Trying to calm irrational bloggers

It is truly sad to see how the blogosphere has changed in the past 2 years, both socially and commercially.

It's sort of like saying that you hope TV doesn't get known for reactionary broadcasts.

Blogs are just a medium, a subset of the web itself.

The medium is used by diverse individuals, in various ways. I'm very resistant to characterize "bloggers" in any particular generic way because of that diversity. I don't know how anyone can say "all bloggers this" or "all bloggers that." All bloggers are not the same.

I think you're correct, however, that the medium is going to take the rap for some of the extremes. Blogs that start then get abandoned. Those who rush forward to post without thoughtful review. But you also get credit for the pluses -- blogs that spread news and information in new ways we've not had before.

I'd hope in the end you'll see balance and in time, more thoughtful recognition that because of the diversity of blogs, they (and bloggers themselves) cannot be classified under any generic heading.

Part of it for me was the realization that whether or not we agree blogs are journalism and bloggers need to be journalists, bloggers are being pushed, pulled, and dragged into the realm of journalism whether we like it or not.

I realized if I make a slip-up or a bad call, suddenly dozens of newscasts might use me as their primary source and I'm just some dork with a blog pontificating on something from the outside. I'm starting to think all that blogger code of ethics garbage is worth listening to, esp. as blogs get used by other mainstream journalist outfits more and more.

The TV analogy is accurate. It is competing media that will self-heal both the blog and the mainstream media. The bloggers kicked Rather in the butt and a self-correcting process was set into motion. The media got twisted to the left and people turned to alternate forms for information. It is competition and freedom that self-correct through time.