Gladwell on blogging versus traditional media
August 1st, 2006 by marc
In this article Malcom Gladwell writes on whether or not blogging is a derivative medium, pigyybacking on the coattails and requiring traditional media. Chris Anderson of Long-Tail fame defends the (I think rather tenuous) position that it isn’t.
Regardless of which side of this polemic one might be on, it is clear that bloggers are able to coallesce, collect, and respond to information much quicker than can traditional media. Again, ignoring the quality and originality of those sources, this puts bloggers in the position of being first to respond and provide a real-time pulse about news. The responses are by their nature likely to be not full treatises, but quicker, less elaborate and considered works.
Presenting such commentary in Stickis, rather than as prose living on a portal, blog, or email, has the advantage that even brief writing can be valuable even if very short and pithy and contextual, because it is viewed in context of the original source or sources.