Note to FCC Chairman Michael Powell: Dictating or having a flack write out a self congratulatory note about technology, and FCC without really saying anything much for a quasi-blog type entity does not make you a weblogger. Instead it makes you open to ridicule from pesky irritants and self important journalists like moi. If you are going to blog, well start a weblog at fcc.gov. In other words, we should limit the confusion to policy and not bring it to the blog-world. And in case someone insists on calling your statement a blog, remind them not to put the following as a footnote – it takes away any pretension of authenticity. Side note to news agencies: please check with webloggers on the definition of a weblog.
This is the first in a regular series of columns by FCC Chairman Michael Powell. Chairman Powell will be the opening keynote speaker at the AO2004 Innovation Summit at Stanford University on July 13 at 6:45pm, where he’ll be joined in a fireside chat by Steve Jurvetson (Draper Fisher Jurvetson) and Professor Larry Lessig (Stanford University).
Required reading: TechFocus.org
Glad to see you mention it….I kept seeing stories about “Powell the Blogger” pop up all day yesterday…..
Silly nonsense.
Though I’d love to see him start an actual blog to justify him calling unproven, interference prone BPL technology the “great broadband hope” before tests have even been completed…..
I’d also love to see him justify more telecom deregulation after Verizon received billions in tax incentives for fiber networks never deployed….
Hey Karl, I agree with you and frankly just sick and tired of hearing the ladida coverage of a non-story. I think this kind of crap is not a good one to pull. My biggest fear is that we are coming to a time where “blogs” have become the new “dot-coms”
So i get the first major politcal figure to engage in a open interactive discussion with the tech community — and all you guys can do is bitch — Well, he just posted his 3rd post, and is responding to the intelligent comments that come in (i delete the useless ones like the two above) and he is going to keep on keepin’ on — and i am sure you all will just bitch some more. I would have expected more support for a “blog” that supposedly focuses on the telecommunications industry — but i guess that is expecting too much from people who think they are “bloggers.” I think “complainers” is a better description for what you guys do – Well gotta go now, and finish Poweel’s new post – at least he offers up some real value.
The word “blog” is pretty much degenerating in the public’s consciousness to mean “stuff written on the Internet.” Fine distinctions are getting harder to make with these neologisms. I expect different kinds of blogs will be getting more qualifiers…
We already have moderated blogs, collaborative blogs, personal blogs, guest blogs and each type comes with or without comments.
The meaning of the root “blog” is more likely to broaden rather than narrow, perhaps even to the absurd point where one day we will have “Andi’s blog, the print version.”
tony, the problem is that you don’t see it. its not bitching – its calling it the way it is. he is writing a column for you and that’s great. so don’t call it a blog post. please no reason to get self righteous on this one. it would be great if you redub it as an “excuslive online column” by powell.
I think TP makes a good point.
TP – if I were to start a information based web service you would be the first guy I would call to get advise/opinion. Honestly, encourage you to start a print edition/version of Always On.
Om – I have tremendous respect for you. There is a lot of truth to your original post. Let’s not forget our good old values of respecting Leaders – Michael Powell and Tony Perkins are Leaders of the Information Age.
I have a suspicion that by the time you guys read this post – you have hugged each other.
Ahhh, let’s see, you know better what a “blog” is than anyone else, yet I am the one being self-righteous. I thought we taught you better than that at Red Herring Om.