Jack Shafer takes on Nick Denton's media empire in "The Heaving Pukes Who Write Gawker and Wonkette" (Slate, Mar 12, 04) and revisits the snark wars of '03*. However, it's not the criticisms of the weblog's editorial tones that stick, but this all-too-true observation:
The lesser breed of writer needs to consider his thoughts and rub and polish his brain against that of others in a collegial setting—to rewrite Montaigne—and produce something more valuable, more lasting, more better.
I do wonder, however, if that "collegial setting" could be approximated in the comments section. I'm hardly recreating the Paris salons in mine (all you readers are very quiet), but I am curious as to whether or not other webloggers polish their brains against the reaction of their peers and readers.
* Would you like to revisit the snark wars? Start in late August, romp through September and sigh with relief at the last salvo in October.
Comments