainstream media types such as yourself. Blogging enables people to engage, participate, express and influence ideas at an unprecedented level. Never in the history of mankind and Johann Gutenberg's invention of the printing press has a technology empowered so many. And the Blogosphere will only continue going to grow in numbers and influence.

So the question begs to be asked - why then does Frank even bother to write about Bloggers if we really don't count? The short answer is we do count, and it's only a matter of time before the mainstream media snobs will have to give the blogosphere kudos it deserves.

Frankly, (pun intended) your mockery of the Blogosphere only belies your ignorance of the technology and its formidable capabilities. So have fun taunting us Frank, but mark my words. As more people get computers with internet connections and Blogs become even more popular, come next election we will be driving the news. Dinosaurs like you will find yourself left behind merely 'reporting' it or sitting on the sofa with the rest of them. Join us or be obsolete.

Below is Blog Bloke's response that he sent Frank Barnako via email. It remains to be seen if he will post it (probably not considering he doesn't have a commenting feature).

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Hi Frank. That was a rather terse comment for a 'professional writer' don't you think?

This is not a flame, but rather a shameless self promotion. I am the only one that I am aware of (mainstream or the blogosphere) who accurately called the election for Bush.

I wouldn't call that blowing it!

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Update: Eric Engberg comes out of retirement to spew his hostility on the Blogosphere.