Molecular Media in 2005, Part III

[Continued from Part II]

Weblogs

Consider Credibility and Transparency and Transparency Begets Trust in the Ever-Expanding Blogosphere (courtesy J.D.). Dead on in a lot of ways. Some people are outside the caves wondering where the news is.

Joi Ito points to the Fortune article Why There's No Escaping the Blog, and it's an interesting read - though understandably business-centric. It almost seems to say, 'if it works for Microsoft, then it must be good for you!'. Bully for Microsoft - not because of the weblog, but because they got the right person - Scoble. That Scoble can handle things and be honest about these things is really more of a tribute to Scoble than any technology. Frankness and honesty. What a concept, especially from the company that historically brings you Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt (FUD) when it comes to software. Maybe things are changing - maybe things have to change at Microsoft. Maybe that's why they hired Scoble. Sad that he has those first three letters in his name, though.

What's important, too, is that bloggers are beginning to figure this out as well - though bloggers tend to think inside the technology they use, which is oddly self limiting. Dina broke that mold when she started looking to other technologies to help her and others through SEA EAT. Her post at WorldChanging, Asia Earthquake and Tsunamis: Blogs a platform to make a difference shows that she was not limited to thinking of traditional blogging software. Instead, she was considering Wikis and other things. That's the *right* thing to do, because it's not about blogging. It's about the right tool for the job of communication.

And the business side is apparent too in this quote from the BBC's 'The year in issues: Role of the blog:

"Blogging is already being domesticated by its success," wrote Whiskey Bar blogger Billmon Billmon in the mass-selling Los Angeles Times. "What began as a spontaneous eruption of populist creativity is on the verge of being absorbed by the media-industrial complex it claims to despise."

"Bloggers aren't the first, and won't be the last, rebellious critics to try to storm the castle only to be invited to come inside and make themselves at home."

Perhaps that's a better textbyte than what Joi pointed at. It feels like 'puzzle piece fits' right. Yet I cringe about 'domestication', because it means acceptance - and may just be redefining a larger cave for people to sit around and wait for news. If people only read weblogs, and do not comment and discuss otherwise (through their own weblogs, as an example), all it really becomes is another form of molar media.

A business that makes nothing but money is a poor kind of business

- Henry Ford

The Cluetrain manifesto states, "These markets are conversations. Well, it's a bit bigger than 'markets'. It's about people - you, me, and everyone else who reads what is being said and decides to participate. Calling us a 'market' is akin to calling us 'sheep'... but that was not the intent with the Cluetrain Manifesto, though that culture does permeate the business industry that the authors were addressing.

Don't think of me as a revenue stream. Think of me as a human being. If some of you businesses have what I want, you might even have the opportunity to consider me a customer. But please don't think of me as a market or demographic. We'll both be severely disappointed.

Perhaps the creed of the writing blogger can be summed up here -

...Here I slumber to awaken my daze

I find convenience in this savior I save

Am I a prison, am I a source of dire news

Am I a picture perfect reason for you...

-'Needs', Collective Soul

And perhaps the reading side of bloggers and people who read them could be summed up like so:

Are these times contagious

I