I happened upon this in my mail archives: -->
At around 12:01 AM 2/28/02 -0800, it may be assumed that JD Lasica wrote > >Weblogs aren't going away. We're already seeing some terrific uses of it >by mainstream news sites I am more than a little perturbed by the ease with which extremists of any complexion can organize themselves on the Internet, and then urge each other on to ever-further forms of unfettered extreme behaviors that threaten the very fabric of our American way of life. Moreover, I find the recent fashion in weblogging particularly worrying. It seems to me that ANYone -- wanting for education, capital, and even writing ability! -- can set up shop as a professional journalist. These people can assume the status of news source, of reporter, of editor. The casual reader of their output cannot divine whether Tom, Dick or Jane is a lefty, a pacivist, or pro-terrorism. These bloggers can not be presumed to be accurate, much less objective. Pithy headlines and isolated quotes are put on the web lacking the accepted context to aid understanding. Issues are liable to be addressed from the most controversial, un-American perspectives. They are beyond the reach of letters to the editor, e-mails to the senator, even libel suits. In fact, these hobbyists are outside the mainstream American system. They are not dependent on receiving revenue from established institutions. They are actually accountable to NOone, a law unto themselves, and a danger to the American way of life. What is to be done? I'll tell you. They must be taken down from their blogging high horses. The very life blood of their blogging must be stemmed. The hyperlink must be *outlawed*. It is this link -- with its cavalier contempt of copyright -- that vitalizes these 'bloggers'. In addition, to deter some of the more miscreant elements from disseminating their disturbing drivel, an entry fee should be paid in order to become a so-called blogger or any other in-bred online community. Best, ... --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Persons posting messages to not_honyaku assume all responsibility for their messages. The list owner does not review messages prior to posting, and accepts no responsibility for the content of messages posted. -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
